The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-12-31
Fred Douglas as a Lecturer


external forces aud circumstances combine
to crush every noule lcclirg or lofty aspl-
ration When we compare his condition
previous 60 his twenty first year as poor
down lroddcn slave, his present position
as one Of the popular lecturers of the day
both in England and America, we must
feel that he is a very remarkable man
Mr.. Douglass was born in Talbot coun
ty, Md His mother was negro slave
and his father a white man. Previous TO
his twenty first year he had in secret
taught himself to read. Though the
chains Of slavery were his natural inher.
itancc, still hts thoughts were vigorous
and free, and hc resolved that his person
should be so too. Accordingly, on Sept.
81, 1888, at the age Of twenty one he
took an unceremouiUus leave of his legal
proprietor in Baltimore, and madc hi-
way to New York There he supported
himself by day labor for two or three
years. The first of his public sneaking
WAS at an anti-slavery convention in Mans
tucket, when his speech WAS - well res
ceiyed that he was Immediately appointed
as agent Of The society TO address public
assemblies on this subject, and he ha4
done tins work not only in our own coun
try, hut also in all the principal towns of
England ard ireland, he has electrified
vast audiences by his eioqncnce
In personal appearances Mr.. Douglass
is considerably above the medium hriah;
and iinsly proportione1 lie il h-Jai-
ehoullcrai AMI full. chrs,nd, All prc.,r.s
a very p5Serful anl muscular arp,arancs
His features are firm and regular anI de
cidcdly Saxon, while his colo. ;.s untrl..
taxable belrspS the African element. III,
forehead Is high AMI square. HIS hair,
now quite gray, ia Of that particular kini
denomnated "~ooiv,' not matted cln-,.
To his head like pure African, hat is. .s
Il sheep i'll IN would say, ''sltplr, AMI ~
It crows low On hls forehead AMI Gle +
forward uf his temples, 1t makss his head
look very ilr1s. - much for the iEtn
and ms appearance.
Mr. DJu-l;,-l j. this winter delivering
"A lecture, he -u.j Ct Of -hich i, '1,i;
Ma le Men a." \ fnS >,nt1ucs- nui..j
do>u while listcnin- 10 the lecture nay
give somo iiea Of ti character, bat to led
IT. power one mu-t hear il from hls own
lips. He Asks,
First, Who are Self VI Ae Men In
a strict scn-e there are no such men II
do not acquire eminrnce or distinction
without aii of sone kind. II lies mprs
ia making the b.-t po-it,lc u-e uf every
advantage anI opportunity whi;h comes
IN their way Slt-Mrde Men are tAo.e
who have gained promise without the or
dlnary aid Of -chnu- and colleges,
Secpnl-What is the sscrel Of their
.uccc. ! It . work.-p--)na energy,
snt activity y-improrement of every op-
pprtOnIiy-even prayer is vain HithDt
etfrt. He p:ayel earnestly tire. lorl
years for liberty. but it was nnt sn.w,rei
until he began to pray With hi- less, men
should NOT wait for spring board - ne
put IN Yer theD to help then up the l.l-
der OF f,na. limen can hn'p ihem--lve.
NJ, then, they will It helped up bat 'f
not they wils grt helped down TIL, is
the Wv is woIli have the rcsrJ dc,it
With e. the N Elm, "Nhst hall W.
10 with The negro :" he would reply, DO
no:ling with him, jus, let him alone. If
We -te him Oh the way 10 church, 1T hln
;loue \; On the way To schnH, lsl i,n
.lpnr; II uH the way to the ballot box.
let him alone Tn"n # he h,e., well. il
NOT. Just IS we'll Givs the negro GUr
pey ui, if lie can't live With this hen
hs ought 10 die, another grert pcrqri+itc
q aeccsiy. Especially is an ot1c1 N lille
in the direct way TO success. Some tnen
never get beyond the bark of an idea -
Forever examining tllat but never see the
heart The broad truth il hidden mys
terry. lie illustrates Ivy views taken of
the negro question Says he can never
20 onto the stage or of without taking
ihc negro with him in one form or anoth
er. Cheers. Hopes his audience DO
not intend 10 be personal.
Thirl-lIow far Srit Made Men have
succeeded lie illustrates This by several
instances of negroes who have gained dis
tnctlon in certain directions One nov
living in Albany to whom we are cns
dehtcd for the main features of the great
bridge which spans the Hudson. lie in
-stS on its being remembered that these
are pure blacks anl not JQy4s g7ocs -
Negroes whom slavery had only robbed
Of their liberty and not their col0r.
Euurth-Aayantsgcs Self Made Men
have enjoyed from the institutions of the
country, 1t is the great blessing Of this
country, to use II homely phrase, that
every man must "paiiie his own canoe -
Greatness cannot be inherited. lii, road
10 distinction is open 10 everyone 4
great father does not insure great son
a great name 'JuniOr' is worth no more
than any other name Of the same m rit.
some insist that American Institutions arr
,ihc tnr troubled sea which ever hring4
mire aud dir, TO the surface. If So the
comparison may be carried further. The
sea during successive ages Is taken up in
10 the clouds and again So altered over the
isles and continents, filtered and purified,
50 with American Society. In th,~ coun>
try men OF niOus need not fail 10 gain
distinction even if denied the ail otschuol-
and colleges Though they would bc MI the
better ii they could have these aIvanta-
ys.