Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-19
FRED DOUGLASS.
His Speech at the Colored Fair Yes.
terday.
sound Advice to the CoIored Race

| There was an immense attendanc at tn
Colored Fair Yesterday, on the occasion @
the address Of Frederick Douglass to th'
Tennessee Agricultural and Mechanical As
| ISOLATION.
1t was our intention to report and pub
lish this speech in full, but as we found tn
| speaker he'd taken the precaution to brinj
to Nashville several thousand copies of hi
| speech already printed in pamphlet form
we will only present a synopsis, as the en-
tire address can be secured in much NOR
convenient shape.
Upofheing introduced,to the audience
by Mr.. Abe Smith, Mr.. Douglass said:
Fellow.citizens and Gentlemen: Wher
had the honor to receive your kind anC
| unexpected invitation to visit Nashville, s
city famous for its elegance and refinement
and the scene of so many thrilling events
aud patriotic associations during the late
struggle for Union and liberty, was natu
rally enough very much pleased with The
prospect of icing present on this occasion;
but when was informed that my visit was
not to be either for pleasure or observation,
but to make an address, and the said ad.
dress must be of Q character appropriate to
this your third annual agricultural exhibit.
tioD, my Joy and enthusiasm received q
very decided check; the snative hue of res.
olutions vas sicklied over with the pale cast
of thought" The fact is-and l am not
ashamed to admit i'll ielt very much as
some of our Generals did when called upon
TO face the enemy on the open battle field.
would have gladly been relieved of the
command, and to have allowed thu impos-
ing task assigned me to fall into other and
mora competent hands. But your commit
tee was composed Of earnest and resolute
men. They were men from Tennessee,
and as wi lful as old Hickory himself. They
made no account OF aOy modest distrUsts of
my ability, would hear none of my excuses,
and in short would be satisfied with moth
ing less than my presence and speech on
this occasion. Well, gentlemen, these will.
fol men have succeeded; they have got me
here, but l beg you to remember thu old
saying, which must have originated with
farmers, for the best things always have
originated with them, that some man may
carry horse to water, but twenty cannot
him drink" l4
Gentlemen, this is an agricultural and
mechanical industrial fair. l am surrounded
to-day by industrious mechanics and farm
ers, and you have got me up here to tell you
~h t know about farming. Now, am
neither q farmer or mechanic. During
the last LGirty-fVe years have been actively
employed in work which left me no time
to study either the theory or the practice of
farming. | could far more easily tell you
what ! don't know about farming than what
l do know, though the former would take
more time to tell it than the latter. There
are, undoubtedly, hundreds of colored men
in the vicinity of Nashville, practical farm
ers and mechanics, who could address you
upon the subjects of this o ,casion far more
appropriately and effectively than can do.
ibis suggestion may seem rather late, but
it may serve you good turn when the bust
ness OF selecting speaker shall come around
again. ..i- p
Agriculture is one of the very Oldest
themes and one upon which only genius
can be expected to say anything either new
or striking. Originality is out of the ques-
ton. In few things perhaps, more than in
farming, does one find that there is no hing
new under the sun. The ssges of to-day
do but reiterste the wisdom of the sages Of
The discovery Of the funda-
mental pine pies of Agriculture Re ch far
beyond the limits of authentic history, for
men titled the soil long before they wrote
books, and would never have Written books
if they had not titled the soil. All the pre-
sent rests upon sill the past. The very best
that any in my circumstances Can do is to
teach and preach the discoveries made by
other men and at other times. There are
many great truths which yet re-
remain to be discovered and applied TO Agri-
culture, as well as TO many other matters of
human welfare. 1t was favorite saying Of
Theodore Parker, that call the space be-
tween MATS mind and Gods mind is
crowded with truths which wait to be dis
covered and organized into law for the prac-
ice of men,"
/ give you my warmest congratulations
lpon the attitude you have assumed before |
he American people this day. especially |
you upon the noble example |
7ou have set fer our whole racs. You |
lave gone to work like earnest men, fully
believing in the future of your people. You
AVE wisely aVailed yourselves of well |
Known power, the power of a ISOLATION, Or
ANIMATION, mutual counsel and co-opels-
lon. You have dared to organize an Ag-
icUltural and Mechanical Association for
be State of Tennessee. You propose to
vail yourselves of whstever knowledge or
wisdom there may be in this State, which
an assist you in the work CT your genera
Improvement. You have dared to open
ERE in the city of Nashville ate Agricul-
Qral Fair, to display the rich fruits Of your
Industry, and to ask your fellow-country-
hen of all conditions and colors to view
nd inspect them. This is an act, on your
art as brave as it is wise. 1t proves that
on are not ashamed Of your achievements.
proves thst you, like the great Oliver
,romwell and all other brave men, want to
g painted as you are, and to receive no
ther or higher credit than that which you
onestly win by open ana fair competition.
The organigat of your State Agricul-
Iral Society and this third annual exhibit
on demonstrate that you appreciate the
ew order Of things which has dawned
pom the country. By tn Sc two sigas you
dvertise and inform the world of your
tre,UeU, your departure forever from the
loral and intellectual stagnatiOn of by
)ne condition, and have taken up your line
march under the banner of liberty with
le more advanced peoples of the earta to
igher plains of civilization, culture and re-
nement.
congratulate you again, gentlemen, upon
le point of time at which you begin your
lblic career of agricultural industry. In {
lis respect the conditions of success are
early perfect. No fifty years of human
e and exertion have b.en so crowded with
scovery and invention as the first half of {
lis nineteenth century. You may now t
ak by sight WHERE others only walked by
ith. You have not to feel your way in
e dark or to hew out any new road to
rtune. The very elements around you !
ave been fighting on your side, and, like {
rtunste general, you came upon the field t
action at exactly the right moment to Sc
Ire an easy and brilliant victory. Agri-
lltural implements of world-approved ma
rails and of world-approved patterns are /
ady TO your hand. The toll and drudg-
y of ancient farming have been banished I
ON the field. The heavy cradle, which T
ore out your manhood, and the sickle c
your bodies in pain, belong to a 2
v.gone age, The old fashioned hoe, broad, c
,syy and cumbrous; and the wooden q
oW, with its miserable mold board, and it's il
called steel point, that kept you always b
inning to the blacksmith's shop, have fol- L
wed the sickle and the cradle to their s
mmon resting place. Science, the noblest Il
ID graudest artifcer of human fortune and u
sll-being, the source and explanation ofall t.
ogress, has patiently unfolded the nature v
ID composition Of plants and made us &C.
Il IT, Al