The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-03-20
TIRE SECRET REVEALED.
The StOrJ OF Frederick Douglass Is
cape from SiaTery, Toid for the First
TiHe by Himself

, We clip from the New York Y1DIs
the following abstract of a lecture L.,
7 Frederick Douglas at Philadelphia oi
Monday night. &c Will be seen tina
Mr.. Douglass related IN a very inter
estlng way, the manner OF lis escsp
from slavery:
The academy of music was denszlN
crowded with an intelligent audience
who gathered to hear Frederick Doug
lass rehearsal Of his "Reminiscence,
Of Slavery and anti-Slavery." 1t wa:
only about year ago that this stag,
was denied to the above named gen.
tleman, and the Outburst of indigna
ton that then escaped from every
loyal citizen at that time, proved sucl
a severe reprimand t. the directors o.
the academy that their action was
speedily revoked, and now Mr.. Doug
lass or any other respectable repre-
sentative of his race may have access
J to its flOOr and stage. 1t was general
ly anticipated that Mr.. Douglass re-
cital of tue wrongs and expressions OF
tine c0lOred people would be an inter.
esting and spirited discourse, and few
were disappointed with his able effort
He began his discourse by saying: "a
give you JOY thatevery vestige Of slav-
cry has been swept from the land;''
and, after comparing the relations be-
tween the existing forms of govern
ment in this country and the old
w0rsl, he made reference to the mel
who never did anything to put man
in the constitution, but are now mOY-
iBg heaven and earth 20 put God in
the constitution. He said az am for
accepting this government, as in its
literal truth it is q purely human gov
Tnment for the accomplishment OF
Turely human ends, and woe to it
when it shall incorporate the princi-
Mes of divine right in its national
code" After reviewing the Inception
and development of the anti-slavery
movement, its objects and ends, its
accomplishments and its failings, its
trials and final victory, Mr.. Douglass
gave the following rehearsal Of his
own escape "WhIle slavery existed
| [ had good reasons for not telling the
story OF my escape from bondage, and
now that that great trial is over, do
not know any good reason why l
should not tell it. People generally
imagined that it was marvellous re-
| cital, but it is one OF the most simple
and commonplace stories that could
be given. l was owned III Talbot
county, on the eastern shore of Mary
land, in 1885, and few years after
/ that time made my escape Ihad been
sent up to Baltimore by my master to
| a brother of his for safe keeping, but it
was a strange movement to send me
sixty miles nearer my liberty. When
II determined on escaping, | looked
about for the proper means to accom-
plish my purpose. At that time
great vigilance was exercised 10y the
authorities. Everybody was strictly
watched, and if n slave were found
outside the limits OF his masters plan
tatiOn, he would be liable to show by
what right he was out of place. / was
put to work in a ship-yard, and com
menced to learn the business of ship
carpentering and caulking. Here L
had frequent intercourse with sailors,
and in them I thought l discovered a
feeling of sympathy and kindness.
Although tine difficulties and obstacles
against escape were apparently insur-
mountable, / conceived an idea that L
could secure my release by dressing in
sailors clothing and making a suTrep-
titious retreat. But l had no papers
by which / could pass from place to
place, Fortunately met with man
named Stanley, who lived in Balti-
more, and who was free. He resem-
bled me in stature, and from him l OBJ
tained a suit of sailors clothes, and
his protection papers, and in this ap-
pareI, provided with the necessary ar
ticles, I, i'll September, 1888, secured
my liberty. / got Isaac Rhodes to
take my bundle, and by arrangement,
after the train started he threw it in,
and ran after and jumped on the
car. If compelled to buy q ticket 1t
would have been necessary to under
90 the most rigid Examination, and all
description in the papers must cores
pond exactly with the marks on my
Ds=rsoIi. ---0sDTuinsiS- ti.e e@lnnna was
carried out, and I soon arrived at VIII
mingtCn. Here l met Frederick Stein,
for whom l had worked, but 1 was so
perfectly disguised that he did not
know me. In a few moments the
train from Philadelphia, bound south,
arrived, and,On this was Capt. Mellow
an, of the revenue cutter at Balti-
more, whom had known intimately,
and who also had been acquainted
with me, but he too, failed to recOg-
Mise me. When the conductor came
through the train he rudely called on
all the passengers for tickets, but when
he came to me, instead of speaking in
an arrogant manner, told me kindly
that he supposed l had my free papers.
[ responded in the negative, but his
surprise was great and his indignation
not apparent when l told him that
nv only pass was an American eagle.
Looking upon it he stated that was
all right, and with this assurance /
came through to Philadelphia, and
proceeded to New York. l got there
at . o'clock and stTayed about and
slept In the streets until morning. /
did not know that 1 had a friend
there, but on the next morning l met
Isaac Dixon, at whose house l had
lived in Baltimore, and he referred me
to David Ruggles, a philanthrOpic and
generous-minded citizen. While in
the city, where I remained several
DAYS, / visited the TOmbs, and there l
saw Isaac Hooper, who, for the great
offense of assisting "TOm," a. we'll
known character, in making his es-
cape, was undergoing trial.
Mr.. Douglass said he had kept this
story secret until this time, because
the conductor who allowed him to pass
from Baltimore to Philadelphia would
have been responsible to his master
for the pecuniary extent of loss sus-
tanned, and because he did not want
to expose his friend Stanley, and be-
cause he did not want shareholders to
know that slaves had any methods of
escape. His freedom, he said, was
honorably purchased by British gold,
$50 having been paid for him by a
friend of his in England, and the
negotiations having been conducted
by Hon. William Meredith of this
city, who is at present the presiding
officer of the convention for the Tevi-
sion of the state constitution, which is
now in session. He concluded his dis
sertions by euIogising the heroes Of
the anti-slaveTy cause, among them
William Lloyd Garrison, Lucretia
Mott, Gerritt Smith and Joshua Lev
lit.