The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-10
A REsIINIsCRAcE.
uow DeIerate Campbell introduced Fred
Doagiaas 20 n wheeling Audience.

Campbell, Of West Virginia, to his intro
duction Of Frederick Douglass before
Wheeling audience Just at the close OF the
war. The scene itself, in connection with
attendant incidents, was Of dramatic in.
terest. A gentleman now connected with
The Pioneer F1ePress, who was the instru.
ment Of these incidents, thus relates
them:
"while in college at Marietta, Ohio, one
OF my financial resources was course oil
lectures, for which I engaged Mr.. Doug
lass, Mr, Henry Vincent, Ralph Waldo
Emerson, and other distinguished men.
secured Mr.. Douglass for series o.
lectures at Greenfield, Athens, and Mari
eta, O., Wheeling, and Pittsburgh. From
Marietta TO Wheeling We travelled on
steamer, well laden with the usual mixed
crowd peculiar to an Ohio river steamer,
many OF whom told the captain that they
wouldn't eat with no damned Niger. l
quietly arranged for private table at the
head Of the cabin, to which Invited Proi.
Evans, then professor OF mathematics at
Marietta, a gentleman OF high local dts
tinction, who, with myself, greatly enjoy.
ed The table wit and wisdom Of Mr.. Doug.
lass. while the crowd was aghast that the
Professor should prefer his company to
theirs. Arriving at Wheeling, we went to
Inc Mcclure House, the leading hotel,
and l was assigned excellent rooms for
Mr.. Douglass and myself, not long before
the dinner.hour.
"The hotel had been but the week before
leased and occupied by new proprietor
"A southerner-who had his reputation
and capital invested in 1t. Before dinner
several hotheaded boarders waited on
him. and told him that II Douglass should
be allowed the privilege OF the dining
room they would leave the house. Mr..
Douglass wasignorant and innocent oil all
trouble, as the arrangements were all
mine. listened, incognito, to the clamor
around the landlord, edged my way
through the crowd and told Boniiace thai,
rather than involve him in loss, We would
seek quarters elsewhere. He quietly mo-
toned me to silence, saying: NO, young
man; this is my house; and, by God! I'll
run 1t to suit myself. If these people
want to leave, let 'em co. Subsequently,
he himself conducted our party to the
dinipp.hall and to bis own family table.
~ afterwards related the facts to Mr..
Douglass. who said not word in reply,
but knit his lips with that intense ex-
preston peculiar to him in times OF ex-
element. In my youthful indiscretion 1t
occurred TO me to invite the Governor Of
the State TO introduce the lecturer. My
modestly preferred request was declined
with great politeness. / waited upon
several gentlemen on the same GRAND.
but met no encouragement In despair |
went to the colored janitor OF the. hall,
and told him my story. His answer was,
well, sab, dere's one gemman"in Wheel;
ing dat isn't 'fraid Of niggahs nor white
folks nudder, an OATS Mas'r Cammel,
what edits de '9tligencer That's III l
said, ran TO Mr.. Campbell, told him the
whole story frankly, and asked him TO
help me out. He assented quietly and
unhesitatingly. As the audience gath
cred, saw that the rear OF the hall was
filling with a class not usually seen at
lectures.
"Later, q friend suggested to me quietly
that had better have a police force, as
there were some present who might make
trouble. The Governor entered at that
moment, and / asked his advice. lie said
there was no need OF police-there might
be some confusion, but no violent dlstur-
bance; 10 watch things and let him know
II saw anything worthy OF cognizance.
At the appointed time Mr.. Campbell and
Mr.. Douglass came before q crowded
house. The latter took aseat, but the for
mer advanced directly to the desk, and in
few neat and incisiye sentences intro.
duced the lecturer. As the speaker arose
in his splendid figure, his large head and
waving mass OF hair erect, a slight hiss
came from the crowd at the rear, followed
Immediately by moderate applause at the
front.
"Then the hiss came more emphatically,
and the applause responded with roar I;
Kisses and a general murmur rolled toward
the stage like great wave, but were met
and overcome by roar OF applause; and
go for two or three minutes was Kept up
an internal antiphonal between enemies
and friends OF the great orator, until, the
audience having arisen, their came such Q
tempest OF cheers, clapping oil hands and
waving OF hats as showed Enthusiastically
that Mr.. Douglass was in the house OF his
friends. The lecturer had stood unmoved
and silent, biding his time, and when the
storm had passed, in that deep, pungent,
musical voice which marked his best years
and highest powers, he said with simple
impressiveness as near as can remember:
Ladies and gentlemen-citizens OF West
Virginia. have come to speak to you to-
night concerning certain dangers to the
republic. Let me, as q personal word, say
that whatever may come OF this day and
night, bid you see to 1t that that man
(pointing toward the hotel whose bread
| have Just shared shall not be harmed by
a prejudice which, all in good time, shall
cease upon EARTH" Thence he went for
ward with two hours address OF great
power, undisturbed throughout and heart
lily congratulated at the end.
SAT Pittsburgh We went to the great
hotel OF the town, the Monongahela, where
registered our party, and we were as
signed rooms. Soon alter, the proprietor
Of the hotel approached me brusquely, but
not Extensively, with statement that MIR.
Douglass remaining there would make him
trouble, and q request that we shoul Id leave.
| objected, and stated our Wheeling ex.
perience. The hotel man stood firm, and
asked TO see Mr.. Douglass, to whose room
we went, finding him without his coat,
shaving. Our unwilling host stated his
case at its best, and insisted upon our 60.
ing elsewhere. Mr.. Douglass assented,
but followed his assent with such an i'm
passioned appeal for the treatment oil men
upon their merits rather than upon the
color Of their skins, as probably never was
uttered before or since. Walking in his
stately way up and down his room, his
face partly shaven, brush in one hand and
razor in the other, he was in anything but
a dignifed plight; but the old man was on
fire, and while we lodged his vehement
gesticulations as he brandished the imple-
ments oil his toilet, We two listened to an
address which 1t were pity indeed that the
world should have lost.
"The hotel man was charmed and over
powered. He beckoned me and hurried
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