National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-12-31
FRED. DOUGLASS.
ADVENTURE AND "REMINISCENCES.
rhc Career Of the Negro Patriot and Martyr, as
NTitten by Hlmself-The Instiiuiion Of
Slavery as a Slave Knew It
Some History.

do not know how people buy them who want
them unless they happen TO run across an agent
Sometimes subscription book finds It's way into
hbookstorc, but as general thing they cannot be
purchased In the ordinary WY. They arc sci.
dom sent TO paper for review; in truth the
publishers prefer that they should not be
reviewed. Some time ago sent the Pres few
extracts from Frederick Douglass account OF
his escape from slavery. That interesting
paper was a chapter printed in the Century Maya.
rne in advance Of publication, from "The Life
and Times Of Frederick Douglass" by himself
This volume was published n short time after bya
Hartford subscription book house, and have been
trying ever since to get a copy and have only just
meccedcd. II took as much wire pulling aud cor
rcspondcnce ms TO get n Government position. No
ono Ind II but the agents, and no bookseller knew
who the agents were / have Just finished read.
Ing this autobiography, and n remarkable one IL
Is. Certainly Frederick Douglass IS one Of the
most
EXTRAORDINARY MEN or HIS TIME.
Born in slavery, Of dcspised race, allowed to run
wild rs u child, starved ana beaten rs man. he
managed to learn to read aud write, this by the
greatest stealth, and finally to 50 educate himself
that after his escape from slavery he took rank
among the orators Of the. day, and attained
position his :" old MASTER might have cnvicd.
After reading the biographies Of most Of the
great men, have come to the conclusion that
obstacles IN the path are the best incentives to
those who would climb the hill of fame. II
Douglass had been born IN the North, n free
man, he would probably never have risen above
come humble position bat where every stcp he
made cost him blow, he dclemiucd to conquer,
bnd he did. IhCstOry NJ his life Is told w the SIM
plCst and most straightforward manner. | have
never read book IN the subject of slavery. not
tuition appear ~ Hwiul, nnnglHss does not seem
10 lie Nrnining after Il sensation. There is no at
tempt ut word painting. lie gives the facts just as
they were, and they need no colOring to make
Them more terrible
WHO HIS rArHrR WAS
Douglas never knew and his NJ ther he only saw
Dnrc, | believe. Then she wulkrd twelve miles
and back in the night to see him for u few minutes
His grnndm tthcr, who seemed to have better
position than usually fell To the lot ofslaves, took
care Of bin until he was seven years old then he
Wa, sent to the old masters" This "old mas
ter" was Captain Aaron Anthony, who was the
chief clerk aud butler" on thcdi9me plantation
house. Douglass belonged to Colonel Lloyd
an immensely wealthy man, who owned
kplendor on the Eastern Shore Of Maryland. Tie
description Of the manner of living at this man
sion reads Ike romance Fifteen noisclcss
slaves glded about the dinins.'uom waiting upon
the guests, or tanning them with large fans as
they ate. A Yankee" tutor taught the young
people, who spent their leisure in every sort of en-
joyment. Colonel Lloyd was a kind husband and
father but he would have none but bruics as over.
teeTs OF his slaves, and would even take the whip
faithful servants. Douglass was accustomed to see
men and women beaten IN the most cruel manner
FROM HIS EARLIEST CHILDHOOD.
The first woman he ever saw beaten was his own
cousin, who was tied up with her arms over her
head and dashed until her back was cut to tic
bone and the floor was red with her blood. The
crime for which she suffered this terrible punish.
ment was having spoken to young negro with
whom she was in love, but Of whom her owner did
not approve. As a child Douglass escaped severe
foggings, but when he grew up and displayed
what was considered too independent n spirit he
was beaten us cruelty rs any other slave,
and more so than most, because he re-
sisted. lie did not shirk his work, and
as he was big, strong fellow, he accom-.
ylished great deal and made himself valuable to
tpo ha Nyua rod t,f h. In.,, H.
good wages home TO his Muster but even this did
not make him show any sOlictudc for his health
or well being. The man who employed him was
the worst sort of brute, yet Douglass tells us that
he went to church and prayed with the loudest.
when Douglass was working one day he fell twice
TO the ground from exhaustion and real illness.
Instead OF letting him rest his employer
hit HIM OVER THE HEAD
with a stick of wood and kicked him with all his
might. should think a selfish motive, IL nothing
else, would have made him more considcrntc.
You wouldn't want TO main a horse II he was
temporarily laid up, and why any more u man?
But slavery days are over, and these stories nrc
now things Of history. Let us hope that history
will not repeat itself in this instance There is no
doubt but that Douglass was an ugly customer
He was ever ready with II knock down blow or n
bitter word II is hardly surprising that he did
moi feel very amiaby toward the people who
kept his race in bondage maltrcnting limo
cent children aud degrading defenseiess women.
Perhaps II he had been less of fighter he
would not have ACCOMPLISHED o The erea!!
escape from slavery has already been told in the
Press. Amer establishing himself at New Bedford
demonstration then flowing from MassachTIsetis
oil over the country. As u runaway slave his
words carried great weight. He visited England
more than once in the interest of the cause md
was warmly received by some of the best people in
the country. He was very intimatewth the How
it's, and visited their house for some time. Here
he met Hans Christian Andersen, but as he spoke
no Swedish and the poet spoke no English their
aarnaT Aqua nc did not become very Intimate
book than that which describes
HIS CONNECTION WITH JOHN BROWN.
When they first met in Rochester, Brown was
Respectable and prosperous merchant, who owned
large brick store on one Of the principal streets.
After seeing the store Douglass expected that the
house would be propoFtonalely fine. On the con-
street, and the inside was palmer than the eXte-
Nor. Its furniture would have satisfied Spar.
tan,' and there was an air Of plainness about 1t
Douglass ate there was called tea" but II con-
sisted OF "hcefsou cabbage, and potatoes" The
tablecloth," aud the mother aud daughters cooked
thG meals aud did the waiting. The master Of
this household "mltilled n. Tuuls idea OF the
head Of ne family His Wifi believed in him, and
bis children observed him with reverence"
Douglass describes Brown Us his face is known TO
Us through the illustrated papers Of those stormy
days. TN person he WAS lean strong a I'd sinewy,
ofthc best New England mould, built TOR times Of
tnuble and lifted TO grapplcwith the lnicst hard
boots of cowIidc leather, ana wearing a cravSt OF
the same substantial material; under six ieeuhigh,
l'Ss than 40 pounds in weight, aged about hity,
lC Irvsehtd Inquire silalg"t ana symmetrical rs
amounHin pine.
HIS BEARING WAS siNGuLARLY IMPRESSIVE.
his head was not large, but compact and high.
His hair was coarse, strong, slightly grny, and
closely trimmed. and grew low on his forehead
His face was smoothly shaved, and revealed a
strong, square mouth, supported by broad,
prominent chin. His eyes were blush gray, and
~ conversation they were full of light and fire
When on The street he moved with long, spring.
ing, race. horse step. absorbed by his own refec-
ti0ns, neither seeking nor stunning observation"
After ten Brown cautiously approached the sub
the slavcs-and he laid his plan before
Douglass. TWAS bold one and one that would
send him down the pages of history either as a
murderer or martyr. He was ready to take his
life in his hand, and all tho money he had saved
by living in the most economical manner was e
be devoted to the cause can but be killed
known than the John Brown raid, aud there art
fey Of ps who do not respect the misguided maj
while ." his soul goes marching on"
OF COURSE DOUGLASS MET
Mrs II. u, stowe whose Uncle Toms Cabin
was one of the strongest weapons with which tn,
nutl-slRyery fight was fought Mrs stowe invited
him TO her house TO talk over plan for the bet
terng the condition Of the CoOied people. Sh
wanted college ut first but Douglass convince
her that shops to teach them how to earn thei
living would be Of greater practical value. An
other peron whom Douglass admired and love-
was Abraham Lincoln and well he might :"
shall never forget my first interview with thi
great man. he writes. 81 was uccompane,
70 inc IAtCullNc NluIhlOn uHu lulluuuGcl
20 President Lincoln by Senator Pomcroy
The room In which he received visitor
was the one now used by the Presidents secre
tares ! entered IL with u moderate estimate o
my own consequence and yet there was TO tall
with, even TO advise the head man of great Ma
ton, Happily for me, there was no vain POM
and ceremony about him. j was never NOR
quickly or more completely put ut case in Tn
presence of great man than in that of Abraham
Lincoln. lie was seated when entered, in u loN
arm chair, with his feet extended on the floor
surrounded By a large number Of documents an
several busy secretaries. The room bore N