Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-29
He Recites Some OF His RecollectiOns
of the Anti.Slavery Contest.

Fifty years ago was brought from Jail
on the Eastern Shore OF Maryland and placed
on the auctioneer's block TO be sold, ;" remarked
Frederick Douglass in the course of lecture
last evening In the Congregational church on
"My Recollections OF Anti-Slavery Times
The lecture was for the benefit Of the free night
schools in this city, and the audience, which
was good sized, was mainly composed of those
interested in this enterprise. The lecturer was
introduced by Senator Blair in the absence of
President Patton of Howard university. The
Senator took occasion to commend warmly the
movement which has resulted in the opening
OF night schools in this city. Mr.. Douglass in
continuation of his anniversary recOllectiOns,
said that on the occasion referred to above his
limbs were exposed to the gaze of the pur-
chasers and examined as if he had been a COW
or horse. Since that time he had seen Won
drous changes in his own condition as well as
that OF his race, and where sales were formerly
held In this city of slaves by the United States
marshal of the District, he had held that office
himself, and he added rather grimly al believe
that there were no slave auctions when l was
marshal. He then went on to say that the re-
yival of the bitter memories of the past was
deprecated and the tanning of the flames of sec
personally concerned he was willing to let the
past be dead IL 1t was really dead. But he did
not think 1t was, and the enthusiastic recep-
ton that was being accorded to
JEFFERSON DAVIS
was one evidence Oft. While slavery had been
destroyed, yet the colored race was deprived of
their constitutional and civil rights, and shot
down in cold blood while attempting peaceably
to discharge their duties as citizens. The past
was not dead. The slave power never forgot or
forgave. 1t was well then to review the past
for il reflected as in a mirror the shadows Of the
future. As to when and how the abolition
movement originated which resulted in the
overthrow of slavery, the lecturer said that
there had been great deal of discussion, and
vain attempts had been made to trace its origin
TO the efforts of some one man or set ofmeu and
award the honor which was due. He had no
doubt put that In few years the Christian
church would claim the credit of Initiating this
great moral REFORM and the names of Birney,
Lundy, Garrison, Phillips and others would be
ignored. So far from the church having IA
vored this reform it was on the other Side
Slavery and Christianity seemed to be ON very
friendly terms. The church bell and the slave
auctioneers bell chimed together. The process
sion to the prayer meeting and the procession
over the Long bridge to the New Orleans mar
ket went on at the same time. In the earlier
years, however, the churches were opposed to
slavery. The Baptists, the Presby terians, the
Mcthodists and the Quakers one hundred years
ago lifted up their voices against this traffic
put when the abolition movement began the
CHURCHES WERE SILENT.
The speaker referred to q rather curious book
which he found in England when he was there
forty years ago. 1t was written by Rev. Mr..
Goodwin, of Jamaica, West Indies, and was
printed in 1850. The entire purpose of the
book was to show, not that slavery was wrong,
but that the negroes had right to be baptized.
The master owns the body, was the argument,
added. dryly, left nothing for the poor negro.
He had heard so many sermons in regard to
the divine right of slavery, when he was q
slave, that he came to believe that it was part
of the Christian religion, and any opposition to
1t was little less than blasphemy. The minis
tiers, in preaching to slaves, choose, as a rule,
this text: Servants, obey your masters" and
their discourse was divided follows: First,
you must obey your masters because God COM
mands it; second, because it will contribute to
your happiness; and, third, because God has
put 1t into the hearts of good white men
TO cross the seas to your savage coun-
try and rescue you as brands from
the burning for the glory Of God, and your
own salvation.
The lecturer than gave some of his expe-
r1enceS In the lecture field in the cause of
abolition, and the chilly reception which he
received even in the New England states, and
the difficulty he experienced in travelling about
because. as they refused ITO take niggers at the
hotels and on tie steamboats,, he was obliged
to go where they kept the cattle. In conclusion
he said that he thought that a review OF the
past showed that progress in the condition OF
the colored race had been marked, and that
with education the disadvantages arising from
the conditions under which they had SO long
existed would be Obliterated.