The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-03-28
CAREER OF DOUGLASS
INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE
SLAVE.STAlE ESMAN.

1NOxDIIN y lN AIlI Lit y OI j III
SLAVE.STAl ESMAN.
His Triumps in England and Ireland
Graphically Related by an Eye
Witness and Friend.
The Cleveland gentleman who was
best acquainted with the late Fred
Douglass is probably Rev. DR.. George
W. Pepper. DR.. Pepper first met Mr..
Douglass abroad nearly fifty years
ago, says the Cleveland Herald, and
tells some very interesting stories of
the negro statesman's career.
''The first time met Mr.. Douglass,
said DR.. Pepper, was in Ireland, in
1S47. He had met with enthusiastic
receptions in London and throughout
England, and had arrived at Cork.
He was met at the landing by distin-
guished citizens, and rode away in a
carriage seated between the lord
mayor of Cork and Father Mathew,
the great Roman Catholic apostle of
Temperance. He was dined by the
city council, and was accorded es-
pecial marks of attention by the most
prominent people in Cork.
"Going to Dublin, he went to call
upon Daniel O'Connell, who was the
frst Catholic lord mayor that city
had had for more than 800 years. Mr..
Douglass had a letter Of introduction
from Hon. Charles Sumner, but when
lO'Connelrs servant announced that
there was q cOlOred man at the door,
the great Irishman rushed to the
door, and clasping Douglass in a
warm embrace, said: Fred Douglass,
| the American slave, needs no letter
of Introduction to me-
| "On the day following his arrival
O'Connell took Douglass to Concillia-
ton hall, where he introduced the
ex-slave to the repealers, when he
used the following words: If there
be in the huts of Africa or in the
swamps of the Carolinas, a human
being painting for freedom, let it be
proclaimed to him that he has
| friend in the osd Irish nation. My
words shall travel across the winds
and waves of the Atlantic; they shall
roll up the banks Of the Mississippi
and the Missouri, telling the slave
holder that the time for his injustice
to cease has come, and that the period
for the emancipation of the bondman
has arrived, according to the laws OF
the living God; and a prayer goes
forth from my heart that black
lO'Connen may arise in America,
pointing his finger at Douglass as he
Ispoke. The whole audience arose and
gave three hearty cheers for Doug
lass and the abolitionists.
Daniel O'Connell," continued DIR
Pepper, "was fierce and uncomprom
Using abolitionist. About that time 9
check for good many thousand dol
liars arrived from New Orleans tt
lhelp the Irish cause. Mr.. OConnel
took the paper and said, Send II
back. Ireland is poor, but poor al
she is, she cannot accept the wages
of the unpaid negro About the same
time O'Connell wrote his powerful
Iappeal, urging the Irish in America
Ito Join forces with the abolitionists.
"Probably the grandest moment il
Mr.. Douglass Iife," said DR.. Pepper
"was in London, near the time of the
levents which I have just related. Ht
lattended the worlds universal peace
convention, at which Lord Shaftes
lbury, the famous philanthropist, pre-
lsided. Douglass was introduced tt
TIE audience, which consisted mainl!
of dukes and lords, as The American
Slave At the conclusion OF his ad
ldress his hearers cheered for fully five
minutes.
Zone of the most striking incidents
occurred, however, when a prOminen
New York clergyman went forward
with the others and extended hi
hand, which was proudly refused b!
the black man. No. said he, 'yol
would not do this if we were in New
York, and I refuse to accept it here.
The incident was noted, and the New
York clergyman did not have an op
lportunity to preach in a single Lon
don pulpit during his stay.
During his stay with me he re
ferred to his escape from slavery.
was brought up by his reading al
address Of mine in Ireland in which
Preferred to the reception which wal
rendered to him there, and to the alb
horrence of the Irish people for slav
Iery. He said that when a boy, OF
Colonel Lloyd's plantation, about fif
teen miles from Baltimore, he wal
seized with desire to see a ship, ant
lobtained permission from his mistres.
to go to that city. While at the docks
ltimbers from a vessel, and gave then
some assistance.
"On taking leave of them, one o.
the men asked him If he was a slave
and upon his replying affirmatively
the other exclaimed-'Why don't yor
run away? God never made a mar
to be slave AS he walked back tt
his masters plantation the words OF
that Irishman rang in his ears, anG
the idea resulted in his making his
lescape. Then, his sides shaking anG
his face wreathed in smiles, Douglass
concluded:-'Mr.P Pepper, when 1 get
to heaven, I will search for those two
Irishmen, and when I have found
them I will take them before the
Great Master of all, and will say
There are the men who told me thai
I was never meant to be a slave
'"Then he talked for an hour about
the celebrated men he saw and heard
in England and Ireland, and said he
thought Mr.. O'Connell was the mos
natural and spontaneous orator he
ever heard. He talked of Disreali
Wendell Phillips, and went into rap
lures over Lincoln. Said he: tAs the
years roll on, yes, the centuries trave
around, Lincoln's fame will continue
to grow greater, and the colored race
will never be able to mention his name
without emotion"
A MEDAL PRESENTATION.
IyryT