The Portland daily press., 1895-04-08

where [ was received by two Quaker
ladies', one of whom was Miss Richard
son, of Newcastle. They showed me the
utmost hospitality and kindness. They
did not tell me what they were doing,
but they were corresponding with my
master, a man who supl o ,ed he owned
me, and after some time they agreed on a
price and presented me with myself. !
felt that in England l was man, even
n dog would bark at me just as at any
other man. ;Abut now, though | am nearly
eighty, in spite of my white hairs,
should still be called a boy in the South.
They cannot conceive of the idea of man
hood associated with the colored race |
have vivid recollections of the wonderful
panorama that passed before me in Eng
land, and the men whom | met-Lord
Brupgham, Mr.. John Bright, Richard
Golden, Mr.Disareli and many others. I
used to spend a. great deal of time in the
House OF Commons. 1t was SO interesting
to me to hear these men speak. and to
my mind none surpassed Lord Broug-
ham,"
How did you believe that the people
OF England stood on the colored ques-
tion?" | said.
The aristocracy," he replied, sand the
Conservatives favored the South. 1t was
natural they should do so; the South had
been largely populated from the aristo-
cratic classes, and there was a kindred
spirit between theni."
From his reoollectiohs of England, we
fell to talking of the great Aholitionists
of America-I4ucretia Mott. Garrison,
Wendell Phillips The forbearance and
klndliness of the tone in which he dis
cused every question relating to nis peo-
pie, struck me as specially marking the
nobility of this distinguished man. He
was much impressed by the sight of the
Polyglot Petition, and had been OH the
platform during the Presentation Meet
Ing, which had occurred two days before.
l asked him his opinion as to the atti-
tude of the W. G. T. U. toward the colorcd
question, and he unhesitatingly replied
that he knew that the White Ribbon
women had always sought to do justice
to his race.
"Would you be willing, said, "to
make a statement to that effect, as some
have sought to give the impression in
England that it is otherwise?"
Most certainly" replied Mr.. Doulgas,
land am glad torecord my esteem for
Miss Willard and my firm belief in the
integrity of her purposes"
When Mr.. Douglas rose to go we spoke
of possible visit to England, but lie
said, with smile, | am seventy-eight,
and since had the influenza | begin to
feel rather DID,"
You would have splendid welcome" ="
replied, "if you came to uss"
just as he entered the lift, Miss Willard
put her hand upon his arm and said,
Goodbye, my brother, we shall meet
ere long in brighter worlds" He turned
his kind face toward us with smile and
said, please God, we shall, "and all
looked upon his countenance, the light
shining on it. while he stood waiting a
moment ere he descended, I little
thought that the next time we should
see this patriot statesman and orator, it
would be in the land where there is eter-
nal deliyerance for the captive, where
the broken hearts are bound, and the op-
pressed 60 for ever free.
The day after our interview with MIR.
Douglas, he sent to Miss Willard and to
me copy of his autobiography. The
inscription in Miss Wizards copy ran as
follows: "To Frances Willard, my friend
and the friend of the oppressed every
where, from Frederick Douglas Febru-
airy Goth, 1885," On the evening of that
day he died. Isabel Somerset in The
Womans' Signal.