St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-03-01
1llisrrllanu.
FREDERICK DOUGLAS.
The Greatest Negro of America Passes
Away.

evening Of Feb. 90
Frederick Douglas orator, jour
nalIst, and picturesque character IL
the anti-slavery movement, was borl
into slavery in February, 1917, a
Tuckahoe, Talbot county, Nd. His
mother was black, his father white
As he grew up he seemed to learn by
intuition, for not only was he with
ont a teacher, but the rules OF the
plantation on which he was born
forbade a slave to learn even the
rudiments OF education. Away from
the Jealous eyes of the overSeer he
taught himself to read and write.
An old book, scrap Of newspaper, a
patent medicine almanac. whatever
came in his way he devoured with
avidity; and thus he laid the foun-
dation of learning which gained
tor him III after years respect only
70 that which men felt Tor his per-
sOnal character.
Until he was ten years old he lived
on the plantation Of his owner, Col.
Edward Lloyd, and bore his name.
He was then taken to Baltimore to
work for relative OF his owner, and
remained there until he became of
age. In the latter years of his life
there, after he had become sturdy
youth capable of doing mans
work, he was permitted to hire his
own time at So a week. He got a
job in shipyard, and worked as a
wright for several years, but on Sept.
3, 1888, in accordance with resou-
ton long entertained he fed from
Baltimore and from slavery, and
sought asylum in New England,
where, even then, the anti.slaverv
agitation made fugitive slaves well
come.
He made his way to New Bedford,
Mass, where he earned living for
some time by working along the
wharves, where his strong frame and
def hands made his services accept
able. In New Bedford he changed
his name from Lloyd to Douglas.
and, getting steady work. he shortly
1t was at this time that
William Lloyd Garrison ran across
him, and saw in him the promise of
a career afterwards fulfilled. He
helped the fugitive slave in MANY
ways, but principally in the effort t
In the summer of 1871, Douglass
attended an anti-slavery meeting at
Nantucket, and made speech which
attracted the attention of abolition
sts everywhere, coming as it did
rom the mouth OF an ex.slave. 1t
was eloquent, at the same time prac-
zeal; and, as the a result of it, he
was soon appointed an agent of the
Massachusetts Anti-Slavery society,
which had among its members manv
1i the great orators of the day. In
he capacity of agent he travelled
through the New England states for
our years, lecturing at many places,
aud still spending all his leisure time
" self'improvement. Every where he
attracted large audiences bv his
graphic descriptions OF the misery of
slave lite and by his eloquent appeals
or justice to his race. To meet the
demand tor fuller information on the
subject, he published an autobioera-
'hy in 1915, which was widely read
,ainlng for him an audience in ali
ivillzed countries.
In the same year he went to Ell
ope, and lectured in all the large
owns OF Great Britain and Ireland
he following year he was legally
nanumltted, his friends in England
nbscribing $3.50 for the purpose.
lie remained abroad for two wears.
When he returned to the United
'tates he took up his residence in
colchester, where he soon began the
ubllcation of a journal called Fred
rick Douglass's Paper, the title of
shich was afterwards changed to
ne North Star. At the beginning of
is public career he was a Garriso-
ian Disunionist, but now he took
ne ground OF Sumner and Others ,
hat slavery was illegal and uncon- ,,
litutional. In 1855 he re-wrote his )
Biography under the title, NV ,
ondage and My Freedom" ,,
For several years now Douglass !
ad been the friend and confdant in ;
ne abolition movement OF Garrison,
Wendell Phillips. Theodore Parker,
nd Others, and he presently occupied
like position in his relations with ,
ohn Brown. The latter was the J
uest of Douglass at his home in a
ochester in February 1858, and it
'as there that he drafted his plan of '
overnment entitled, "A Provisional
constitution and Ordinances for the &
eople OF the United States" which, a
1t explained, looked to no over !,
nrow of the States nor dissolution '
the Union, but simply to "amend. I
tent and repeal" Brown tried hard .
enlist Douglass in the disastrous n
nd into MARYLAND, but the later de. n
med. His Withholding himself
ON all connection with it, however, v
I'd not clear him of implication in n
,e planning, and after the affair at {
'arper's Ferry, Gov. Wise of Virgin. II
made a requisition for his arrest a
u the Governor of Michigan, in u
Inch state Douglass happened to II
at the time. In consequence of c.
MS Douglass fled to England, where
remained for six or seven months. n
At the outbreak of the civil war G