Evening star., 1897-02-17
A S A RE F O r NJ e r
Dr.. Purvis Pays a Tribute to Frederick
Douglass.
His OratOry Great n Pleader, hut
Above All as a Social
RecOnstructOr.

The series Of exercises in honor Of the
anniversary of the birth Of Frederick Doug
lass. which began in the colored public
schools of this city Friday last, ended at
Metropolitan A. Nj. E. Church last evening
with an entertainment under the auspices
of the Bethel Literary Society. After a
musical and literary program, In which
Joseph Douglass, a grandson of Frederick
Douglass. and Miss Bessie Hamilton took
Fart. DIR. Charles B. Purvis delivered an
GRAFTON, a part of which was as follows:
I'VE speak of Mr.. Douglass as a great
man, and he was. We cannot compare
him with any other distinguished citizen
for in measuring and comparing men we
must consider not only what they have ac-
complished but the circumstances of their
lives and the difficulties they Surmounted.
'Of what Mr.. Douglass inherited we can
not speak We know nothing. His en-
virorment was not of the kind that devel-
oped mighty soul, nourish or ripen an
intellect. For him there were no opportu
mites in sight. Nothing alluring; hope
His eyes beheld only mountain of
despair In their awakening. Out of this
dismal swamp he came and grew and grew
until he became recognized as one of the
be st products of the century.
Out of the classes in which great men
are found Mr.. Douglass belonged to the
orators and reformers. AS an orator he
was especially equipped for his work No
other could make such presentation of
case. Many could excel in scholarly ora
tons. but no one had the anti-slavery cause
IN hand as he. for the cause was his own.
He had many ways of presenting his case
He was a judge of human nature. He kept
his fingers upon the public pulse.
He administered according to the re-
uuirements of his hearers. If to move them
required Illustration ne gave it to them
act
was essential he would pour forth the
pent-up Indignation of his soul: il pathos
was the sine qua non it was his to give,
for there was a tender side to his great
nature The lion often becomes the lamb
III argument or appeal to reason was
necessary We found him here appearing to
great advantage. Looking at him from
a critical standpoint. making every Just
allowance. we must admit he was marvel
in his way
In the suppression of the rebellion by
having the colorcd man brought in as
significant factor in securing for him by
constitutional amendment all the rights
OF an American citizen, no man in the
country played a more important part
or eXerted a greater influence.
The colored citizens of the country
owe him a deb, which they can only pay
by making tie most of the opportunities
secured TO them. He has often been spoken
of as an orator. His oratorical powers to
many We're considered his element of great
ness No doubt his fifty years upon the
forum made him more prominent than
anything else.
Il concede much to him as a pleader
and as an orator. He had but few superiors
that was peculiarly forcible and express
sive- Remarkable were his achieve
ments in this field / cannot admit his real
element of greatness was in oratory. He
was sreater as a reformer.
As Reformer.
He was a reformer, not by education
or by association, but by nature Go with
me to this mans cradle. Consider where
he was born; the circumstances surround
ing him. He drew his first breath in an
of moral degradation where
the barbarian had reigned for twenty de-
cades: where nothing existed to the max
ing of rature refined. Yet out of this
ne came. He was an exotic. He possessed
a moral nature, in contIavention to his
heritage, in contravention to the laws
governing the development of all forms of
life He came in obedience to divine
call, TO assist in redeeming nation and
to reSenerate a race by speed and by ex-
ample
ITO keep the birthday of this noble citi-
zen by holding public meetings and having
a Douglass day in the public schools is a
wise movement; we are governed by a
genuine desire to emulate him But we
cannot emulate Mr.. Douglass by mere
words w ordS are after all but empty
things
To commemorate the memory of q
friend We will have to follow his precep,
and example. As time rolls on. if pace is
kept with the developments of each day,
another Frederick Douglass may be evolved
from amidst the rising generation to
champion some noble cause, to be beacon
light for coming men and women
This capital city of which the nation is
justly proud is attractive not only because
1t Is the seat of government, not solely for
its public buildings. with the varied archi-
lecture. or by reason of its perfect streets
and avenues, its colleges, universities So
clai features, or because here can be seen
the representatives of the great nations of
the world, but because in addition to these
are to be found in our public buildings and
reservations In oil, in bronze in marble,
the images of the great men who made this
country what it is.
Iore prominent, conspicuous and num-
erous than any others are the statues of
those who took part in our last struggle
for national existence. AS l look upon
these speec HESS likenesses of Line oin
Grant and many others, and think what
they accomplished, it is no wonder that
they are called immortal But when / re-
fleet that these men would have been un-
known TO history if the noble men and wo-
men who constituted the Anti-Slavery So
c1ety had not aroused the moral sentiment
Of the nation against slavery. If there had
been no Garrison, Phillips. Summer or Fred
eiick Douglass there would have been no
Lincoln or Grant. To the molding Of these
great statesmen and captains no single in-
dlvidual contributed more than our hero.
Frederick Douglass"
..Sothing Wears Like Rubber