The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-01-03
Was Douglass a Negro (?

The biography CT Frederick Douglass
has jcss appeared 1t is written By
Mr. Cbestoatt, wno oatarally. we scp-
pose, points TO this remarkable naa as
ao evidence of what toe uegro nay
become Intellectually. We have long
knowu that Douglass was 40 oc:c,oon.
bu: Mrs Dale, wto is represented rs "a
great champion OF the regro race AID
an intimate friend of Douglass. express
es regret that she did ros koow Mr..
Chestnut was Writing this life, as
she could have given him historical
fact of much importance Mra. Dale
says:
ga sbcr: :ime before BIZ Douglass
died [ went ont to bis bouse 10 Uoion-
,owo to NEE; party Ct old friend from
the uor,h. Mrs Douglass and the
ladies had gone out into the grounds.
aud | vas lett alone 10 the modest
paror with her husband. Opposite US,
90 the wall, hung rude portrait 10 oil,
which | had not observed before.
"Wbo does that represeu. - asked.
1T is not we'll painted, but it is
certainly a likeuess of somebody! =; cit
was meant for me when / was 80 years
DID," answered my friend. Why"
I exclaimed, lit is the portrait of au
Omaha!'' Naturally enough" he
replied. "Wha, do you mean. Freder-
ick % I went oD. Il have often
wanted to ask you about your parents.
know you we're the aon Of white
master. Was there 10 the Write blood
be gave ycr anything to account for
your OVID power. especially for ycur
marvellous command OF language p
No." he said calmly; "wbeu went
back to the plantation in 1878, |
looked into the matter thoroughly.
There vas nothing creditable on that
side"
ITO what, sbeo, do you attribute
twas i, a direct gif: from heaven
OF from whom did you inherit ?''
"From my Ioaiau grandmother.
She was full blooded Potomac ioGiao
of unusual powers aod greatly respect
ed CO tee plantation She had one
caild by Ger white caster, aod that
chi;d was my mother After :hat she
married a free negro aud had several
caidren, but I never knew one of
sben. She bad nice little cottage of
her owp aud had the care of all the
pickaninnies :"
And your mother? What became
of ber? Your father vas white mao,
she vas white and Indian half breed;
where does the negro blood come 10?
$50 far as I know" he said, Il
have not drop in 10y veins, bat of
course my children have"
Here is Douglass own confession, as
it we're cn bis dea,hbed. that he did
rot have drop of negro blood in bis
veias This will astoOish those people
who have been for years. admiring him
as 40 luxurious member of the Ethi.
opian race and who have presumably
erected monumeut to him chiefly in
that character. These people are evil
dertly the victims OF misplaced conf
deuce The peculiar taleots OF Doug
lass, therefore, came from white and In.
dian blood, if Mrs Dale is to be De-
Iieved, and the negro is loot in It,"
Tie children be had by woman of
negro blood. bis Erst wife. return to
cbscuri'y. His secood wife, q woite
wcnan, was cbildless Il is strange
that Dorgh!2ss never made this reveia-
tioa while be Tss 10 active life cod
waited uotiI be was about TO Gle to
make clean breast of 1t Perhaps,
bad be told the fact. as Mrs Dale now
does, ne would have lost caste with tie
negroes and been at discouat politi-
cally with white aboll:ion's's. But the
trath OF history has 5eeo viodicafed
again acd We are curious to see bow the
old aboli,ionis,s apd the colored 5reth-
rem will take it. Will they asssil Mrs
Dale's vcraci'y or will they complain Of
beiog buocoed +? Go the Dorelass
monument oew inscription might be
carved /: Frederick Douglass bad
beer slave aud c5ampiooed abolition,
but be did Cot have drop CT regro
blood in bis veins" As Douglass
attributed mis- mental gifts 70 his
mother, baif-b1ed Indiap. 1t would
seem that the aboriginal red usu end
GOT tie black is entitled to al the
hopo.s OF els productica, as she While
ancestors would probably sGr:eader
,bei. claims aud give poor "Lc" the
right Of way.-Augusta Chrccic'e