The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-19

'T believe that Frederick Douglass
was impelled, 1 believe he was regu-
lated by the same Great Power that
gave to America at that same time the
greatest man that America or any other
country has ever known" said Judge E.
A. Jaggard last evening addressing an
audience OF st. James African M. E.
church.
The occasion Of the gathering was
meeting under the auspices of the
Mems Union club of the church in
commemoration of the birthday ami
versary of Frederick Douglass, and the
audience was broadly representative of
the Afro-American population of the
city. The church was tastefully deco
rated with palms and other plants, and
on the platform was prominently dis
played large portrait of Douglass
draped in an American flag.
Judge Jaggard was the principal
speaker of the evening and his address
was a scholarly review not only of the
life history Of Douglass and his great
service to his race, but also Of the con-
dttions which prevailed in America and
elsewhere in the world at the time of
the anti-slavery movement. He said in
part:
Some mention has been made here Of
history and the important parts which
frederick Douglass and others have taken
In the making of history. Now let us
see what history is. It is not merely a
chronicle, or a record of the progress of
nations. Some tell us that history is an
answer to the minds of men of the raison
d etre of the progress OF men. prefer to
think that it is philosophy-true, broad
ph1losophy-teaching by example. The ten
dency of scientists of the present age
is to ascribe all things in this world to
some great law, invisible, but potent; and
strange to say. it was an atheist who first
advanced that theory. You and I as
Christians would go one step farther from
the law to the Law-Giver.
In Carlyle's Heroes and Hero Wor-
snip we find theory that great men,
the world. There is another theory that
follows the development of the world
along the line of race, and that con-
tends Tor the belief that there are great
races OF men of different ages of the
world that dominate its progress
But In all historical thought and re-
search we are confronted by the one
problem that no cause is single; and start
Ing along the lines of any of those theories
we must find that great power which con-
trolls the destinies of nations and shapes
history, the one overruling law.
Do Not Appreciate Blessings.
We have become so accustomed to the
dressings which we enjoy that We take
them as matter of course. Those of us
who have happy homes do not realize
what Frederick Douglass had to contend
with; he knew no father, for at the time
of his birth the marriage rite was almost
unknown to the people of your race He
old not have mothers tender care and
was brought up by his grandmother He
nad none or the chances to get an educa-
ton which you and your children have
enjoyed. There is not man or woman
here that has not had the opportunity to
learn more than Socrates ever dreamed
OF or Dante could conceive. Fred Doug
lass was not only denied advantages but
mad to overcome obstacles to learn even
the letters OF the alphabet.
Fred Douglass had to fight, and you will
nave to fight, your children and YOUR
chlldren's children will have to fight for
the betterment of your condition. Some
time, maybe, the doctrine of love NAV
be omnipotent, but 1t will not be in your
generation or in mine.
The speaker followed the life of Fred
erick Douglass through the eventful period
Of his youth and early manhood. sketch
Ing the principal and characteristic events
and then taking up the fight against slav-
cry, said:
A Universal Uprising.
i believe that the movement against
t slavery IN America was part of the uni
at that Time In favor of freedom q mani
Iestation of the great law. Scotland at
tnat time was engaged in great strug-
sle Tor renglous freedom, and its OUT
come was the free kirk; England was
fighting for free trade, and Ireland was
then, as at all times, fighting for free
dom from English rule.
The conditions in this country present
ed great opening for the right man
That man must be of the down-trodden
race; ne must be one who had felt the
ddsn and mad known the degradation of
slavery. In Douglass the man was folnd
Douglass possessed the great qualifica-
Ilons necessary to fit him for his work
lie was sympathetic and he was loyal and