Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-30

he went laundering against IT, he
was mobbed in Faneuil Hall, Boston,
and at Harrisburg, Pa. At Richmond,
Ind. he was greeted with shower
OF rotten eggs.
At Pendleton, Ind, the mob tore
down the platform on which he was
speaking. When the mob attacked
him, he defended himself with a club
untif~his arm was broken and ne
was battered into Inconsistencies.
When he regained it, with his arm
in 4 sling, he insisted on speaking
again. During the anti-draft riots
in New York City when the mob was
attacking every coloreI person,
Douglass faced it undaunted. his
courage stood as firm as the pig
ment in his skin.
During all this time he was run
ming the risk Of being caught and
returned to his matser. This danger
he had somewhat avoided by using
another name and giving another
birthplace But the pro-slavery fac
ton was challenging him as a fraud
To prove that he was telling the
truth, Douglass boldly wrote his auto
biography, giving all details.
The book had tremendous sale
but it put the slavers on his track,
and he fed to England. Besides, he
had long been wanting to go there
to strengthen the anti-Slavery cause.
On the way over he came near los
ing his life. In speech he spoke
with his accustomed fearlessness
against slavery, and party OF IN
censed Southerners attempted to toss
him overheard.
But it developed that they had
really done him a good turn. The
English papers took up the incident
and gave him tremendous publicity.
The greatest in the land invited him
to their homes. Golden, Brougham,
Peel, Disraeli, great British orators,
welcomed him. He swept England
with the fire of his oratory. When
ever he spoke it was like war
bugle ordering the charge.
For the first time, too, he knew
what it was to be a real man. Even
white Americans, who would not
have noticed him at home, sought
him out now, some of them IN the
hope of getting acquainted through
him with the English elite.
Once while speaking in the House
of Commons with Lord Morpeth,
certain minister, who he said would
never have recognized him AT home,
came up to him and asked him to
introduce him to the lord.
When he spoke of returning to
America some of the leading English
personageS urged him not to, otfer-
ing him a home as long as he lived,
but he replied that there was no in
ducement strong enough to make
him desert his people. Whether
slave or freeman" he said, "Ameri-
ca is my home and there I mean to
spend and be spent in the cause OF
my outraged countrymen." ut is IN
pertant to note that he said "coun-
trymen," not "race.~
When his English friends found
cut that he could not be persuaded,
they gave him $4,000; of this sum
$T50 was to purchase his freedom;
the remainder was to found news
paper.
Back in America with his freedom
bought, he went to Rochester and
founded the North Star, paper
Through which he meant to fight not
only for freedom, but equality. This
step was necessary as the abolition
lists generally opposed equality, some
because they were not in favor OF
it; others because they feared it
would ALLEVIATE friends.
Douglass, however, believed firmly
in the equality of all men. Il know
of no race problem" he insisted;
'there is human problem" He
saw the slaves and the freedmen
not as Negroes but as Americans.
the ceuntrymea Of the proudest in
the land.
He commended that the Constitu-
ton was an anti-Slavery document;
he firmly opposed the Backsto-Africa
idea, saying that the place Tor the
black man was his country, America;
and he preceded Booker T. Washing
ton nv ursiHg free colored persons