The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1945-02-10
FREDERIcK DoUGLAss1s EsrIMATE ca LINCOLN

a FREDERICK DOUGLASS ESTIMATE OF LINCOLN
Following is an except from speech on Lincoln
which was delivered by Frederick Douglass at the dedi
cation OF monument to the Great Emancipation Douglass
gould speak with authority because he knew Lincoln we'll
Truth is proper and beautiful at all times and in all
Places and 1t never proper and beautiful in any
case than when speaking of great public man whose
example likely to be commended for honor and imta-
ton long after his departure to the solemn shadethe
silent continents of eternity 1t must be admitted truth
compels me to admit here in the presence of the
monument we have erected to his memory Abraham Lin
coin not in the fullest sense Of the word either our
man or our model In his interests in his associations in
his habits of thought and in his prejudces he white
man.
He pre-eminently the white mans President,
entirely devoted to the welfare of white men, He
was ready and willing any time during the Years of
his administration, to deny postpone, and sacrifice the
rights OF humanity in the colored people to promote the
welfare of the white people of this country. In all his
education and feeling he American He came in
to the Presidential chair upon principle alone namely
opposition to the extension of slavery His arguments in
furherance of this policy had their motive and MAIN
spring in his patriotic devotion to the interests of his
To protect Defend and perpetuate slavery in the
States where it existed Abraham Lincoln not less
ready than other President draw the sword of the
nation. He ready to all the supposed con-
sutiona guarantees of the u S. constitution favor of
the slave system anywhere inside the slave states He
willing to pursue recapture, and send back the fug
tive slave to his MASTER and suppress slave rising for
his liberty though his guilty master already in arms
against the Government. The race to which belong
not the special objects his consideration Know
ing this, concede to you mywhte fellowctzens, pre-
eminence in this worship at once full and supreme First
midst and last you and yours the objects of his
deepest affection and his most earnest solcitude."
Although Lincoln not an active Abolitonist there
is abundant evidence that he hated slavery AS Pre-
dent he seized the first opportunity to destroy slavery in
way that was legal and safe. He careful calcu
lating diplomatist hemmed in he was, by his sworn
duty uphold the Constitution The Abolitionists
rated closer andgreaer friends of freedom This was
perhaps because they could speak and act boldly in ag
atng against the evil of slavery. 1t they who created
the public sentiment which Lincoln must have recognized
as dependable support for his Emancipation Procama-
ton war measure though it was and it had to be just
that
In any estimate of Lincoln it is we'll always to bear
in mind that Lncolns paramount duty warPresident
to the Union To his everlasting praise he
compished that end The struggle to achieve it hard
and bitter with progress slow and at times brought to
sandst by the redoubtabe and resourcefu enemy The
white light of fierce necessity revealed that part of his
first duty of preserving the Union the freeing of the
slaves for slave labor of vital aid to the Confederate
armies. With stroke of the pen he struck the Confed
eracy blow that mghter than many swords His
superative act clearly in the interest of the entire
nation The elimination Of chattel labor is everywhere
conceded blessing to South and North alike.
If Emancipation waited necessity, did Union
enlistment OF coored troops 1t took some time and con-
siderable proddng by Douglass and others before Lincoln
was ready to recruit army of freedmen We read on
the back of the Shaw Monument the Common that two
hundred thousand Americans of African descent enlisted
when clouds hung the Union cause Doesn't the
inscription say that need and national selfn
terest prompted the enrolment? And in todays war
isn't national selfinterest and the demand for about
war production that opened workshops for the first time to
colored workmen? All down the line of national pro-
gress it seems "brotherly love- has seldom proved as
effective as the deriving from great urgent
necessity from interests in "the good and welfare of
the country.
T1yrv .p AzzrDY yINroIN