Book Review Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

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Review of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , FROM New York Tribune, 10 June 1845.

NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE, Written by himself. Boston: Published at the Anti-Slavery Office, No. 25 Cornhill. 1845.

Frederick Douglass has been for some fourth dimension a prominent member of the Abolition party. He is said to be an excellent speaker—tin can speak from a thorough personal experience—and has upon the audience, beside, the influence of a stiff character and uncommon talents. In the book earlier us he has put into the story of his life the thoughts, the feelings and the adventures that accept been and then affecting through the living voice; nor are they less so from the printed page. He has had the backbone to name the persons, times and places, thus exposing himself to obvious danger, and setting the seal on his deep convictions equally to the religious need of speaking the whole truth. Considered merely as a narrative, we take never read i more simple, true, coherent, and warm with 18-carat feeling. It is an excellent piece of writing, and on that score to exist prized every bit a specimen of the powers of the Blackness Race, which Prejudice persists in disputing. We prize highly all evidence of this kind, and information technology is becoming more abundant. The Cross of the Legion of Honor has just been conferred in France on Dumas and Souliè, both celebrated in the path of low-cal literature. Dumas, whose father was a Full general in the French Army, is a Mulatto; Souliè, a Quadroon. He went from New-Orleans, where, though to the eye a white man, even so, every bit known to have African blood in his veins, he could never accept enjoyed the privileges due to a human being. Leaving the State of Freedom, he found himself free to develope the powers that God had given.

Two wise and candid thinkers,—the Scotchman, Kinment, prematurely lost to this country, of which he was so faithful and generous a pupil, and the late Dr. Channing,—both idea that the African Race had in them a peculiar element, which if information technology could be alloyed with those imported among us from Europe, would requite to genius a development, and to the energies of character a residual and harmony beyond what has been seen heretofore in the history of the world. Such an chemical element is indicated in the everyman manor by a talent for melody, a set skill at simulated and adaptation, an well-nigh indestructible elasticity of nature. Information technology is to be remarked, in the writings both of Souliè and Dumas, full of faults but glowing with plastic life and fertile in invention. The same torrid energy and saccharine fulness may exist felt in the writings of this Douglass, though his life being one of activeness or resistance, was less favorable to such powers than one of a more joyous flow might have been.

The volume is prefaced by two communications,—i from Garrison, and one from Wendell Phillips[.] That from the old is in his usual over emphatic style. His motives and his class take been noble and generous. We await upon him with high respect, only he has indulged in violent invective and denunciation till he has spoiled the temper of his heed. Like a man who has been in the addiction of screaming himself hoarse to make the deaf hear, he can no longer pitch his voice on a key agreeable to common ears. Mr. Phillips's remarks are equally decided, without this exaggeration in the tone Douglass himself seems very just and temperate. We feel that his view, fifty-fifty of those who have injured him nearly, may be relied upon. He knows how to allow for motives and influences. Upon the subject of Religion, he speaks with cracking force, and not more than our own sympathies can respond to. The inconsistencies of Slaveholding professors of religion cry to Heaven. We are not disposed to detest, or refuse communion with them. Their blindness is but one grade of that prevalent fallacy which substitutes a creed for a faith, a ritual for a life. We have seen too much of this system of amende non to know that those who prefer it oftentimes began with expert intentions, and are, at any rate, in their mistakes worthy of the deepest pity. But that is no reason why the truth should not exist uttered, trumpet-tongued, well-nigh the thing. "Bring no more vain oblations"; sermons must daily be preached anew on that text. Kings, v hundred years ago, congenital Churches with the spoils of War; Clergymen to-day command Slaves to obey a Gospel which they will not allow them to read, and phone call themselves Christians among the curses of their young man men.—The earth ought to get on a little faster than that, if there be really any principle of improvement in information technology. The Kingdom of Heaven may not at the beginning have dropped seed larger than a mustard-seed, but fifty-fifty from that we had a correct to expect a fuller growth than tin can exist believed to exist, when we read such a volume as this of Douglass. Unspeakably affecting is the fact that he never saw his female parent at all by day-light.

"I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me in the dark. She would prevarication down with me, and get me to sleep, merely long before I waked she was gone."

The post-obit extract presents a suitable answer to the hacknied [sic] argument drawn by the defender of Slavery from the songs of the Slave, and is also a good specimen of the powers of observation and manly middle of the author. We wish that every one may read his book and run across what a mind might have been stifled in bondage,—what a man may be subjected to the insults of spendthrift dandies, or the blows of mercenary brutes, in whom there is no whiteness except of the peel, no humanity except in the outward form, and of whom the Avenger volition not fail yet to demand—"Where is thy brother?"

"The Home Plantation of Colonel Lloyd wore the advent of a country village. All the mechanical operations for all the farms were performed here. The shoemaking and mending, the blacksmithing, cartwrighting, coopering, weaving and grain grinding, were all performed by the slaves on the Dwelling house Plantation. The whole place wore a business-like aspect very unlike the neighboring farms. The number of houses, too, conspired to give it advantage over the neighboring farms. It was called past the slaves the Great House Farm. Few privileges were esteemed higher, by the slaves of the out-farms, than that of being selected to exercise errands at the Dandy House Farm. It was associated in their minds with greatness. A Representative could not exist prouder of his election to a seat in the American Congress, than a slave on one of the out-farms would be of his election to do errands at the Dandy Firm Subcontract. They regarded it every bit bear witness of nifty confidence reposed in them by their overseers; and it was on this account besides as a abiding want to be out of the field from under the driver's lash, that they esteemed it a high privilege, one worth careful living for. He was called the smartest and near trusty young man, who had this honor conferred upon him the most oft. The competitors for this part sought as diligently to please their overseers, equally the office-seekers in the political parties seek to please and deceive the People. The same traits of character might be seen in Col. Lloyd's slaves, every bit are seen in the slaves of the political parties.

"The slaves selected to get to the Neat Business firm Farm, for the monthly allowance for themselves and their fellow slaves, were peculiarly enthusiastic. While on their mode, they would make the dense erstwhile woods, for miles around, reflect with their wild songs, revealing at one time the highest joy and the deepest sadness. They would etch and sing as they went forth, consulting neither time nor tune. The idea that came up, came out—if not in the word, in the sound;—and as frequently in the 1 as in the other. They would sometimes sing the most pathetic sentiment in the nigh rapturous tone, and the most rapturous sentiment in the well-nigh pathetic tone. Into all their songs they would manage to weave something of the Neat House Farm. Peculiarly would they do this when leaving domicile. They would then sing most exultingly the following words:

'I am going away to the Great House Farm!
O, yea! O, yea! O!"

This they would sing, as a chorus, to words which to many would seem unmeaning jargon, but which, notwithstanding, were full of significant to themselves. I have sometimes thought that the mere hearing of those songs would do more to print some minds with the horrible graphic symbol of Slavery, than the reading of whole volumes of philosophy on the subject could do.

"I did not, when a slave, understand the deep significant of those rude and apparently breathless songs. I was myself within the circumvolve; so that I neither saw nor heard every bit those without might see and hear. They told a tale of wo which was and so altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls humid over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against Slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them. The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already constitute its way down my cheek. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of Slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs all the same follow me, to deepen my hatred of Slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds. If whatsoever i wishes to be impressed with the soul-killing furnishings of Slavery, let him go to Col. Lloyd'due south Plantation, and, on allowance-twenty-four hours, place himself in the deep pino forest, and in that location let him, in silence, analyze the sounds that shall pass through the chambers of his soul,—and if he is not thus impressed, it will only be because 'there is no mankind in his obdurate centre.'

"I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the North, to find persons who could speak of the singing among slaves as bear witness of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to excogitate of a greater mistake. Slaves sing about when they are well-nigh unhappy. The songs of the slave correspond the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only every bit an aching eye is relieved by its tears. At to the lowest degree, such is my experience. I have oftentimes sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of Slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate isle might be as appropriately considered as evidence of delectation and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the 1 and of the other are prompted by the aforementioned emotion."

Copies of the piece of work may exist had of W. H. Graham, Tribune Buildings. Price, fifty cents.

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Source: https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/douglass/support3.html

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