collected articles-第4节

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Slavery　had　inured　me　to　hardships　that　made　ordinary　trouble　sit

lightly　upon　me。　　Could　I　have　worked　at　my　trade　I　could　have

earned　two　dollars　a　day；　but　as　a　common　laborer　I　received　but

one　dollar。　　The　difference　was　of　great　importance　to　me；　but　if

I　could　not　get　two　dollars；　I　was　glad　to　get　one；　and　so　I　went

to　work　for　Mr。　French　as　a　common　laborer。　　The　consciousness

that　I　was　freeno　longer　a　slavekept　me　cheerful　under　this；

and　many　similar　proscriptions；　which　I　was　destined　to　meet　in

New　Bedford　and　elsewhere　on　the　free　soil　of　Massachusetts。

For　instance；　though　colored　children　attended　the　schools；

and　were　treated　kindly　by　their　teachers；　the　New　Bedford　Lyceum

refused；　till　several　years　after　my　residence　in　that　city；

to　allow　any　colored　person　to　attend　the　lectures　delivered　in　its

hall。　　Not　until　such　men　as　Charles　Sumner；　Theodore　Parker；

Ralph　Waldo　Emerson；　and　Horace　Mann　refused　to　lecture　in　their

course　while　there　was　such　a　restriction；　was　it　abandoned。



Becoming　satisfied　that　I　could　not　rely　on　my　trade　in　New

Bedford　to　give　me　a　living；　I　prepared　myself　to　do　any　kind　of

work　that　came　to　hand。　　I　sawed　wood；　shoveled　coal；　dug　cellars；

moved　rubbish　from　back　yards；　worked　on　the　wharves；　loaded　and

unloaded　vessels；　and　scoured　their　cabins。



I　afterward　got　steady　work　at　the　brass…foundry　owned　by　Mr。　Richmond。

My　duty　here　was　to　blow　the　bellows；　swing　the　crane；　and　empty　the　flasks

in　which　castings　were　made；　and　at　times　this　was　hot　and　heavy　work。

The　articles　produced　here　were　mostly　for　ship　work；　and　in　the　busy　season

the　foundry　was　in　operation　night　and　day。　　I　have　often　worked　two　nights

and　every　working　day　of　the　week。　　My　foreman；　Mr。　Cobb；　was　a　good　man；

and　more　than　once　protected　me　from　abuse　that　one　or　more　of　the　hands

was　disposed　to　throw　upon　me。　　While　in　this　situation　I　had　little　time

for　mental　improvement。　　Hard　work；　night　and　day；　over　a　furnace　hot

enough　to　keep　the　metal　running　like　water；　was　more　favorable

to　action　than　thought；　yet　here　I　often　nailed　a　newspaper　to　the　post

near　my　bellows；　and　read　while　I　was　performing　the　up　and　down　motion

of　the　heavy　beam　by　which　the　bellows　was　inflated　and　discharged。

It　was　the　pursuit　of　knowledge　under　difficulties；　and　I　look　back　to　it　now；

after　so　many　years；　with　some　complacency　and　a　little　wonder　that　I　could

have　been　so　earnest　and　persevering　in　any　pursuit　other　than　for　my

daily　bread。　　I　certainly　saw　nothing　in　the　conduct　of　those　around

to　inspire　me　with　such　interest：　they　were　all　devoted　exclusively

to　what　their　hands　found　to　do。　　I　am　glad　to　be　able　to　say　that；

during　my　engagement　in　this　foundry；　no　complaint　was　ever　made　against

me　that　I　did　not　do　my　work；　and　do　it　well。　　The　bellows　which　I　worked

by　main　strength　was；　after　I　left；　moved　by　a　steam…engine。









Douglass；　Frederick。　　〃Reconstruction。〃

Atlantic　Monthly　18　（1866）：　761…765。







RECONSTRUCTION





The　assembling　of　the　Second　Session　of　the　Thirty…ninth　Congress

may　very　properly　be　made　the　occasion　of　a　few　earnest　words

on　the　already　much…worn　topic　of　reconstruction。



Seldom　has　any　legislative　body　been　the　subject　of　a　solicitude

more　intense；　or　of　aspirations　more　sincere　and　ardent。

There　are　the　best　of　reasons　for　this　profound　interest。

Questions　of　vast　moment；　left　undecided　by　the　last　session　of　Congress；

must　be　manfully　grappled　with　by　this。　　No　political　skirmishing　will　avail。

The　occasion　demands　statesmanship。



Whether　the　tremendous　war　so　heroically　fought　and　so　victoriously　ended

shall　pass　into　history　a　miserable　failure；　barren　of　permanent　results；

a　scandalous　and　shocking　waste　of　blood　and　treasure；a　strife　for　empire；

as　Earl　Russell　characterized　it；　of　no　value　to　liberty　or　civilization；

an　attempt　to　re…establish　a　Union　by　force；　which　must　be　the

merest　mockery　of　a　Union；an　effort　to　bring　under　Federal　authority

States　into　which　no　loyal　man　from　the　North　may　safely　enter；

and　to　bring　men　into　the　national　councils　who　deliberate　with　daggers

and　vote　with　revolvers；　and　who　do　not　even　conceal　their　deadly　hate

of　the　country　that　conquered　them；　or　whether；　on　the　other　hand；

we　shall；　as　the　rightful　reward　of　victory　over　treason；　have　a　solid　nation；

entirely　delivered　from　all　contradictions　and　social　antagonisms；

based　upon　loyalty；　liberty；　and　equality；　must　be　determined　one　way

or　the　other　by　the　present　session　of　Congress。　　The　last　session

really　did　nothing　which　can　be　considered　final　as　to　these　questions。

The　Civil　Rights　Bill　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　Bill　and　the　proposed

constitutional　amendments；　with　the　amendment　already　adopted　and　recognized

as　the　law　of　the　land；　do　not　reach　the　difficulty；　and　cannot；

unless　the　whole　structure　of　the　government　is　changed　from　a

government　by　States　to　something　like　a　despotic　central　government；

with　power　to　control　even　the　municipal　regulations　of　States；

and　to　make　them　conform　to　its　own　despotic　will。　　While　there　remains

such　an　idea　as　the　right　of　each　State　to　control　its　own　local　affairs；

an　idea；　by　the　way；　more　deeply　rooted　in　the　minds　of　men　of　all　sections

of　the　country　than　perhaps　any　one　other　political　idea；no　general　assertion

of　human　rights　can　be　of　any　practical　value。　　To　change　the　character

of　the　government　at　this　point　is　neither　possible　nor　desirable。

All　that　is　necessary　to　be　done　is　to　make　the　government　consistent

with　itself；　and　render　the　rights　of　the　States　compatible　with　the　sacred

rights　of　human　nature。



The　arm　of　the　Federal　government　is　long；　but　it　is　far　too　short

to　protect　the　rights　of　individuals　in　the　interior　of　distant　States。

They　must　have　the　power　to　protect　themselves；　or　they　will　go　unprotected；

spite　of　all　the　laws　the　Federal　government　can　put　upon　the　national

statute…book。



Slavery；　like　all　other　great　systems　of　wrong；　founded　in　the　depths

of　human　selfishness；　and　existing　for　ages；　has　not　neglected　its　own

conservation。　　It　has　steadily　exerted　an　influence　upon　all　around

it　favorable　to　its　own　continuance。　　And　to…day　it　is　so　strong

that　it　could　exist；　not　only　without　law；　but　even　against　law。

Custom；　manners；　morals；　religion；　are　all　on　its　side　everywhere

in　the　South；　and　when　you　add　the　ignorance　and　servility

of　the　ex…slave　to　the　intelligence　and　accustomed　authority

of　the　master；　you　have　the　conditions；　not　out　of　which　slavery

will　again　grow；　but　under　which　it　is　impossible　for　the　Federal

government　to　wholly　destroy　it；　unless　the　Federal　government

be　armed　with　despotic　power；　to　blot　out　State　authority；

and　to　station　a　Federal　officer　at　every　cross…road。

This；　of　course；　cannot　be　done；　and　ought　not　even　if　it　could。

The　true　way　and　the　easiest　way　is　to　make　our　government　entirely

consistent　with　itself；　and　give　to　every　loyal　citizen　the　elective　franchise；

a　right　and　power　which　will　be　ever　present；　and　will　form　a　wall

of　fire　for　his　protection。



One　of　the　invaluable　compensations　of　the　late　Rebellion

is　the　highly　instructive　disclosure　it　made　of　the　true　source

of　danger　to　republican　government。　　Whatever　may　be　tolerated

in　monarchical　and　despotic　governments；　no　republic　is　safe

that　tolerates　a　privileged　class；　or　denies　to　any　of　its　citizens

equal　rights　and　equal　means　to　maintain　them。　　What　was　theory

before　the　war　has　been　made　fact　by　the　war。



There　is　cause　to　be　thankful　even　for　rebellion。　　It　is　an　impressive　teacher；

though　a　stern　and　terrible　one。　　In　both　characters　it　has　come　to　us；

and　it　was　perhaps　needed　in　both。　　It　is　an　instructor　never

a　day　before　its　time；　for　it　comes　only　when　all　other　means

of　progress　and　enlightenment　have　failed。　　Whether　the　oppressed

and　despairing　bondman；　no　longer　able　to　repress　his　deep　yearnings

for　manhood；　or　the　tyrant；　in　his　pride　and　impatience；　takes　the　initiative；

and　strikes　the　blow　for　a　firmer　hold　and　a　longer　lease　of　oppression；

the　result　is　the　same；society　is　instructed；　or　may　be。



Such　are　the　limitations　of　the　common　mind；　and　so　thoroughly

engrossing　are　the　cares　of　common　life；　that　only　the　few　among

men　can　discern　through　the　glitter　and　dazzle　of　present　prosperity

the　dark　outlines　of　approaching　disasters；　even　though　they　may　have

come　up　to　our　very　gates；　and　are　already　within　striking　distance。

The　yawning　seam　and　corroded　bolt　conceal　their　defects　from　the　mariner

until　the　storm　calls　all　hands　to　the　pumps。　　Prophets；　indeed；

were　abundant　before　the　war；　but　who　cares　for　prophets　while

their　predictions　remain　unfulfilled；　and　the　calamities　of　which

they　tell　are　masked　behind　a　blinding　blaze　of　national　prosperity？



It　is　asked；　said　Henry　Clay；　on　a　memorable　occasion；

Will　slave