I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Hed had a breakdown in the early 1850s, and was having trouble supporting his family. Whether we turn to the declarations of the past, or to the professions of the present, the conduct of the nation seems equally hideous and revolting. Why Frederick Douglass Is Important? - FAQS Clear In 1881, Douglass published his third autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, which took a long view of his life's work, the nation's progress, and the work left to do. You have reached your limit of free articles. Funny you should ask. He follows this observation by closing with words from William Lloyd Garrison, suggesting the new reach of the great abolitionist across the ocean as part of a global abolition movement. They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression. Frederick Douglass, Fifth of July speech (1852) and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?, Would to God, both for your sakes and ours, that an affirmative answer could be truthfully returned to these questions! He does some of his greatest writing in early 1850s during this terrible personal crisis, Blight says, and right there in the middle of it comes the greatest speech hes ever delivered, of the hundreds of speeches he delivered in his life.. I attended in 2008 and was deeply moved by the experience. But it is answered in reply to all this, that precisely what I have now denounced is, in fact, guaranteed and sanctioned by the Constitution of the United States; that the right to hold and to hunt slaves is a part of that Constitution framed by the illustrious Fathers of this Republic. Understanding contradictions such as this is critical for honest conversation. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. Everyone is welcome to read; this event is free and open to the public. Harvard Law School provides unparalleled opportunities to study law with extraordinary colleagues in a rigorous, vibrant, and collaborative environment. On what branch of the subject do the people of this country need light? Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered, in the name of the constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery the great sin and shame of America! All Rights Reserved. Friends and citizens, I need not enter further into the causes which led to this anniversary.