Frederick Douglas, when he spoke at the Rochester, New York - TopicsExpress



          

Frederick Douglas, when he spoke at the Rochester, New York celebration in the 1852. "...Fellow citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask; why am I called upon to speak here today? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and national justice, embodied on that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? 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? But such is not the state of the case. I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.."
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 13:12:25 +0000

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