Frederick Douglass

This 'riinowoy s!ave' hns been reccived in frelrnd witli great cordiality. He seenis tn have mnch of the spirit of truc nubility in lum vyjlh do mean iircliccïnal powers. TTIw br akfast givcn in his honor by Failicr Mat llicw wc have befnre noticed. Wc find n tiic Liberator nu extract from the Uelfast Chroniclc-, gjyig a dcfcrintion of ;i juihüc brcakfnsl in ilint plnco, in compliment to Mr. üüuglrtcs. Win. S. Crawford, M. P. presidcd. Tlio cliairman oponed themee!.ing in nn ajipronripte speech, lie road a portio of the Dcclaration of Indepcndencc, ond showed ita inconsislency wi:Ii Slavciy. Ucnco iic very na'.urally framcd an argument ogainst Democracy: The Ilonnrahle rentloina:i Ihen proepcdod to account. Tor tho Arnpricana hivinjr bcconjo üo dogf.'ii'.Ttitr, and snid he atlribulcd il to the democratie principies whioh ns n nation tliey held. lrrcsponsiole pover was danerous to truc hborty. Theconduct of the Amcrrcanp roved to ihe worh', tint ihose whp lielp emocrulic principies wcre. Tor tlie most paris he gV'tfttéit tyrnnts. 'J'ltis miirht nppear trnnire, coming frum him, wlio had nlwnys icen the advócalo of the rihts of the peoj)lelo hm), hpwpvc, on!y advocaleü ücrnocraun )ríncip]es ín so Car as tlioy wore consistent ,vith monotchicnl {rÓvetáhWht. lio, nm nnad ocate for tlie pcopie'a rielas, Mi c.-illcd upon o r.iisc his voice ajiuinst those who disrr.rnced he principies of which lio was, lo a curlain ?xtent, Wie advocate. A benutiful Pocket Bible, splendidly bound in gold, and claspeil, was presented lo Mr. Douglass as a token ot' llio respect of the Anlislavery friendo ih Dolfasi. Mr. DoupltiíB responded tn a very siuible speech, in which lie rcjfcrrcd to the aston'u-hing clmngc lint hnd come over hun; The following extract vill interest our readers: I rempmber tlie flrst lime T ever henrd tl o Riblc rcod, nnd I teil you the tmth whcii I I cl I you thnt, fromthat time, 1 thice my firti delire lo learn to rcad. I was over seven yeors old ; ruy masler hnd pone lo bfd. 1 had crawl ed under the centre table,nnd had tallen a.-leep, wli'-n my mistress commenced to read llie Bible nloud,- so loud that she wnked me - she waked me to sleq) no more! I have found since. I learned tliat llie chnptcr kIic then read was t'ne Ut cluijitcr of Joh. I remember tny sympathy lor the {jood old inan ; anti my frreat onxiety to know tnore nbout him, led iiio to askmy mistress - who wa.-i al thid time n kind lady - to teaoli me to read. She commenced, and would have, but lor the opposilion of her husbaiid, tnught me to read. Slip censed to instrncl me, bnt my dosire lo read continurd, and, inslend of úáttetming, mcreased ; and, by llie aid of lutle boyt', obtuined at liiflerent times, I íiually öiicceedcd in le:ir' ing to rend (Applnii?e.) Al'icr leirning 10 rcad. my de-irc for books was equal to my early desire to Inarn hovv to read. I have freqnenlly, wilh my iinrerF, frnm tl)8 mud and li!th ot'ilie pnticr. raket] lenves of llie sacred 'volume. These I have wa?hed and dried, and read the words of beavenly uisdum which they cnnlained H-ith a glad heart, cousideriiig myèclf" fortúnale to enjoj puch a privilege. I trust I shall nol be decmed pre.-umptoiis or eolistica!, when I sny, tint. from my present p.-.silion, I seepoiuts in my humble lifitory which seem maxkedby t!ie fiugcr of God. (Applnii?e. ) Twcnty ycors ngo, wliilp lying, not tinlikc a pet dog-t n( tlipfeet of my mi.=r ros?, jn lier liousc in Philpit s:reei, F. lïs P-inl, iïiiltiinore, l was loused fronj the sweet t-leep of cliildhood, to hêar tlie narrativo of ïöb. A few yr af erwards fonnd me sc-arclung for the Scriptnre in tlie m ddy strect putters, nnd rescuing its p'gcs Iroin the fiUb into wliicli neglect nnd SKOSteÜlIdSfl? !:;il jlnngod iliem. A few yenr.s );ilcr, I cte.ijicd Irom my chninsgainèd partial Oecdom, nnd bccamc nn advocóte for thcemnncipntion of my rare. - During tliis advococy, n Ktispicio obtainá lho [ nm not what I profesa to de, lp ?Uence which, it is neressary io wirüe out niy éxperi tnce in slaVoryJ nnd give ihe nnmes of my enpluvers. Tlii eiidi.iiiri-rs my liberty. IVr.-c ctil'!). hnnted, outr.iüci) n America, I lir.vc come to Ei)r!oiul, and !cliolii tlie clnne ! - The cliattd becómed n man. (Applnusc.) I brea tlin, nnd I nm t'roe. (ApplaiiHO.) Ins!ead of CllHing the Scnplurea irom tho nuid, llicy come to me drossed in polihlied old, ua the frec and unsoücitcd gifjt fc!:voted inurtf. (Appiause.) I wjll ioke.it) and while Mivc preserve it, a:id long ufrer I have g.no fionce o my rewurd, if my will is ctirried out, it shall be preserved by my cliiliiren, and remnin a memenio in the Iwuse of Doii{!a?s lili lime s!ia!l melt it mló duet'. (Applatiae.) I osiüYè yon, gentlemen of tlie Commitiee, ynn have pelecied a proper mode of expre&nq your rrgard for im Wliut couht be beller :!,iin ihe Bible to me, contendin agninst oppression, frauil and wrong? (Anplausc.) Il ís fnll of wisdom ond gondnesir - foith, hope, ond clianty Sparldo on every page, all of v.hich denl" dcatli to sluvery."