The Tragedy of the Negro in America: A Condensed History of the Enslavement, Sufferings, Emancipation, Present Condition and Progress of the Negro Race in the United States of America |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Africa American Missionary Association arrested Beecher better Birmingham Black Belt blood Boston brother burned Christ Christian Church citizens City Councillor civilization College colonies coloured condition convict lease crime cruelty death declared Douglass emancipation England equal father Frederick Douglass friends Georgia girl Governor hand hanged heart Henry Ward Beecher human hundred ignorance jail JAMES SAWYER John Brown knew labour land liberty Lincoln live LL.D look lynched Massachusetts millions Minister murder nation Negro Negro in America Negro race never North outrage persons PETER STANFORD Phillis Wheatley plantation poor preach preacher President prison progress punishment schools slave party slavery soul South Carolina Southern spirit suffered things Thomas Stanford thousands tion to-day tragedy true Uncle Tom's Cabin United Virginia Washington whipped white man's Wilberforce University William Lloyd Garrison woman women
Popular passages
Page 85 - What good would a proclamation of emancipation from me do, especially as we are now situated? I do not want to issue a document that the whole world will see must necessarily be inoperative, like the Pope's bull against the comet.
Page 186 - America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future. 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...
Page 67 - ... them in Canada. I designed to have done the same thing again on a larger scale. That was all I intended. I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection.
Page 185 - I do not faithfully remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day, "may my right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth"! To forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme...
Page 86 - I think you should admit that we already have an important principle to rally and unite the people, in the fact that constitutional government is at stake. This is a fundamental idea going down about as deep as anything.
Page 69 - The sooner you are prepared the better. You may dispose of me very easily. I am nearly disposed of now ; but this question is still to be settled, — this negro question, I mean; the end of that is not yet.
Page 97 - But negroes, like other people, act upon motives. Why should they do anything for us, if we will do nothing for them? If they stake their lives for us, they must be prompted by the strongest motive — even the promise of freedom. And the promise being made, must be kept.
Page 74 - I think I feel as happy as Paul did when he lay in prison. He knew if they killed him, it would greatly advance the cause of Christ ; that was the reason he rejoiced so. On that same ground " I do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." Let them hang me ; I forgive them, and may God forgive them, for they know not what they do. I have no regret for the transaction for which I am condemned. I went against the laws of men, it is true, but "whether it be right to obey God or men, judge ye.
Page 74 - I am gaining in health slowly, and am quite cheerful in view of my approaching end, — being fully persuaded that I am worth inconceivably more to hang than for any other purpose.
Page 68 - I think, my friend, you are guilty of a great wrong against God and humanity — I say it without wishing to be offensive — and it would be perfectly right for any one to interfere with you so far as to free those you wilfully and wickedly hold in bondage. I do not say this insultingly.