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202 LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS

with persons of great literary, social, political, and religious eminence, and
never, during the whole time, having met with a single word, look, or gesture,
which gave me the slightest reason to think my color was an offense to
anybody — now to be cooped up in the stem of the "Cambria," and denied
the right to enter the saloon, lest my presence should disturb some democratic
fellow-passenger. The reader can easily imagine what must have been
my feelings under such an indignity.

This contemptible conduct met with stem rebuke from the British press.
The London Times, and other leading journals throughout the United
Kingdom, held up the outrage to unmitigated condemnation. So good an
opportunity for calling out British sentiment on the subject had not before
occurred, and it was fully embraced. The result was that Mr. Cunard came
out in a letter expressive of his regret, and promising that the like indignity
should never occur again on his steamers, which promise I believe has been
faithfully kept.

CHAPTER VII.

TRIUMPHS AND TRIALS.

New Experiences-Painful Disagreement of Opinion with old Friends — Final Decision to Publish
my Paper in Rochester — Its Fortunes and its Friends — Change in my own Views Regarding
the Constitution of the United States — Fidelity to Conviction Loss of Old Friends
Support of New Ones — Loss of House, etc., by Fire — Triumphs and Trials Underground
Railroad — Incidents.

Prepared as I was to meet with many trials and perplexities on reaching
home, one of which I little dreamed was awaiting me. My plans for future
usefulness, as indicated in the last chapter, were all settled, and in imagination
I already saw myself wielding my pen as well as my voice in the great
work of renovating the public mind, and building up a public sentiment,
which should send slavery to the grave, and restore to "liberty and the pursuit
of happiness" the people with whom I had suffered.

My friends in Boston had been informed of what I was intending, and I
expected to find them favorably disposed toward my cherished enterprise. In
this I was mistaken. They had many reasons against it. First, no such paper
was needed; secondly, it would interfere with my usefulness as a lecturer;
thirdly, l was better fitted to speak than to write; fourthly, the paper could not
succeed. This opposition from a quarter so highly esteemed, and to which I
had been accustomed to look for advice and direction, caused me not only to