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1058 READER RESPONSES, 1881-93

REVIEW. LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS. (WRITTEN BY
HIMSELF.) [Anon.). London Anti-Slave,y Reporter. March 1882.

This is a very interesting work, and treats of a burning question during a very
exciting epoch. It is hardly necessary to tell our readers that Frederick Douglass is
an ESCAPED SLAVE, and that he has acted a stirring part in the great drama whose last Act was written in characters of blood and flame, which resulted in the immediate
and unconditional freedom of five millions of slaves. He still lives and holds high
office under the United States Govement. Mr. George I. Ruffin, of Boston, who
writes an introduction to the volume before us, thus speaks of his hero:--

''Our Pantheon contains many that [3.16---5.30] the examination of general
history."

In his opening chapter. Mr. Douglass gives us an insight into that terrible fea-
ture in Slave-life which prevented a man from knowing his own father. He says:--

"Of my father I know [24.36- 25.4] one drop of African blood."

AN OVERSEER'S REVENGE:

A SLAVE-GIRL, possessing the rare quality of personal beauty. was courted by a
young negro. Yet the overseer wished to discourage the match, and sternly forbade
it. But the lovers met contrary to orders and this is how the white man punished the offending girl. It is described by an eyewitness whose veracity is unimpeachable.

"But to the case in [39.39-40.20] won't do so no more ....

But when the whipping was over, poor Esther "did do so" again, and the conse-
quence was that this cruel punishment was repeated many times: and it was not only
for making love that the miserable slaves were tortured in this dreadful fashion.

"They were whipped for over-sleeping [46.6-11] a blow from the overseer."

VALUE OF A SLAVE'S LIFE.

"One of the commonest sayings [55 .7- 15] this there was no redress ...

CITY LIFE verses PLANTATION LIFE..

At a comparatively early age Douglass was removed from the plantation to
the City of Baltimore. There he was kindly treated for a slave. At first his mistress
taught him to read, but this was soon stopped by the master. who sternly forbade
her, saying, "It was unsafe to teach him, as learning would spoil the best nigger
in the world." But it was too late, for the boy had tasted of the pierian spring.
and no power on earth could prevent him from drinking more deeply of its for-
bidden waters. He picked up scraps of knowledge from little white street boys;
made a little collection of torn leaves from old Bibles which he found in the gut-
ters, washed them clean, and then read them eagerly. Thus he imbibed a few
ideas of religion, and his mind developed as his body grew into the stalwart form
of a strong and healthy negro. He worked in a ship-builder's yard at Baltimore.
and for three years or more led a fairly happy life. But death, which so often
destroys all the visions of happiness in a slave's life, now caused Douglass to be
sent back to his old work on the plantation, and here he was badly off indeed.
His master did not like his city ways, and determined to send him off to a poor