frederick douglass, if there is no struggle there is no progress, 1857

8/2/2019 Frederick Douglass, If There is No Struggle There is No Progress, 1857

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FrederickDouglass,IfThereIsNoStruggle,ThereIsNoProgress,1857

IfThereIsNoStruggle,ThereIsNoProgress

Thegeneralsentimentofmankindisthatamanwhowillnotfightforhimself,when

hehas

the

means

of

doing

so,

is

not

worth

being

fought

for

by

others,

and

this

sentimentisjust.Foramanwhodoesnotvaluefreedomforhimselfwillnever

valueitforothers,orputhimselftoanyinconveniencetogainitforothers.Sucha

man,theworldsays,mayliedownuntilhehassenseenoughtostandup.Itis

uselessandcrueltoputamanonhislegs,ifthenextmomenthisheadistobe

broughtagainstacurbstone.

Amanofthattypewillneverlaytheworldunderanyobligationtohim,butwillbe

amoralpauper,adragonthewheelsofsociety,andifhetoobeidentifiedwitha

peculiarvariety

of

the

race

he

will

entail

disgrace

upon

his

race

as

well

as

upon

himself.Theworldinwhichweliveisveryaccommodatingtoallsortsofpeople.It

willcooperatewiththeminanymeasurewhichtheypropose;itwillhelpthosewho

earnestlyhelpthemselves,andwillhinderthosewhohinderthemselves.Itisvery

polite,andneveroffersitsservicesunasked.Itsfavorstoindividualsaremeasured

byanunerringprincipleinthisviz.,respectthosewhorespectthemselves,and

despisethosewhodespisethemselves.Itisnotwithinthepowerofunaidedhuman

naturetopersevereinpityingapeoplewhoareinsensibletotheirownwrongsand

indifferenttotheattainmentoftheirownrights.Thepoetwasastruetocommon

senseas

to

poetry

when

he

said,

Whowouldbefree,themselvesmuststriketheblow.

WhenOConnell,withallIrelandathisback,wassupposedtobecontendingforthe

justrightsandlibertiesofIreland,thesympathiesofmankindwerewithhim,and

evenhisenemieswerecompelledtorespecthispatriotism.Kossuth,fightingfor

Hungarywithhispenlongaftershehadfallenbythesword,commandedthe

sympathyandsupportoftheliberalworldtillhisownhopesdiedout.TheTurks,

whilethey

fought

bravely

for

themselves

and

scourged

and

drove

back

the

invading

120011a/4


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legionsofRussia,sharedtheadmirationofmankind.Theywerestandingupfor

theirownrightsagainstanarrogantandpowerfulenemy;butassoonastheylet

outtheirfightingtotheAllies,admirationgavewaytocontempt.Thesearenotthe

maximsandteachingsofacoldheartedworld.Christianityitselfteachesthatman

shallprovideforhisownhouse.Thiscoversthewholegroundofnationsaswellas

individuals.Nationsnomorethanindividualscaninnocentlybeimprovident.They

shouldprovide

for

all

wantsmental,

moral

and

religiousand

against

all

evils

to

whichtheyareliableasnations.Inthegreatstrugglenowprogressingforthe

freedomandelevationofourpeople,weshouldbefoundatworkwithallour

might,resolvedthatnomanorsetofmenshallbemoreabundantinlabors,

accordingtothemeasureofourability,thanourselves.

Iknow,myfriends,thatinsomequarterstheeffortsofcoloredpeoplemeetwith

verylittleencouragement.Wemayfight,butwemustfightliketheSepoysofIndia,

underwhiteofficers.ThisclassofAbolitionistsdontlikecoloredcelebrations,they

dontlike

colored

conventions,

they

dont

like

colored

antislavery

fairs

for

the

supportofcolorednewspapers.Theydontlikeanydemonstrationswhateverin

whichcoloredmentakealeadingpart.TheytalkoftheproudAngloSaxonbloodas

flippantlyasthosewhoprofesstobelieveinthenaturalinferiorityofraces.Your

humblespeakerhasbeenbrandedasaningrate,becausehehasventuredtostand

uponhisownandtopleadourcommoncauseasacoloredman,ratherthanasa

Garrisonian.Iholdittobenopartofgratitudetoallowourwhitefriendstodoall

thework,whilewemerelyholdtheircoats.Oppositionofthesortnowreferredto

ispartisanposition,andweneednotmindit.Thewhitepeopleatlargewillnot

largelybe

influenced

by

it.

They

will

see

and

appreciate

all

honest

efforts

on

our

parttoimproveourconditionasapeople.

Letmegiveyouawordofthephilosophyofreform.Thewholehistoryofthe

progressofhumanlibertyshowsthatallconcessionsyetmadetoheraugustclaims

havebeenbornofearneststruggle.Theconflicthasbeenexciting,agitating,all

absorbing,andforthetimebeing,puttingallothertumultstosilence.Itmustdo

thisoritdoesnothing.Ifthereisnostrugglethereisnoprogress.Thosewho

professtofavorfreedomandyetdeprecateagitationaremenwhowantcrops

withoutplowing

up

the

ground;

they

want

rain

without

thunder

and

lightning.

They

wanttheoceanwithouttheawfulroarofitsmanywaters.

Thisstrugglemaybeamoralone,oritmaybeaphysicalone,anditmaybeboth

moralandphysical,butitmustbeastruggle.Powerconcedesnothingwithouta

demand.Itneverdidanditneverwill.Findoutjustwhatanypeoplewillquietly

submittoandyouhavefoundouttheexactmeasureofinjusticeandwrongwhich

willbeimposeduponthem,andthesewillcontinuetilltheyareresistedwitheither

wordsorblows,orwithboth.Thelimitsoftyrantsareprescribedbytheendurance

ofthose

whom

they

oppress.

In

the

light

of

these

ideas,

Negroes

will

be

hunted

at


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320011a/4

theNorthandheldandfloggedattheSouthsolongastheysubmittothosedevilish

outragesandmakenoresistance,eithermoralorphysical.Menmaynotgetallthey

payforinthisworld,buttheymustcertainlypayforalltheyget.Ifweevergetfree

fromtheoppressionsandwrongsheapeduponus,wemustpayfortheirremoval.

Wemustdothisbylabor,bysuffering,bysacrifice,andifneedsbe,byourlivesand

thelivesofothers.

Hence,myfriends,everymotherwho,likeMargaretGarner,plungesaknifeinto

thebosomofherinfanttosaveitfromthehellofourChristianslavery,shouldbe

heldandhonoredasabenefactress.Everyfugitivefromslaverywho,likethenoble

WilliamThomasatWilkesBarre,preferstoperishinarivermaderedbyhisown

bloodtosubmissiontothehellhoundswhowerehuntingandshootinghimshould

beesteemedasagloriousmartyr,worthytobeheldingratefulmemorybyour

people.ThefugitiveHorace,atMechanicsburgh,Ohio,theotherday,whotaught

theslavecatchersfromKentuckythatitwassafertoarrestwhitementhanto

arresthim,

did

amost

excellent

service

to

our

cause.

Parker

and

his

noble

band

of

fifteenatChristiana,whodefendedthemselvesfromthekidnapperswithprayers

andpistols,areentitledtothehonorofmakingthefirstsuccessfulresistancetothe

FugitiveSlaveBill.Butforthatresistance,andtherescueofJerryandShadrack,the

manhunterswouldhavehuntedourhillsandvalleysherewiththesamefreedom

withwhichtheynowhunttheirowndismalswamps.

TherewasanimportantlessonintheconductofthatnobleKroomaninNewYork

theotherday,who,supposingthattheAmericanChristianswereabouttoenslave

him,betook

himself

to

the

masthead

and

with

knife

in

hand

said

he

would

cut

his

throatbeforehewouldbemadeaslave.JosephCinque,onthedeckofthe

Amistad,didthatwhichshouldmakehisnamedeartous.Heborenaturesburning

protestagainstslavery.MadisonWashingtonwhostruckdownhisoppressoronthe

deckoftheCreole,ismoreworthytoberememberedthanthecoloredmanwho

shotPitcairnatBunkerHill.

Myfriends,youwillobservethatIhavetakenawiderange,andyouthinkitis

abouttimethatIshouldanswerthespecialobjectiontothiscelebration.Ithinkso

too.This,

then,

is

the

truth

concerning

the

inauguration

of

freedom

in

the

British

WestIndies.AbolitionwastheactoftheBritishgovernment.Themotivewhichled

thegovernmenttoactnodoubtwasmainlyaphilanthropicone,entitledtoour

highestadmirationandgratitude.Thenationalreligion,thejusticeandhumanity

criedoutinthunderousindignationagainstthefoulabomination,andthe

governmentyieldedtothestorm.Neverthelessashareofthecreditoftheresult

fallsjustlytotheslavesthemselves.Thoughslaves,theywererebelliousslaves.

Theyborethemselveswell.Theydidnothugtheirchains,butaccordingtotheir

opportunities,swelledthegeneralprotestagainstoppression.WhatWilberforce

wasendeavoring

to

win

from

the

British

senate

by

his

magic

eloquence

the

slaves


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420011a/4

themselveswereendeavoringtogainbyoutbreaksandviolence.Thecombined

actionofoneandtheotherwroughtoutthefinalresult.Whileoneshowedthat

slaverywaswrong,theothershowedthatitwasdangerousaswellaswrong.Mr.

Wilberforce,peacemanthoughhewas,andamodelofpiety,availedhimselfofthis

elementtostrengthenhiscasebeforetheBritishParliament,andwarnedthe

BritishgovernmentofthedangerofcontinuingslaveryintheWestIndies.Thereis

nodoubt

that

the

fear

of

the

consequences,

acting

with

asense

of

the

moral

evil

of

slavery,ledtoitsabolition.ThespiritoffreedomwasabroadintheIslands.

Insurrectionforfreedomkepttheplantersinaconstantstateofalarmand

trepidation.Astandingarmywasnecessarytokeeptheslavesintheirchains.This

stateoffactscouldnotbewithoutweightindecidingthequestionoffreedomin

thesecountries.

Iamawarethattherebelliousdispositionoftheslaveswassaidtoariseoutofthe

discussionwhichtheAbolitionistswerecarryingonathome,anditisnotnecessary

torefute

this

alleged

explanation.

All

that

Icontend

for

is

this:

that

the

slaves

of

the

WestIndiesdidfightfortheirfreedom,andthatthefactoftheirdiscontentwas

knowninEngland,andthatitassistedinbringingaboutthatstateofpublicopinion

whichfinallyresultedintheiremancipation.Andifthisbetrue,theobjectionis

answered.

Again,Iamawarethattheinsurrectionarymovementsoftheslaveswereheldby

manytobeprejudicialtotheircause.Thisissaidnowofsuchmovementsatthe

South.Theansweristhatabolitionfollowedcloseontheheelsofinsurrectioninthe

West

Indies,

and

Virginia

was

never

nearer

emancipation

than

when

General

Turner

kindledthefiresofinsurrectionatSouthampton.

Sir,Ihavenowmorethanfilledupthemeasureofmytime.Ithankyouforthe

patientattentiongiventowhatIhavehadtosay.Ihaveaimed,asIsaidatthe

beginning,toexpressafewthoughtshavingsomerelationtothegreatinterestof

freedombothinthiscountryandintheBritishWestIndies,andIhavesaidallthatI

meantosay,andthetimewillnotpermitmetosaymore.

Source:FrederickDouglass,TwoSpeechesbyFrederickDouglass(Rochester,1857).

From:http://www.blackpast.org/?q=1857frederickdouglassiftherenostruggletherenoprogress

Course:AfricanRevolutionaryWriting

20011a,FrederickDouglass,IfThereIsNoStruggleThereIsNoProgress,1857

1932words
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frederick douglass, if there is no struggle there is no progress, 1857

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