Historical Romance of the American NegroFowler, Charles Henry
History
Historical Romance of the American Negro
Fowler, Charles Henry
African Americans -- History
Such a man as he was did not belong to the colored race alone, and to
the United States; he belonged to the whole world, and to all races.
Such men can never be appropriated by one people, but they are, indeed,
the common property of all. Douglass returned home, and founded a paper
called "The North Star." He moved to Rochester, N. Y., and there he and
his family took up their abode. The glorious work for the destruction of
slavery went on, grew and increased, and at last brought on the war of
secession, and freedom likewise for the entire enslaved race. Mr.
Douglass then removed to Washington, and was honored with high offices
in the services of his native country. He had the misfortune of losing
his darling Anna, though after five years he married again, and went on
a wedding tour to Europe and the East, this being his third voyage
across the ocean. He died at Washington in February, 1895, at the age of
seventy-eight—no very great age, but then he had done the work of ten
men, and that wears human life rapidly away.
Thousands of eminent men have arisen from the ranks of the colored race
since 1865, and thousands are now upon their feet also. Their names have
reached the ends of the earth. But Fred. Douglass was early in the
field, and he was a very, very bright particular star. Like John Bunyan,
George Washington, and some few others, he shines for all time, and for
the entire human race. He did a mighty work for God and humanity. Of all
those illustrious men who have been born of women, there has never
arisen a greater man, in all the annals of time, than our congenial
friend and brother, Fred. Douglass.
My dear reader, I have given but short sketches of two eminent colored
men who elevated themselves head and shoulder above their fellows, for
the purpose of showing what the race can do. And I could go on to any
length in the same strain, and pick out and describe other eminent men
whose fame has reached the ends of the earth, though not in the same
degree, as Fred. Douglass. But I need not dwell further here in showing
what we can do, especially now that we are set free. Though the whole
world freely admits that we have done well, and very well, still, we are
only now at the threshold of our advancement, for it is only thirty odd
years since the close of the war. But in that short time we have beaten
every other race in the way of progress, and the sun is only yet one
hour above the horizon. By and by we shall have the full noon-day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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