What to the Slave is The Fourth of July?

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FellowCitizens,Iamnotwantinginrespectforthefathersofthisrepublic.ThesignersoftheDeclaration
ofIndependencewerebravemen.Theyweregreatmen,toogreatenoughtogiveframetoagreatage.It
doesnotoftenhappentoanationtoraise,atonetime,suchanumberoftrulygreatmen.Thepointfrom
whichIamcompelledtoviewthemisnot,certainly,themostfavorable;andyetIcannotcontemplatetheir
greatdeedswithlessthanadmiration.Theywerestatesmen,patriotsandheroes,andforthegoodthey
did,andtheprinciplestheycontendedfor,Iwillunitewithyoutohonortheirmemory....
...Fellow-citizens,pardonme,allowmetoask,whyamIcalledupontospeakhereto-day?WhathaveI,or
thoseIrepresent,todowithyournationalindependence?Arethegreatprinciplesofpoliticalfreedomand
ofnaturaljustice,embodiedinthatDeclarationofIndependence,extendedtous?AndamI,therefore,
calledupontobringourhumbleofferingtothenationalaltar,andtoconfessthebenefitsandexpress
devoutgratitudefortheblessingsresultingfromyourindependencetous?
WouldtoGod,bothforyoursakesandours,thatanaffirmativeanswercouldbetruthfullyreturnedto
thesequestions!Thenwouldmytaskbelight,andmyburdeneasyanddelightful.Forwhoisthereso
cold,thatanationssympathycouldnotwarmhim?Whosoobdurateanddeadtotheclaimsofgratitude,
thatwouldnotthankfullyacknowledgesuchpricelessbenefits?Whosostolidandselfish,thatwouldnot
givehisvoicetoswellthehallelujahsofanationsjubilee,whenthechainsofservitudehadbeentorn
fromhislimbs?Iamnotthatman.Inacaselikethat,thedumbmighteloquentlyspeak,andthelameman
leapasanhart.
Butsuchisnotthestateofthecase.Isayitwithasadsenseofthedisparitybetweenus.Iamnot
includedwithinthepaleofgloriousanniversary!Yourhighindependenceonlyrevealstheimmeasurable
distancebetweenus.Theblessingsinwhichyou,thisday,rejoice,arenotenjoyedincommon.Therich
inheritanceofjustice,liberty,prosperityandindependence,bequeathedbyyourfathers,issharedbyyou,
notbyme.Thesunlightthatbroughtlightandhealingtoyou,hasbroughtstripesanddeathtome.This
FourthJulyisyours,notmine.Youmayrejoice,Imustmourn.Todragamaninfettersintothegrand
illuminatedtempleofliberty,andcalluponhimtojoinyouinjoyousanthems,wereinhumanmockeryand
sacrilegiousirony.Doyoumean,citizens,tomockme,byaskingmetospeakto-day?Ifso,thereisa
paralleltoyourconduct.Andletmewarnyouthatitisdangeroustocopytheexampleofanationwhose
crimes,toweringuptoheaven,werethrowndownbythebreathoftheAlmighty,buryingthatnationin
irrevocableruin!Icanto-daytakeuptheplaintivelamentofapeeledandwoe-smittenpeople!
BytheriversofBabylon,therewesatdown.Yea!WeweptwhenwerememberedZion.Wehangedour
harpsuponthewillowsinthemidstthereof.Forthere,theythatcarriedusawaycaptive,requiredofusa

song;andtheywhowastedusrequiredofusmirth,saying,SingusoneofthesongsofZion.Howcanwe
singtheLordssonginastrangeland?IfIforgetthee,OJerusalem,letmyrighthandforgethercunning.If
Idonotrememberthee,letmytonguecleavetotheroofofmymouth.
Fellow-citizens,aboveyournational,tumultuousjoy,Ihearthemournfulwailofmillions!whosechains,
heavyandgrievousyesterday,are,to-day,renderedmoreintolerablebythejubileeshoutsthatreach
them.IfIdoforget,ifIdonotfaithfullyrememberthosebleedingchildrenofsorrowthisday,maymyright
handforgethercunning,andmaymytonguecleavetotheroofofmymouth!Toforgetthem,topass
lightlyovertheirwrongs,andtochimeinwiththepopulartheme,wouldbetreasonmostscandalousand
shocking,andwouldmakemeareproachbeforeGodandtheworld.Mysubject,then,fellow-citizens,is
Americanslavery.Ishallseethisdayanditspopularcharacteristicsfromtheslavespointofview.
StandingthereidentifiedwiththeAmericanbondman,makinghiswrongsmine,Idonothesitateto
declare,withallmysoul,thatthecharacterandconductofthisnationneverlookedblackertomethanon
this4thofJuly!Whetherweturntothedeclarationsofthepast,ortotheprofessionsofthepresent,the
conductofthenationseemsequallyhideousandrevolting.Americaisfalsetothepast,falsetothe
present,andsolemnlybindsherselftobefalsetothefuture.StandingwithGodandthecrushedand
bleedingslaveonthisoccasion,Iwill,inthenameofhumanitywhichisoutraged,inthenameofliberty
whichisfettered,inthenameoftheconstitutionandtheBiblewhicharedisregardedandtrampledupon,
daretocallinquestionandtodenounce,withalltheemphasisIcancommand,everythingthatservesto
perpetuateslaverythegreatsinandshameofAmerica!Iwillnotequivocate;Iwillnotexcuse;Iwilluse
theseverestlanguageIcancommand;andyetnotonewordshallescapemethatanyman,whose
judgmentisnotblindedbyprejudice,orwhoisnotatheartaslaveholder,shallnotconfesstoberightand
just.
ButIfancyIhearsomeoneofmyaudiencesay,Itisjustinthiscircumstancethatyouandyourbrother
abolitionistsfailtomakeafavorableimpressiononthepublicmind.Wouldyouarguemore,anddenounce
less;wouldyoupersuademore,andrebukeless;yourcausewouldbemuchmorelikelytosucceed.But,
Isubmit,whereallisplainthereisnothingtobeargued.Whatpointintheanti-slaverycreedwouldyou
havemeargue?Onwhatbranchofthesubjectdothepeopleofthiscountryneedlight?MustIundertake
toprovethattheslaveisaman?Thatpointisconcededalready.Nobodydoubtsit.Theslaveholders
themselvesacknowledgeitintheenactmentoflawsfortheirgovernment.Theyacknowledgeitwhen
theypunishdisobedienceonthepartoftheslave.Thereareseventy-twocrimesintheStateofVirginia
which,ifcommittedbyablackman(nomatterhowignoranthebe),subjecthimtothepunishmentof
death;whileonlytwoofthesamecrimeswillsubjectawhitemantothelikepunishment.Whatisthisbut
theacknowledgmentthattheslaveisamoral,intellectual,andresponsiblebeing?Themanhoodofthe
slaveisconceded.ItisadmittedinthefactthatSouthernstatutebooksarecoveredwithenactments
forbidding,underseverefinesandpenalties,theteachingoftheslavetoreadortowrite.Whenyoucan
pointtoanysuchlawsinreferencetothebeastsofthefield,thenImayconsenttoarguethemanhoodof
theslave.Whenthedogsinyourstreets,whenthefowlsoftheair,whenthecattleonyourhills,whenthe
fishofthesea,andthereptilesthatcrawl,shallbeunabletodistinguishtheslavefromabrute,thenwillI
arguewithyouthattheslaveisaman!

Forthepresent,itisenoughtoaffirmtheequalmanhoodoftheNegrorace.Isitnotastonishingthat,
whileweareploughing,planting,andreaping,usingallkindsofmechanicaltools,erectinghouses,
constructingbridges,buildingships,workinginmetalsofbrass,iron,copper,silverandgold;that,while
wearereading,writingandciphering,actingasclerks,merchantsandsecretaries,havingamongus
lawyers,doctors,ministers,poets,authors,editors,oratorsandteachers;that,whileweareengagedinall
mannerofenterprisescommontoothermen,digginggoldinCalifornia,capturingthewhaleinthePacific,
feedingsheepandcattleonthehill-side,living,moving,acting,thinking,planning,livinginfamiliesas
husbands,wivesandchildren,and,aboveall,confessingandworshippingtheChristiansGod,and
lookinghopefullyforlifeandimmortalitybeyondthegrave,wearecalledupontoprovethatwearemen!
Wouldyouhavemearguethatmanisentitledtoliberty?Thatheistherightfulownerofhisownbody?
Youhavealreadydeclaredit.MustIarguethewrongfulnessofslavery?IsthataquestionforRepublicans?
Isittobesettledbytherulesoflogicandargumentation,asamatterbesetwithgreatdifficulty,involvinga
doubtfulapplicationoftheprincipleofjustice,hardtobeunderstood?HowshouldIlookto-day,inthe
presenceofAmericans,dividing,andsubdividingadiscourse,toshowthatmenhaveanaturalrightto
freedom?Speakingofitrelativelyandpositively,negativelyandaffirmatively.Todoso,wouldbetomake
myselfridiculous,andtoofferaninsulttoyourunderstanding.Thereisnotamanbeneaththecanopyof
heaventhatdoesnotknowthatslaveryiswrongforhim.
What,amItoarguethatitiswrongtomakemenbrutes,torobthemoftheirliberty,toworkthemwithout
wages,tokeepthemignorantoftheirrelationstotheirfellowmen,tobeatthemwithsticks,toflaytheir
fleshwiththelash,toloadtheirlimbswithirons,tohuntthemwithdogs,tosellthematauction,tosunder
theirfamilies,toknockouttheirteeth,toburntheirflesh,tostarvethemintoobedienceandsubmissionto
theirmasters?MustIarguethatasystemthusmarkedwithblood,andstainedwithpollution,iswrong?
No!Iwillnot.Ihavebetteremploymentformytimeandstrengththansuchargumentswouldimply.
What,then,remainstobeargued?Isitthatslaveryisnotdivine;thatGoddidnotestablishit;thatour
doctorsofdivinityaremistaken?Thereisblasphemyinthethought.Thatwhichisinhuman,cannotbe
divine!Whocanreasononsuchaproposition?Theythatcan,may;Icannot.Thetimeforsuchargumentis
passed.
Atatimelikethis,scorchingirony,notconvincingargument,isneeded.O!HadItheability,andcould
reachthenationsear,Iwould,to-day,pouroutafierystreamofbitingridicule,blastingreproach,
witheringsarcasm,andsternrebuke.Foritisnotlightthatisneeded,butfire;itisnotthegentleshower,
butthunder.Weneedthestorm,thewhirlwind,andtheearthquake.Thefeelingofthenationmustbe
quickened;theconscienceofthenationmustberoused;theproprietyofthenationmustbestartled;the
hypocrisyofthenationmustbeexposed;anditscrimesagainstGodandmanmustbeproclaimedand
denounced.
What,totheAmericanslave,isyour4thofJuly?Ianswer;adaythatrevealstohim,morethanallother
daysintheyear,thegrossinjusticeandcrueltytowhichheistheconstantvictim.Tohim,yourcelebration
isasham;yourboastedliberty,anunholylicense;yournationalgreatness,swellingvanity;yoursoundsof

rejoicingareemptyandheartless;yourdenunciationoftyrants,brassfrontedimpudence;yourshoutsof
libertyandequality,hollowmockery;yourprayersandhymns,yoursermonsandthanksgivings,withall
yourreligiousparadeandsolemnity,are,toHim,merebombast,fraud,deception,impiety,andhypocrisy
athinveiltocoverupcrimeswhichwoulddisgraceanationofsavages.Thereisnotanationonthe
earthguiltyofpracticesmoreshockingandbloodythanarethepeopleoftheUnitedStates,atthisvery
hour.
Gowhereyoumay,searchwhereyouwill,roamthroughallthemonarchiesanddespotismsoftheOld
World,travelthroughSouthAmerica,searchouteveryabuse,andwhenyouhavefoundthelast,layyour
factsbythesideoftheeverydaypracticesofthisnation,andyouwillsaywithme,that,forrevolting
barbarityandshamelesshypocrisy,Americareignswithoutarival.

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