The　Narrative　of　the　Life　of　Frederick　Douglass
  An　American　Slave
  NARRATIVE
  OF　THE
  LIFE
  OF
  FREDERICK　DOUGLASS；
  AN
  AMERICAN　SLAVE。
  …
  WRITTEN　BY　HIMSELF。
  …
  BOSTON
  PUBLISHED　AT　THE　ANTI…SLAVERY　OFFICE；
  NO。　25　CORNHILL
  1845
  NARRATIVE
  OF　THE　LIFE　OF
  FREDERICK　DOUGLASS；
  AN　AMERICAN　SLAVE
  WRITTEN　BY　HIMSELF
  ENTERED；　ACCORDING　TO　ACT　OF　CONGRESS；
  IN　THE　YEAR　1845
  BY　FREDERICK　DOUGLASS；
  IN　THE　CLERK'S　OFFICE　OF　THE　DISTRICT　COURT
  OF　MASSACHUSETTS。
  PREFACE
  In　the　month　of　August；　1841；　I　attended　an　anti…
  slavery　convention　in　Nantucket；　at　which　it　was
  my　happiness　to　become　acquainted　with　FREDERICK
  DOUGLASS；　the　writer　of　the　following　Narrative。　　He
  was　a　stranger　to　nearly　every　member　of　that　body；
  but；　having　recently　made　his　escape　from　the　south…
  ern　prison…house　of　bondage；　and　feeling　his　curiosity
  excited　to　ascertain　the　principles　and　measures　of
  the　abolitionists；of　whom　he　had　heard　a　somewhat
  vague　description　while　he　was　a　slave；he　was　in…
  duced　to　give　his　attendance；　on　the　occasion　al…
  luded　to；　though　at　that　time　a　resident　in　New
  Bedford。
  Fortunate；　most　fortunate　occurrence！fortunate
  for　the　millions　of　his　manacled　brethren；　yet　pant…
  ing　for　deliverance　from　their　awful　thraldom！for…
  tunate　for　the　cause　of　negro　emancipation；　and　of
  universal　liberty！fortunate　for　the　land　of　his　birth；
  which　he　has　already　done　so　much　to　save　and　bless！
  fortunate　for　a　large　circle　of　friends　and　acquaint…
  ances；　whose　sympathy　and　affection　he　has　strongly
  secured　by　the　many　sufferings　he　has　endured；　by
  his　virtuous　traits　of　character；　by　his　ever…abiding
  remembrance　of　those　who　are　in　bonds；　as　being
  bound　with　them！fortunate　for　the　multitudes；　in
  various　parts　of　our　republic；　whose　minds　he　has
  enlightened　on　the　subject　of　slavery；　and　who　have
  been　melted　to　tears　by　his　pathos；　or　roused　to
  virtuous　indignation　by　his　stirring　eloquence　against
  the　enslavers　of　men！fortunate　for　himself；　as
  it　at　once　brought　him　into　the　field　of　public　use…
  fulness；　〃gave　the　world　assurance　of　a　MAN；〃　quick…
  ened　the　slumbering　energies　of　his　soul；　and　con…
  secrated　him　to　the　great　work　of　breaking　the　rod
  of　the　oppressor；　and　letting　the　oppressed　go　free！
  I　shall　never　forget　his　first　speech　at　the　conven…
  tionthe　extraordinary　emotion　it　excited　in　my　own
  mindthe　powerful　impression　it　created　upon　a
  crowded　auditory；　completely　taken　by　surprisethe
  applause　which　followed　from　the　beginning　to　the
  end　of　his　felicitous　remarks。　　I　think　I　never　hated
  slavery　so　intensely　as　at　that　moment；　certainly；　my
  perception　of　the　enormous　outrage　which　is　in…
  flicted　by　it；　on　the　godlike　nature　of　its　victims；　was
  rendered　far　more　clear　than　ever。　　There　stood　one；
  in　physical　proportion　and　stature　commanding　and
  exactin　intellect　richly　endowedin　natural　elo…
  quence　a　prodigyin　soul　manifestly　〃created　but　a
  little　lower　than　the　angels〃yet　a　slave；　ay；　a　fugi…
  tive　slave；trembling　for　his　safety；　hardly　daring　to
  believe　that　on　the　American　soil；　a　single　white
  person　could　be　found　who　would　befriend　him　at
  all　hazards；　for　the　love　of　God　and　humanity！　　Ca…
  pable　of　high　attainments　as　an　intellectual　and
  moral　beingneeding　nothing　but　a　comparatively
  small　amount　of　cultivation　to　make　him　an　orna…
  ment　to　society　and　a　blessing　to　his　raceby　the　law
  of　the　land；　by　the　voice　of　the　people；　by　the　terms
  of　the　slave　code；　he　was　only　a　piece　of　property；　a
  beast　of　burden；　a　chattel　personal；　nevertheless！
  A　beloved　friend　from　New　Bedford　prevailed　on
  Mr。　DOUGLASS　to　address　the　convention：　He　came
  forward　to　the　platform　with　a　hesitancy　and　embar…
  rassment；　necessarily　the　attendants　of　a　sensitive
  mind　in　such　a　novel　position。　　After　apologizing　for
  his　ignorance；　and　reminding　the　audience　that　slav…
  ery　was　a　poor　school　for　the　human　intellect　and
  heart；　he　proceeded　to　narrate　some　of　the　facts　in
  his　own　history　as　a　slave；　and　in　the　course　of　his
  speech　gave　utterance　to　many　noble　thoughts　and
  thrilling　reflections。　　As　soon　as　he　had　taken　his
  seat；　filled　with　hope　and　admiration；　I　rose；　and
  declared　that　PATRICK　HENRY；　of　revolutionary　fame；
  never　made　a　speech　more　eloquent　in　the　cause　of
  liberty；　than　the　one　we　had　just　listened　to　from
  the　lips　of　that　hunted　fugitive。　　So　I　believed　at
  that　timesuch　is　my　belief　now。　　I　reminded　the
  audience　of　the　peril　which　surrounded　this　self…
  emancipated　young　man　at　the　North；even　in　Mas…
  sachusetts；　on　the　soil　of　the　Pilgrim　Fathers；　among
  the　descendants　of　revolutionary　sires；　and　I　ap…
  pealed　to　them；　whether　they　would　ever　allow　him
  to　be　carried　back　into　slavery；law　or　no　law；　con…
  stitution　or　no　constitution。　　The　response　was　unani…
  mous　and　in　thunder…tones〃NO！〃　　〃Will　you　succor
  and　protect　him　as　a　brother…mana　resident　of　the
  old　Bay　State？〃　　〃YES！〃　shouted　the　whole　mass；
  with　an　energy　so　startling；　that　the　ruthless　tyrants
  south　of　Mason　and　Dixon's　line　might　almost　have
  heard　the　mighty　burst　of　feeling；　and　recognized
  it　as　the　pledge　of　an　invincible　determination；　on
  the　part　of　those　who　gave　it；　never　to　betray　him
  that　wanders；　but　to　hide　the　outcast；　and　firmly　to
  abide　the　consequences。
  It　was　at　once　deeply　impressed　upon　my　mind；
  that；　if　Mr。　DOUGLASS　could　be　persuaded　to　conse…
  crate　his　time　and　talents　to　the　promotion　of　the
  anti…slavery　enterprise；　a　powerful　impetus　would
  be　given　to　it；　and　a　stunning　blow　at　the　same　time
  inflicted　on　northern　prejudice　against　a　colored
  complexion。　　I　therefore　endeavored　to　instil　hope
  and　courage　into　his　mind；　in　order　that　he　might
  dare　to　engage　in　a　vocation　so　anomalous　and　re…
  sponsible　for　a　person　in　his　situation；　and　I　was
  seconded　in　this　effort　by　warm…hearted　friends；　es…
  pecially　by　the　late　General　Agent　of　the　Massa…
  chusetts　Anti…Slavery　Society；　Mr。　JOHN　A。　COLLINS；
  whose　judgment　in　this　instance　entirely　coincided
  with　my　own。　　At　first；　he　could　give　no　encourage…
  ment；　with　unfeigned　diffidence；　he　expressed　his
  conviction　that　he　was　not　adequate　to　the　perform…
  ance　of　so　great　a　task；　the　path　marked　out　was
  wholly　an　untrodden　one；　he　was　sincerely　appre…
  hensive　that　he　should　do　more　harm　than　good。
  After　much　deliberation；　however；　he　consented　to
  make　a　trial；　and　ever　since　that　period；　he　has　acted
  as　a　lecturing　agent；　under　the　auspices　either　of　the
  American　or　the　Massachusetts　Anti…Slavery　Society。
  In　labors　he　has　been　most　abundant；　and　his　success
  in　combating　prejudice；　in　gaining　proselytes；　in　agi…
  tating　the　public　mind；　has　far　surpassed　the　most
  sanguine　expectations　that　were　raised　at　the　com…
  mencement　of　his　brilliant　career。　　He　has　borne　him…
  self　with　gentleness　and　meekness；　yet　with　true
  manliness　of　character。　　As　a　public　speaker；　he　excels
  in　pathos；　wit；　comparison；　imitation；　strength　of
  reasoning；　and　fluency　of　language。　　There　is　in　him
  that　union　of　head　and　heart；　which　is　indispensable
  to　an　enlightenment　of　the　heads　and　a　winning　of
  the　hearts　of　others。　　May　his　strength　continue　to
  be　equal　to　his　day！　　May　he　continue　to　〃grow　in
  grace；　and　in　the　knowledge　of　God；〃　that　he　may
  be　increasingly　serviceable　in　the　cause　of　bleeding
  humanity；　whether　at　home　or　abroad！
  It　is　certainly　a　very　remarkable　fact；　that　one　of
  the　most　efficient　advocates　of　the　slave　population；
  now　before　the　public；　is　a　fugitive　slave；　in　the
  person　of　FREDERICK　DOUGLASS；　and　that　the　free
  colored　population　of　the　United　States　are　as　ably
  represented　by　one　of　their　own　number；　in　the　per…
  son　of　CHARLES　LENOX　REMOND；　whose　eloquent
  appeals　have　extorted　the　highest　applause　of　multi…
  tudes　on　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic。　　Let　the　calum…
  niators　of　the　colored　race　despise　themselves　for
  their　baseness　and　illiberality　of　spirit；　and　hence…
  forth　cease　to　talk　of　the　natural　inferiority　of　those
  who　require　nothing　but　time　and　opportunity　to
  attain　to　the　highest　point　of　human　excellence。
  It　may；　perhaps；　be　fairly　questioned；　whether　any
  other