The Athenaeum. (Atlanta, GA) 1898-1925, February 01, 1925, Image 11

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THE ATHENAEUM 153 prist upon the fair pages of history? Upon looking to antiquity I found nothing save occasional mention of Ethiopia the land of the njibians, the black men. The Egyptian Pharraohs are said to have been of Negroid stock but it is not proven. Medieval history records no name for a black man and modern history has but few. Who are those few? You ask—First among them are Toussaint L'Overture, accorded by Wendell Phillips a greater place than Washington. Cris- pus Attucks and Black Sampson of Brandywine, both of whom might be taken as models of sublime heroism and then we have Frederick Douglas. Born in Md. about 1817 of a white father, a colored mother, Douglas was the property of a Captain Auld. Removed in early in fancy from his mother’s care to that of his grandmother he lived the first 7 or 8 year^ of his life in his masters home. Even at this age Douglas began to break Southern law by learning his letters. He was sent to Baltimore in his 7th year to be companion to the nephew of his master. This lad’s mother continued to teach Douglas how ever until forbidden by her husband who believed that to educate a slave was to ruin him. This means of learning being cut off Doug las began to accompany white youths to and from school carring their books in order that he might learn a little more. At the age of eleven he went into the shipyards where he learned his trade, ship caulking. Here it was that Douglas learned much of navigation and by coying the laters on various parts of the ship learend new words and meanings- In 1833 the boy was sent to Edward Covey’s farm- Here Doug las’s proud spirit was well-nigh broken by severe maltreatment and punishment which culminated in open resistance. Being successful he vowed never to be punished again. He finally made a daring at tempt to escape but only succeeded in being jailed. Upon his master’s refusal to sell Douglas he returned to the Baltimore shipyards from which in 1838 he made his escape to New Bedford, Mass. Here it was that he found his first taste of northern prejudice because of his color he could not obtain work at his trade and was forced to finally become a common laborer and stevedore. Yet, it was in this same place that Dougless first came into prominence as a public man. Be cause of his speeches on questions pertaining to his race the aboli tionists took him as a speaker and sent him to all parts of the country. When it became known thru a story that he was a fugitive slave Douglas had to leave America. England was his objective and an Eng lishwoman it was who freed him by paying 150 lbs. sterling for his ransom. He at once returned and established in Rochester, N. Y., the first Negro paper which he called the North Star and edited weekly for 16 years thereafter. Douglas held places that few men of color have had the privilege of calling theirs. He was largely responsible for the 54th and 55th regiments which came from Massachusetts. He was Grant’s official investigator of Santo Domingan conditions in 1871; marshall of the D- of C. 1877; and, resident minister and consul-general to Hayti in