Frederick Douglass

Name: The Heroic Slave — Part 4
Author: Frederick Douglass

Summary

“The Heroic Slave — Part 4”, published in 1853, is a work by Frederick Douglass. It explores elements such as negroes, Williams and slave.

Quotes from The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (Frederick Douglass)

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ It is one thing to manage a company of slaves on a Virginia plantation, and quite another thing to quell an insurrection on the lonely billows of the Atlantic, where every breeze speaks of courage and liberty. For the negro to act cowardly on shore, may be to act wisely; and I've some doubts whether you, Mr. Williams, would find it very convenient were you a slave in Algiers, to raise your hand against the bayonets of a whole government. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ I dare say here what many men feel, but dare not speak, that this whole slave-trading business is a disgrace and scandal to Old Virginia."
"Hold! hold on! shipmate," said Williams, I hardly thought you'd have shown your colors so soon, -- I'll be hanged if you're not as good an abolitionist as Garrison himself."
The mate now rose from his chair, manifesting some excitement. "What do you mean, sir," said he, in a commanding tone. "That man does not live who shall offer me an insult with impunity." ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ The nineteen negroes were all on deck, with their broken fetters in their hands, rushing in all directions. I put my hand quickly in my pocket to draw out my jack-knife; but before I could draw it, I was knocked senseless to the deck. When I came to myself, (which I did in a few minutes, I suppose, for it was yet quite light,) there was not a white man on deck. The sailors were all aloft in the rigging, and dared not come down. Captain Clarke and Mr. Jameson lay stretched on the quarter-deck, -- both dying, -- while Madison himself stood at the helm unhurt. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ It is quite easy to talk of flogging niggers here on land, where you have the sympathy of the community, and the whole physical force of the government, State and national, at your command; and where, if a negro shall lift his hand against a white man, the white community, with one accord, are ready to unite in shooting him down. I say, in such circumstances, it's easy to talk of flogging negroes and of negro cowardice ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ What a world of inconsistency, as well as of wickedness, is suggested by the smooth and gliding phrase, AMERICAN SLAVE TRADE; and how strange and perverse is that moral sentiment which loathes, execrates, and brands as piracy and as deserving of death the carrying away into captivity men, women, and children from the African coast ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ I cannot see how a dozen or two of ignorant negroes, not one of whom had ever been to sea before, and all of them were closely ironed between decks, should be able to get their fetters off, rush out of the hatchway in open daylight, kill two white men, the one the captain and the other their master, and then carry the ship into a British port, where every 'darkey' of them was set free. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ To the sailors in the rigging he said: 'Men! the battle is over, -- your captain is dead. I have complete command of this vessel. All resistance to my authority will be in vain. My men have won their liberty, with no other weapons but their own BROKEN FETTERS. We are nineteen in number. We do not thirst for your blood, we demand only our rightful freedom. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ It may do very well for an overseer, a contemptible hireling, to take advantage of fears already in existence, and which his presence has no power to inspire; to swagger about whip in hand, and discourse on the timidity and cowardice of negroes ”

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Source: Wikisource

Frederick Douglass, The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (1853)

“ I did all that any man with equal strength and presence of mind could have done. The fact is, Mr. Williams, you underrate the courage as well as the skill of these negroes, and further, you do not seem to have been correctly informed about the case in hand at all."
"All I know about it is," said Williams, "that on the ninth day after you left Richmond, a dozen or two of the niggers ye had on board, came on deck and took the ship from, you ”

Frederick Douglass

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Quotes from The Heroic Slave — Part 4 (Frederick Douglass)

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