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AN  AUTHENTIC  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

DOUGLASS    MONUMENT 

Biographical  Facts  and  Incidents 

IN  THE 

Life  of  Frederick  Douglass 


His  Death  at  anacosta,  d.  C,  and  Funeral  at  Washington, 

D.  C,  AND  ROCHESTER,  N.  Y., 

TOGETHER  WITH 

portraits  and  illustrations  of  important  incidents  of  the 
Four  Years'  Struggle  to  Complete  the  Work. 


By  J.  W.  THOMPSON. 


"  Patriots   have   toiled,   and    in   their  country's  cause  bled  nobly 
and  their  deeds,  as  they  deserve,  receive  proud  recompense". 


ROCHESTER,  N.  Y. 

Rochester  Herald  Press 

1903- 


<   AND 
TILDEN    FOUN OPTIONS. 

r isas       L 


Copyright,  19(13, 
By  J.  W.  THUMPSON 


INTRODUCTION 


At  the  request  of  friends,  the  author  has  consented  to  give 
an  authentic  history  of  the  Douglass  monument  at  Roches- 
ter, 1ST.  Y.,  unveiled  June  9,  1899,  together  with  a  short 
biographical  sketch  of  facts  and  incidents  in  the  life  of  Fred- 
erick Douglass,  his  death  and  funeral  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
the  arrival  of  his  remains  and  funeral  at  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
and  many  interesting  facts  with  which  the  public  are  not  yet 
acquainted. 

This  little  volume  will  doubtless  be  read  by  all  with  keen 
interest  and  will  be  a  valuable  addition  to  the  history  of 
Frederick  Douglass  and  his  country,  it  being  the  first  monu- 
nieut  erected  by  popular  contribution,  to  the  memory  of  an 
Afro-American  statesman,  and  carried  on  to  completion  by 
one  of  his  own  race.  Its  history  will  be  an  inspiration  for 
generations  to  come,  inciting  American  manhood  to  love  of 
country  and  unconquerable  devotion  to  the  great  cause  of  lib- 
erty and  justice  to  all  mankind  as  such  was  the  lesson  taught 
in  the  "North  Star,"  which  paper  was  established  in  Roch- 
ester during  the  vear  of  1847. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

Rochester,  N.  Y. 


Chapter 

I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

Biographical  Facts  and  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  Douglass. . .  7 

Death  of  the  Great  Ex  Slave  Statesman 14 

Elaborate  Preparations  for  the  Funeral  by  Rochester's  Com- 
mon Council 21 

Funeral  Ceremonies  at  Central  Presbyterian  Church 28 

Resolutions  Adopted  by  Various  Official  Bodies 35 

Origin  and  Progress  of  the  Movement  to  Erect  a  Monument.  39 

Selection  of  a  Site  for  the  Monument  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. . .  47 

Masonic  Exercises  at  the  Laying  of  the  Corner  Stone 53 

Correspondence  Between  Mr.  Thompson  and  the  Haytien 

Government 62 

Musical  and  Literary  Entertainment  and  Douglass  Birthday 

Exercises 7 l 

Unveiling  Exercises  and  Disappointment  at  Non-Arrival  of 

Statue 81 

The  Date  Selected  and  Arrangements  Completed 113 

The  Unveiling  Ceremonies  at  Douglass  Park 120 

Descriptive  and  Interesting  Facts  and  Letters 156 

How  Douglass  was  Regarded  by  the  Rochester  Press 167 

How  Governor  Roosevelt  was  Entertained  in  Rochester.  .  .  180 

Comment  on  Douglass'  Life  by  the  American  Press 191 

How  the  National  Afro-American  Council  was  Formed 196 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Jno.  W.  Thompson Frontispiece 

Frederick  Douglass 16 

The  Douglass  Monument 32 

Hon.  George  A.  Benton 48 

Hon.  John  Van  Voorhis 56 

Scene  at  the  Corner  Stone  Laying 64 

Enoch  R.  Spaulding 80 

Benjamin  Myers 96 

Col.  Nathan  P.  Pond 112 

Scene  at  the  Unveiling 1 20 

Hon.  Theodore  Roosevelt 128 

Miss  Gertrude  A.  Thompson 144 

Hon.  William  A.  Sutherland 152 

Charles  R.  Douglass 160 

Mrs.  R.  Jerome  Jeffrey I76 

Medal  Presented  to  J.  W.  Thompson 192 


HISTORY  OF  THE 

DOUGLASS   MONUMENT. 


CHAPTER   I. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  FACTS  AND  INCIDENTS  IN  THE 
LIFE  OF  DOUGLASS. 

Frederick  Douglass  was  born  in  Tuckahoe,  Talbot  county, 
eastern  shore,  Maryland,  in  February,  1817.  His  mother's 
name  was  Harriet.  She  was  a  slave  owned  by  Colonel  Ed- 
ward  Lloyd,  a  wealthy  planter.  Few  slaves  knew  anything 
of  their  fathers  and  Douglass  was  one  of  this  kind.  Whis 
pe rings  among  the  slaves,  however,  led  to  the  belief  that  the 
master  was  also  the  father. 

Until  seven  years  of  age  Douglass  was  reared  by  his  grand- 
mother, then  he  was  sent  to  the  plantation  home  where  he 
witnessed  scenes  of  most  atrocious  cruelty  and  barbarity, 
even  murder.  At  the  age  of  ten  he  was  sent  to  Baltimore  to 
live  with  a  relative  of  his  master.  There  he  learned  to  read 
and  write.  And  while  there  the  first  seeds  of  freedom  were 
sown.  Unlike  other  slaves  lie  was  allowed  to  hire  himself 
out  and  keep  what  money  he  earned  during  his  leisure  time. 
He  entered  the  employ  of  a  shipbuilder  at  $3  a  week. 

Long  had  he  cherished  the  resolve  that  <>ne  day  he  should 
be  free.  It  was  his  dream  by  night  and  his  chief  thought  by 
day.  Many  times  he  attempted  to  escape  but  obstacles  hin- 
dered. Persistence  won  the  victory  and  on  September  3, 
1838,  he  eluded  his  master  and  fled  to  Philadelphia.   Thence 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

to  New  York  and  from  there  to  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  where 
he  married  his  first  wife,  Anna  Murray,  and  lived  for  two  or 
three  years  supporting  himself  by  day  labor  on  the  docks  and 
in  the  workshops. 

While  there  he  changed  his  name  from  Lloyd  to  Bailey  and 
later  to  Douglass.  He  was  aided  in  his  efforts  for  self  educa- 
tion by  William  Lloyd  Garrison. 

The  starting  point  in  Douglass'  career  as  a  national  char- 
acter was  in  the  summer  of  1841  when  be  attended  an  anti- 
slavery  convention  in  Nantucket.  There  lie  made  a  fiery 
abolition  speech  which  set  the  entire  North  agog.  Press, 
clubs,  societies  and  churches  took  up  the  slogan,  and  every- 
where Douglass  was  in  demand  as  a  platform  speaker. 

Abolitionists  offered  him  the  agency  of  the  Massachusetts 
anti-slavery  society.  Acting  in  this  capacity  he  toured  the 
New  England  states  and  for  years  his  eloquent  voice  rang 
cut  in  appeal  from  a  thousand  platforms  for  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  colored  man. 

Thence  he  went  to  Europe  in  1845  and  lectured  on  slavery 
to  enthusiastic  audiences. 

Douglass  touched  England,  Ireland,  Scotland  and  Wales 
and  vividly  pictured  the  misery  of  Itlie  American  negro. 
Great  men  of  letters,  wealth  and  political  prominence  enlist- 
ed in  his  aid.  Thousands  of  petitions  were  sent  to  the  presi- 
dent supplementing  the  plea  of  the  orator. 

Up  until  this  time  Douglass  was  still  a  human  chattel. 
He  was  the  recognized  lawful  property  of  Colonel  Lloyd. 
He  might  be  captured  and  again  reduced  to  bondage. 
Friends  in  England  feared  the  contingency  and  $750  was 
soon  subscribed  to  have  him  manumitted  in  due  form  of  law. 
That  was  one  year  after  he  sailed  abroad,  yet  he  remained 
there  another  year  before  returning  home. 

Upon  his  return  to  this  country  in  1847,  Douglass  came 
to  Rochester  and  began  the  publication  of  the  "North  Star" 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  9 

which  was  later  changed  to  "Frederick  Douglass  Paper,"  a 
weekly  journal.  Regarding  this  venture,  Douglass,  in  an  au 
tobiography  written  by  himself  in  1855,  says: 

"Intimation  of  my  purpose  reached  my  friends  in  Boston, 
and  I  was  prepared  to  find  them  heartily  opposed  to  it.  Some 
went  further.  *  *  *  I  can  easily  pardon  those  who  have 
denounced  me  as  ambitious  and  presumptions  in  view  of  my 
persistence  in  this  enterprise.  I  was  but  nine  years  from 
slavery.  In  point  of  mental  experience  I  was  but  nine  years 
old.  That  one  in  such  circumstances  should  aspire  to  estab- 
lish a  printing  press  among  an  educated  people  might  well 
be  considered,  if  not  ambitious,  quite  silly.  My  American 
friends  looked  at  me  with  astonishment !  'A  woodsawyer 
offering  himself  to  the  public  as  an  editor.  A  slave  brought 
up  in  the  very  depths  of  ignorance  assuming  to  instruct  the 
highly  civilized  people  of  the  Xorth  in  the  principles  of  lib- 
erty, justice  and  humanity !  The  thing  looked  absurd ! 
Nevertheless  I  persevered." 

History  records  the  famous  John  Brown  raid  in  1859  at 
Harpers'  Ferry.  Douglass  was  implicated  in  it  by  some. 
Governor  Wise  of  Virginia  believed  it  and  he  made  a  requi- 
sition upon  the  governor  of  Michigan  for  the  arrest  of  Doug- 
lass. Such  exchanges  of  courtesies  between  governors  was 
common  and  a  search  was  made  for  Douglass,  who  was 
thought  to  be  in  Detroit.  But  he  was  spirited  away  in  the 
night  and  off  into  Canada,  whence  he  escaped  to  England. 

After  the  bubble  of  excitement  had  burst  he  returned  to 
this  country,  coming  to  Rochester,  X.  Y.  He  resurrected 
the  "North  Star,"  and  soon  his  vigorous  pen  lashed  the  slave- 
holders of  the  south.  Shortly  thereafter  the  civil  war  broke 
out. 

Then  Douglass  urged  upon  President  Lincoln  the  employ- 
ment of  colored  troops  and  the  pi-oclamation  of  emancipa- 
tion.   For  two  years  the  president  hesitated,  but  in  1863  he 


II)  HISTORY  OF  THE 

gave  permission  to  enlisl  such  troops.  Douglass  set  to  work 
and  enlisted  many  negroes,  especially  filling  the  54th  and 
55th  Massachusetts  regiments  with  them.  Throughout  the 
war  he  was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  martyr  president,  Abra- 
ham Lincoln. 

After  the  white-winged  dove  of  peace  had  spread  her 
wings  over  the  land,  Douglass  discontinued  his  paper.  He 
applied  himself  to  the  preparation  and  delivery  of  lectures 
before  Lyceums.  But  be  again  picked  up  the  pen  in  1870, 
when  he  became  editor  of  the  "New  National  Era,"  in 
Washington,  which  was  continued  by  his  sons,  Lewis  and 
Frederick,  Jr. 

Now,  Douglass'  star  shone  in  another  firmament.  He  en- 
tered the  field  of  politics,  tie  was  appointed  assistant  secre- 
tary to  the  commission  to  Santo  Domingo.  A  year  later 
he  was  appointed,  by  President  Grant,  one  of  the  territorial 
council  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  In  1872  he  was  elected 
the  presidential  electoral  Large  from  New  York  state.  He 
was  chosen  to  carry  the  electoral  vote  to  Washington,  some- 
thing never  before  done  in  the  history  of  the  United  Slates. 

Four  years  later  he  was  appointed  United  States  marshal 
for  the  District  of  Columbia  by  President  Hayes,  which 
office  he  retained  until  L881,  after  which  he  became  recorder 
of  deeds  in  the  district.  Tn  1886  he  was  removed  by  Presi- 
dent Cleveland. 

Yearning  to  again  visit  the  friends  he  had  made  in  Eng- 
land, Douglass  set  sail.  He  remained  a  year  abroad  and  was 
royally  received  by  the  hoi  polloi  and  nobility  alike. 

As  a  litterateur  Douglass  was  unique  and  original  and  had 
the  gift  of  a  forceful,  sententious  pen.  His  published  works 
are  entitled:  "Narrative  of  My  Experience  in  Slavery," 
(Boston,  1844),  "My  Bondage  and  My  Freedom"  (Roches- 
ter, 1855),  "Life  and  Times  of  Frederick  Douglass"  (Hart- 
ford, 1885). 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


II 


During  the  nine  years  following  Douglass  was  much  on 
the  public  platform.  He  became  a  strong  advocate  of  equal 
suffrage  for  women.  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton  and  Susan  B. 
Anthony  were  great  friends  of  Douglass. 

TITLE   DEED  OP  FREDERICK  DOUGLASS. 

The  reader  will  be  gratified  to  see  the  title  deeds  of  trans- 
fer and  emancipation,  by  which  this  man  is  proved  to  have 
been  once  a  chattel,  and  subsequently  to  have  obtained  pos- 
session of  himself.  We  reprint  from  an  English  publication, 
entitled  "Monthly  Illustrations  of  American  Slavery" : 

"Know  all  men  by  these  Presents,  That  I,  Thomas  Auld, 
of  Talbot  county,  and  State  of  Maryland,  for  and  in.  consid- 
eration of  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  current  money  to 
me  in  hand  paid  by  Hugh  Auld,  of  the  city  of  Baltimore,  in 
the  said  State,  at  and  before  the  sealing  and  delivery  of  these 
presents,  the  receipt  whereof,  I,  the  said  Thomas  Auld,  do 
hereby  acknowledge,  have  granted,  bargained,  and  sold,  and 
by  these  presents  do  grant,  bargain,  and  sell  unto  the  said 
Hugh  Auld,  his  executors,  administrators,  and  assigns,  one 
negro  man,  by  the  name  of  Frederick  Baily,  or  Douglass,  as 
he  calls  himself, — he  is  now  about  28  years  of  age, — to  have 
and  to  hold  the  said  negro  man  for  life.  And  I,  the  said 
Thomas  Auld,  for  myself,  my  heirs,  executors,  and  adminis- 
trators, all  and  singular,  the  said  Frederick  Baily,  alias  Doug- 
lass, unto  the  said  Hugh  Auld,  his  executors,  administrators 
and  assigns,  against  me,  the  said  Thomas  Auld,  my  executors 
and  administrators,  and  against  all  and  every  other  person 
or  persons  whatsoever,  shall  and  will  warrant  and  forever  de- 
fend by  these  presents.  In  witness  whereof,  I  set  my  hand 
and  seal,  this  thirteenth  day  of  November,  eighteen  hundred 
and  forty-six.  "THOMAS  AULD. 

"Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of 

"Wrighton  Jones, 
"John  C.  Leas." 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  authenticity  of  this  Bill  of  Sale  is  attested  by  N.  Har- 
rington, "a  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  State  of  Maryland, 
and  for  the  county  of  Talbot;"  dated  same  day  as  above. 

"To  all  whom  it  may  concern:  Be  it  known,  that  I,  Hugh 
Auld,  of  the  city  of  Baltimore,  in  Baltimore  county,  in  the 
State  of  Maryland,  for  divers  good  causes  and  considerations, 
me  thereunto  moving,  have  released  from  Slavery,  liberated, 
manumitted,  and  set  free,  and  by  these  presents  do  hereby 
release  from  Slavery,  liberate,  manumit,  and  set  free,  my 
negro  man,  named  Frederick  Baily,  otherwise  called  Fred- 
erick Douglass,  being  of  the  age  of  28  years,  or  thereabouts, 
and  able  to  work  and  gain  a  sufficient  livelihood  and  mainreii- 
ance;  and  him  the  said  negro  man,  named  Frederick  Baily, 
otherwise  called  Frederick  Douglass,  I  do  declare  to  be  hence- 
forth free,  manumitted,  and  discharged  from  all  manner  of 
servitude  to  me,  my  executors  or  administrators  forever. 

"In  witness  whereof,  I  the  said  Hugh  Auld,  have  here- 
unto set  my  hand  and  seal,  the  fifth  of  December,  in  the 
year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-six. 

"HUGH  AULD. 

"Sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of: 

"T.  Hanson  Belt, 
"James  N.  S.  T.  Wright." 

The  attestation  of  this  Deed  of  Manumission  is  signed  by 
T.  Hanson  Belt,  a  "Justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  State  of 
Maryland,  in  and  for  the  city  of  Baltimore,"  dated  "on  the 
day  and  year  aforesaid." 

Note — 'Some  time  previous  to  the  date  of  his  legal  free- 
dom, it  appears  that  Frederick  Douglass  had  been  trans- 
ferred, as  a  little  token  of  fraternal  affection,  from  one 
brother  to  the  other.  But  before  Hugh  Auld  could  lawfully 
execute  a  deed  for  F.  D.'s  manumission,  it  became  necessary 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  13 

that  he  should  show  how  he  had  obtained  him.  Hence  the 
"Bill  of  Sale,"  already  quoted. 

As  the  phrase,  "for  divers  good  causes  and  considerations, 
me  thereunto  moving,"  may  appear  to  some  a  little  mysteri- 
ous, the  following  is  annexed  by  way  of  explanation: 

"Baltimore,  December  12,  1846.     Received  from 

,  of ,  by  the  hands  of , 

the  sum  of  seven  hundred  and  eleven  dollars  and  ninety-six 
cents,  in  full  of  the  consideration  of  a  certain  Deed  of  Man- 
umission of  a  negro  man  known  by  the  name  of  Frederick 
Bailv,  otherwise  Douglass,  formerly  my  slave  for  life,  bear- 
ing date  on  the  fifth  of  December,  eighteen  hundred  and 
forty-six. 


CHAPTER   II. 

DEATH  OF  THE  GKEAT  EX-SLAVE  STATESMAN. 

Frederick  Douglass,  the  great  ex-slave  statesman,  died 
suddenly  February  20,  1895,  at  his  home  on  Anacostia 
Heights,  D.  C,  aged  78  years. 

Mr.  Douglass  had  been  about  the  city  of  Washington  a 
greater  part  of  the  day,  and  was  in  the  best  of  spirits,  In 
the  morning  Mr.  Douglass  was  driven  to  Washington,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife,  Helen  Douglass. 

She  left  him  at  the  congressional  library,  and  he  continued 
to  Mezerott  Hall,  where  he  attended  the  sessions  of  the 
Women's  Council,  returning  to  Cedar  Hill,  his  residence, 
between  5  and  6  o'clock. 

After  dinner  he  had  a  chat  in  the  hallway  with  his  wife 
about  the  doings  of  the  council.  He  grew  very  enthusiastic 
m  his  exclamations  regarding  one  of  the  events  of  the  day 
when  he  fell  upon  his  knees  with  his  hands  clasped. 

Mrs.  Douglass,  thinking  this  was  part  of  his  description, 
was  not  alarmed,  but  as  she  looked  he  sank  lower  and  lower, 
and  finally  lay  stretched  upon  the  floor,  breathing  his  last. 

Realizing  that  he  was  ill,  she  raised  his  head,  and  then 
understood  that  he  avjis  dying.  She  was  alone  in  the  house, 
and  rushed  to  the  front  door  with  cries  for  help. 

Some  men  who  were  near  by  quickly  responded  and  at- 
tempted to  restore  the  dying  man.  One  of  them  called  Dr. 
J.  Stewart  Harrison,  and,  while  he  was  injecting  a  restora- 
tive into  the  patient's  arm,  Mr.  Douglass  passed  away,  seem- 
ingly without  pain. 

Mr.  Douglass  had  lived  for  some  time  at  Cedar  Hill  with 
his  wife  and  one  servant. 

He  has  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  the  children  of  his  first 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  15 

wife,  living  in  Washington.     They  are  Louis  H.  and  Charles 
E.  Douglass  and  Mrs.  R.  Douglass  Sprague. 

Mr.  Douglass  was  to  have  delivered  a  lecture  that  night 
at  Hillsdale  African  Church,  near  his  home,  and  was  waiting 
for  a  carriage  when  talking  to  his  wife.  The  carriage  ar- 
rived just  as  he  died. 
\  Mrs.  Douglass  said  her  husband  had  apparently  been  in 
the  best  of  health  lately,  and  had  showed  unusual  vigor  for 
one  of  his  years. 

The  news  of  the  death  <>f  Mr.  Douglass  reached  the  Na- 
tional Council  of  Women  during  the  evening  session. 

Mrs.  May  Wright  Sewall,  the  president  of  the  council, 
announced  it  to  the  audience  as  follows: 

"A  report  as  unwelcome  as  sad  and  solemn  has  come  to  us 
of  the  sudden  and  most  unexpected  death  of  Frederick 
Douglass. 

"The  news  cannot  be  received  with  silence  by  the  council. 
That  historic  figure  which  individually  and  intellectually 
was  the  symbol  of  the  wonderful  transition  through  which 
this  generation  has  lived,  has  been  with  us  in  our  council 
during  both  of  our  sessions  to-day. 

"When  he  arrived  an  escort  was  directed  to  conduct  him 
to  the  platform.  We  felt  that  the  platform  was  honored  by 
his  presence.  I  am  sure  there  was  no  divided  sentiment  on 
this  subject  although  we  have  here  women  whose  families 
are  related  to  all  political  parties  of  our  country,  and  con- 
nected by  ancestry  with  both  sides  of  the  great  question. 

"It  is  surely  to  be  regarded  as  a  historic  coincidence  that 
this  man,  who  embodied  a  century  of  struggle  between  free- 
dom and  oppression,  spent  his  last  hours  a  witness  of  the 
united  efforts  of  those  who  have  come  from  so  many  different 
places  and  along  such  various  avenues  to  formulate  some 
plan  for  a  new  expression  of, freedom  in  the  relation  of  wom- 
an to  the  world,  to  societv,  and  to  the  State." 


H]  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Mr.  Douglass  was  a  regularly  enrolled  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Woman's  Suffrage  Association  and  has  always  attend- 
ed its  conventions. 

It  was  probably  with  a  view  to  consistency  in  this  respect 
that  he  appeared  at  Metzerott  Hall. 

Although  it  was  a  secret  business  session  of  the  council, 
Mr.  Douglass  was  allowed  to  remain,  and  when  the  meeting 
had  been  called  to  order  by  Mrs.  May  Wright  Sewall,  the 
president  of  the  council,  she  appointed  Miss  Susan  B.  An- 
thony and  Rev.  Anna  H.  Shaw  a  committee  to  escort  him  to 
the  platform. 

Mrs.  Sewall  presented  Mr.  Douglass  to  the  council,  and 
contenting  himself  with  a  bow  in  response  to  the  applause 
that  greeted  the  announcement,  he  took  a  seat  beside  Miss 
Anthony,  his  life-long  friend.  When  Miss  Anthony  heard 
of  Mr.  Douglass'  death  at  the  evening  session  of  the  council, 
she  was  very  much  affected. 

Miss  Anthony  and  Mr.  Douglass  formed  an  intimate 
friendship  when  both  resided  in  Rochester,  1ST.  Y.,  and  that 
friendship  has  continued  for  many  decades. 

One  incident  in  connection  with  their  relations  was  re- 
called by  Miss  Anthony.  During  the  early  days  of  the  anti- 
slavery  agitation,  Miss  Anthony  and  her  venerable  associate, 
Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton,  appeared  at  an  anti-slavery  meet- 
ing where  Frederick  Douglass  was  taking  a  prominent  part. 

Women  were  not  welcome  as  public  speakers  in  those 
days,  and  Mr.  Douglass  had  agreed  to  read  an  address  pre- 
pared by  Mrs.  Stanton.  His  rendition  of  her  written  re- 
marks did  not  suit  that  lady,  and,  stepping  forward,  she  took 
the  paper  from  his  hands  with  the  remark: 

"Here,  Frederick,  let  me  read  it."  And  she  did  so,  thus 
marking  the  initiative  in  the  appearance  of  women  as  actors 
in  public  gatherings. 


FREDERICK    DOUGLASS. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  17 

LAST  RITES  IN  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

The  remains  of  Frederick  Douglass  were  conveyed  early 
in  the  morning  of  February  25th  to  the  Metropolitan  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  there  to  lie  in  state  until  the  funeral 
services  in  the  afternoon.  Before  the  removal  from  Cedar 
Hill,  Anacostia,  Mr.  Douglass'  late  residence,  brief  services 
for  the  immediate  relatives  were  conducted  by  the  Rev. 
Hugh  R.  Stevenson,  of  the  Anacostia  Baptist  Church.  The 
service  consisted  simply  of  a  prayer  and  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures. 

The  body  was  then  conveyed  to  the  church  which  was 
beautifully  decorated  with  flowers. 

As  the  time  for  the  services  approached  the  crowd  in  the 
street  increased  to  such  proportions  that  passage  was  almost 
impossible,  and  early  the  church  was  well  filled  with  those 
admitted  by  special  card,  general  admission  being  denied  un- 
til after  the  beginning  of  the  services.  Delegations  of  rep- 
resentative colored  men  and  women  were  present  from  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and  Annapolis,  the  Baltimore 
delegation,  more  than  100  strong,  being  headed  by  Bishop 
Wayland.  The  body  of  the  great  freedman  resting  in  a  plain 
but  massive  oak  casket,  was  placed  in  front  of  the  altar 
guarded  by  an  officer  in  uniform  from  the  General  Russell 
A.  Alger  Camp,  25,  G.  A.  R. 

A  simple  bunch  of  lilies  decorated  the  casket  but  about 
the  altar  and  the  pulpit  was  banked  a  wonderful  profusion 
of  flowers  in  appropriate  designs.  Among  the  floral  tributes 
besides  the  beautiful  set  pieces  sent  by  the  Haytien  Govern- 
ment, was  a  cross  by  Capt.  B.  F.  Auld,  of  Baltimore,  a  son  of 
Mr.  Douglass'  former  master.  Flowers  were  also  sent  by 
the  scholars  of  many  of  the  schools  for  colored  children  in 
the  district. 

The  services  were  somewhat  delayed,  and  it  was  after  % 
o'clock  when  the  funeral  procession  filed  into  the  church.. 


XS  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Among  the  guests  of  special  honor  were :  Justice  Harlin,  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  Senators  Sherman  and  Hoar  and  a  num- 
ber of  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  There  was 
also  a  large  delegation  from  the  Woman's  Council.  The  fac- 
ulty of  Howard  University  attended  in  a  body. 

The  funeral  services  which  began  at  3  o'clock,  were  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  J.  G.  Jenifer,  D.  D.,  pastor.  Bishops  Turner 
and  Wayman  took  part,  and  John  W.  Hutchinson,  the  last 
of  the  famous  Hutchinson  family  of  abolition  singers  and  a 
life-long  friend  of  the  deceased,  sang  a  solo.  The  sermon 
was  preached  by  Dr.  Jenifer,  and  brief  eulogistic  remarks 
were  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  Rankin,  President  of  Howard  Uni- 
versity; Rev.  Hugh  T.  Stevenson,  of  Anacostia  Baptist 
Church,  and  Rev.  Dr.  J.  F.  Grimke. 

The  honorary  pall  bearers  were  ex-Senator  B.  K.  Bruce, 
"W.  H.  A.  Wormley,  Hon.  John  R,  Lynch,  John  F.  Cook,  E. 
C.  Messer,  P.  B.  S.  Pinchbeck,  Dr.  C.  B.  Purvis,  Leonard  C. 
Bailey,  John  H.  Brooks,  J.  H.  Meriweather,  Dr.  John  R. 
Francis,  F.  J.  Barbadoes,  Capt.  D.  L.  Pitcher,  B.  E.  Messer 
and  Congressman  George  W.  Murray. 

Speaking  as  the  long  time  pastor  of  Mr.  Douglass,  Dr.  Jen- 
ifer said:  "Mr.  Douglass  was  a  Christian.  He  broke  with 
the  American  Church  and  with  the  Christian  dogma  when 
he  said  that  it  sanctioned  and  sustained  the  enslavement  and 
bondage  of  a  brother.  He  held  Christ  to  be  above  creed  and 
above  the  church.  In  this  terrific  soul  conflict  he  blundered 
into  bewilderment,  but  his  deliverance  came  and  he  has  often 
spoken  to  me  of  the  joy  of  his  soul  in  God." 

During  the  services,  a  letter  from  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton 
was  read  which,  after  reviewing  her  first  meeting  with 
Douglass,  closed  as  follows:  "As  an  orator,  writer  and  editor, 
Douglass  holds  an  honored  place  among  the  gifted  men  of 
his  day.  As  a  man  of  business  and  a  public  officer  he  has 
been  pre-eminently  successful;  honest  and  upright  in  all  his 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


19 


dealings,  he  bears  an  enviable  reputation.  As  a  husband, 
father,  neighbor  and  friend — in  all  social  relations — he  has 
been  faithful  and  steadfast  to  the  end.  He  was  the  only  man 
I  ever  knew  who  understood  the  degradation  of  the  disfran- 
chisement of  women.  Through  all  the  long  years  of  our 
struggle  he  has  been  a  familiar  figure  on  our  platform  with 
always  an  inspiring  word  to  say.  In  the  very  first  convention 
he  helped  me  to  carry  the  resolution  I  had  penned,  demand- 
ing woman  suffrage.  Frederick  Douglass  is  not  dead.  His 
grand  character  will  long  be  an  object  lesson  in  our  National 
history.  His  lofty  sentiments  of  liberty,  justice  and  equality, 
echoed  on  every  platform  over  our  broad  land,  must  influence 
and  inspire  many  coming  generations." 

Remarks  followed  by  Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony.  Mrs.  May 
Wright  Sewall,  president  of  the  Woman's  Council,  also  spoke. 

M.  J.  Nicholas,  who  came  to  represent  Mr.  Haentjens, 
Haytien  Minister  to  this  country,  spoke  in  French.  Then  fol- 
lowed an  address  by  ex-United  States  Minister  Durham,  who 
formerly  represented  the  United  States  in  Hayti.  Remarks 
were  also  offered  by  Rev.  Dr.  W.  D.  Derrick,  of  New  York. 

A  touching  incident  of  the  service  was  the  tribute  paid  to 
Mr.  Douglass  by  John  Hutchinson,  of  Boston,  who  himself  an 
extremely  aged  man  with  snowy  beard  and  long  white  locks 
reaching  down  over  his  shoulders,  is  said  to  be  the  last  of  the 
well  known  Hutchinson  family  with  whom  Douglass  was  as- 
sociated in  slavery  days.  The  old  man  had  come  all  the  way 
from  Boston  to  be  present  at  the  funeral  and  sing  an  old  abo- 
lition song  with  which,  by  Douglass'  side,  he  had  inspired 
many  an  audience  in  New  England  and  abroad  against  the 
evil  of  slavery.  He  made  a  few  reminiscent  remarks  and 
then  sang  the  song,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  there  were  few 
dry  eyes  in  the  audience. 

The  benediction  was  pronounced  by  Bishop  Williams.  In- 
stead of  diminishing,  the  crowd  which  gathered  around  the 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE 

church  and  in  the  street,  had  increased  during  the  service  so 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  funeral  procession  to 
make  its  way  to  the  carriages  outside.  The  services  were  ex- 
tremely long  and  it  was  after  5  o'clock  when  they  were  con- 
cluded. The  body  was  escorted  to  the  depot  by  letter  carriers 
of  the  district  as  well  as  by  a  large  number  of  personal  friends 
of  the  deceased.  The  remains  were  put  aboard  the  7.10  train 
for  Rochester. 


CHAPTER   III. 

ELABORATE  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  FUNERAL 
BY  ROCHESTER'S  COMMON  COUNCIL. 


Action  by  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Common  Council. 
Special  Meeting,  February  23,  1895. 
Aid.  Merton  E.  Lewis,  president  of  the  Board,  in  the  chair. 
Present— Aldermen  Calihan,  McMillan,  Green,  Adams, 
Edelman,  Ashton,  Dewey,  Cook,  Pauckner,  Lewis  and  Har- 
ris— 11. 

Mayor's  Office, 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  23,  1895. 
Theodore  S.  Pulver,  City  Clerk: 

Sir — You  will  please  call  a  special  meeting  of  the  Common 
Council  for  this,  Saturday  afternoon,  at  2.30  o'clock,  to  take 
such  action  as  may  be  necessary  and  appropriate  in  connec- 
tion with  the  funeral  of  the  Hon.  Frederick  Douglass,  for 
many  years  a  respected  resident  of  this  city. 

MERTON  E.  LEWIS, 

Acting  Mayor. 
Aid  McMillan- 
Mr.  President — I  rise  to  a  question  of  privilege  and  beg 
leave  to  submit  the  following  memorial  and  resolutions  on 
the  death  of  our  former  fellow  townsman,    the    Honorable 
Frederick  Douglass. 


MEMORIAL. 


At  his  residence  in  "Washington,  February  20,  1895,  Fred- 
erick Douglass,  a  former  resident  of  Rochester,  died,  and  this 
Council  have  met  this  afternoon  to  honor  his  memory. 

Frederick  Douglass  was  born  in  Tuckahoe,  near  Easton. 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Talbot  county,  Maryland,  February  14,  1817.  His  early 
boyhood  was  passed  in  slavery  upon  the  plantation  of  Colonel 
Lloyd.  When  about  nine  years  of  age  he  learned  to  read  and 
write;  September  3,  1838,  he  escaped  from  slavery  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  where  he  was  first 
married.  It  was  here  he  met  and  was  assisted  in  his  efforts 
to  secure  an  education  by  William  Lloyd  Garrison.  In  1841, 
Mr.  Douglass  made  a  speech  at  an  anti-slavery  convention  at 
Nantucket  which  brought  him  before  the  attention  of  the 
Massachusetts  Anti-Slavery  Society  and  this  society  at  once 
employed  him  as  one  of  its  agents;  for  them  he  lectured 
through  New  England  for  about  four  years,  upon  the  subject 
which  he  was  so  eminently  qualified  by  nature  and  experience 
to  speak.  So  successful  was  he  that  in  1 845  he  made  a  tour 
of  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and  Wales,  receiving  marked 
attention  everywhere.  Rochester  was  honored  by  his  making 
it  his  home  in  1847,  and  here  he  resided  for  the  most  part 
until  1870. 

When  he  first  settled  in  Rochester  he  began  the  publica- 
tion of  a  paper  known  as  the  "North  Star,"  an  organ  devoted 
to  the  abolition  of  slavery,  and  which  he  continued  a  greater 
part  of  the  time  until  the  emancipation  of  his  race  removed 
the  cause  for  its  existence. 

Mr.  Douglass  filled  many  positions  of  trust  with  eminent 
credit  to  himself  and  his  country.  In  1871  he  was  appointed 
assistant  secretary  to  the  commission  of  Santo  Domingo  and 
later  by  President  Grant  as  a  member  of  the  Territorial 
Council  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  In  1872  he  was  elector 
at  large  for  the  state  of  New  York  and  the  messenger  of  the 
Electoral  College.  From  1876  to  1881  he  was  United  States 
marshal  for  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  recorder  of  deeds 
for  that  district  from  1881  to  1886.  But  it  was  as  an  orator 
and  author  that  Mr.  Douglass  was  perhaps  best  known  from 
the  time 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  23 

land  abolitionists  until  his  last  public  appearance  a  few  years 
since.  He  was  an  orator  whose  oratory  was  spontaneous,  nat- 
ural and  convincing  and  the  citizens  of  Rochester  have  not 
forgotten  the  occasions  when  he  held  as  if  by  magic,  the  large 
audiences  which  would  congregate  to  hear  him.  As  an  au- 
thor he  achieved  distinction  by  his  works:  "Narrative  of  My 
Experience  in  Slavery,"  "My  Bondage  and  My  Freedom," 
published  here  in  1855,  and  "Life  and  Times  of  Frederick 
Douglass." 

Rochester  is  proud  that  he  is  one  of  her  sons  and  that  he 
will  rest  in  her  beautiful  city  of  the  dead. 

In  his  life  and  life  work,  our  youth  can  find  much  worthy 
of  emulation  and  its  lesson  to  all  cannot  be  lost. 

"Whoe'er  'amidst  the  sons 
Of  reason,  valor,  liberty,  and  virtue 
Displays  distinguish'd  merit,  is  a  noble 
Of  Nature's  own  creating." 

Resolved,  That  we  do  hereby  tender  to  the  family  and  rel- 
atives of  Honorable  Frederick  Douglass  our  sympathy  in 
their  affliction,  and  that  this  memorial  be  spread  upon  the 
minutes  of  this  Council,  a  copy  of  this  memorial  and  these 
resolutions  be  sent  to  his  family,  and  further, 

Resolved,  That  the  family  of  Mr.  Douglass  be  requested 
to  permit  his  body  to  lie  in  state  in  the  City  Hail  on  the  day 
of  the  funeral,  and  further 

Resolved,  That  this  Common  Council  attend  the  funeral 
services  in  a  body. 

Adopted. 

Aid.  Pauckner  moved  that  a  committee  of  five  members 
of  the  Council  be  appointed  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
funeral  of  Mr.  Douglass.    Carried. 

The  Chair  appointed  as  such  committee:  Aldermen  Pauck- 
ner, Adams,  Ashton,  Green  and  Harris. 

On  motion  of  Aid.  Dewey  the  board  then  adjourned. 


24 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


MEETING    OF    THE    COMMITTEE    OF    ARRANGEMENTS. 

The  committee  of  the  Common  Council,  consisting  of  Al- 
dermen Pauekner,  Green,  Harris,  Adams  and  Ashton,  met  fil 
Mayor  Lewis'  office  February  25  and  made  arrangements  for 
the  funeral.  All  members  of  the  committee  were  present  as 
was  Mayor  Lewis  and  several  interested  in  the  completion 
of  the  arrangements.    Aid.  Pauekner  acted  as  chairman. 

The  first  business  to  come  before  the  meeting  was  the  selec- 
tion of  a  church  in  which  the  funeral  exercises  should  be  held, 
Joseph  Farley  and  Frank  Van  Doom  were  present  in  behalf 
of  Plymouth  Church  congregation,  to  offer  that  house  of 
worship,  in  which  to  hold  the  services.  It  was  stated  that 
inasmuch  as  Mr.  Douglass  had  attended  Plymouth  Church 
when  in  Rochester,  that  it  would  be  appropriate  to  hold  the 
services  at  that  church.  The  committee  decided  to  have  tii<3 
funeral  services  in  Central  Church  at  2  o'clock  February  26. 
Rev.  W.  C.  Gannett  officiated  at  the  funeral. 

J.  W.  Thompson  appeared  at  the  meeting  and  stated  that 
the  Douglass  League  desired  to  act  as  a  guard  of  honor  in 
conducting  the  remains  to  the  city  hall  and  later  to  Mt.  Hope 
cemetery.  The  offer  was  accepted.  Mr.  Thompson  was 
asked  to  appoint  the  active  and  honorary  bearers  which  he 
did. 

These  gentlemen  were  appointed  as  active  bearers:  Charles 
P.  Lee.  William  Allen,  A.  H.  Harris,  R.  J.  Jeffrey,  R.  L. 
Kent,  H.  A.  Spencer,  F.  S.  Cunningham  and  Charles  B.  Lee. 
Mr.  Thompson  also  appointed  William  Oliver,  Hon.  H.  S. 
Greenleaf .  J.  K.  Post  and  Hon.  John  Van  Voorhis  honorary 
bearers.  Mayor  Lewis  suggested  that  several  of  the  ex- 
Mayors  of  the  city  act  as  honorary  bearers  and  it  was  decided 
that  the  four  gentlemen  named  above  and  ex-Mayors  Henry 
L.  Fish, William  Carroll,  Richard  Curran,  Charles  W.  Briggs, 
George  G.  Clarkson  and  X.  C.  Bradstreet  complete  the  list. 

Superintendent  of  Police  J.  P.  Cleary  entered  the  meeting 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  95 

and  proposed  that  four  members  of  the  national  guard  and  a 
like  number  of  policemen  act  as  a  guard  of  honor  in  the  City 
Hall.  Superintendent  Cleary  also  suggested  that  a  cordon 
of  police  act  as  an  additional  escort  from  the  depot  and  to 
the  cemetery.  It  was  decided  to  have  the  policemen  act  as  an 
escort  and  to  have  four  men  stationed  in  the  City  Hall  as  a 
guard  of  honor.  In  relation  to  the  national  guard  it  was 
thought  best  to  confer  with  Capt.  Henderson  to  ascertain 
whether  they  would  wish  to  turn  out.  All  other  organiza- 
tions which  wished  to  march  were  requested  to  report  to  Su- 
perintendent Cleary  at  6  o'clock  that  evening,  February  24. 

It  was  stated  at  the  committee  meeting  that  Charles  Doug- 
lass, son  of  the  dead  statesman,  was  captain  of  a  military  or- 
ganization in  Washington,  and  that  it  would  be  appropriate 
for  any  military  companies  wishing  to  be  in  line  to  do  so.  A 
band  was  secured  to  lead  the  funeral  procession  and  accom- 
pany the  escort  from  the  station. 

Of  this  committee,  Aldermen  Adams  and  Ashton  went  as 
far  as  Canandaigua  to  meet  the  train,  and  accompanied  the 
funeral  party  to  Rochester.  At  the  station  the  party  was  met 
by  one  of  the  most  imposing  gatherings  that  has  ever  awaited 
the  arrival  of  the  remains  of  a  private  citizen.  The  Mayor 
and  the  Board  of  Aldermen  were  there;  the  Douglass  League, 
a  guard  of  honor  from  the  Eighth  Separate  Company,  and 
committees  from  several  municipal  and  other  organizations, 
but,  most  impressive  of  all,  was  the  crowd.  The  people  were 
there  and  that  showed,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  what 
they  thought.  The  crowd,  like  all  the  crowds  at  every  gath- 
ering place  throughout  the  day,  was  representative  in  the 
highest  sense.  It  included  the  leading  business  and  profes- 
sional men  of  the  community;  gray-haired  citizens,  whose 
life  in  Rochester  dates  to  the  older  time  when  Douglass  was 
here;  white  and  colored  children  of  the  present  time,  and  all 
the  classes  that  intervene  in  age  and  character.     This  crowd 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE 

filled  the  station  and  its  approaches  so  that  it  was  difficult 
for  those  directly  connected  with  the  ceremony  of  reception 
tc  make  their  way  to  the  train. 

The  party  that  accompanied  the  body  of  the  orator  from 
Washington  consisted,  in  part,  of  Mrs.  Frederick  Douglass, 
widow  of  the  celebrated  statesman;  Messrs.  Lewis  H.  and 
Charles  R.  Douglass,  sons;  Mrs.  R,  Douglass  Sprague,  daugh- 
ter: Misses  Estelle  and  Harriet  Sprague,  granddaughters,  and 
Joseph  H.  Douglass,  grandson.  General  John  A.  Eton  and 
Professor  George  W.  Cook,  representing  the  Howard  Uni- 
versity, were  also  present,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Chilcote  of  Asbury 
Church,  Washington.  General  Eaton  was  ex-commissioner 
of  education. 

As  the  passengers  alighted  from  the  train  and  moved  out 
of  the  station  the  crowd  surged  in  with  so  much  determina- 
tion  that  it  was  all  the  large  force  of  police  on  hand  could  do 
to  keep  a  way  clear  for  the  procession.  While  it  moved,  the 
54th  Regiment  Band  played  a  funeral  march,  and  after  the 
casket  had  been  placed  in  the  hearse,  the  march  to  the  city 
hall,  via  North  Clinton  street,  East  and  West  Main  streets 
and  the  city  hall,  was'begun.  Eirst  came  the  54th  Regiment 
Band,  then  carriages  containing  the  committee  of  the  Com- 
mon Council  and  the  remaining  members  of  that  body,  then 
the  honorary  bearers  and  the  active  bearers;  then  the  hearse, 
under  the  escort  of  the  Douglass  League,  followed  by  other 
carriages  containing  friends  and  relatives. 

The  cortege  reached  the  city  hall  by  way  of  Fitzhugh 
street  and  the  casket  was  placed  at  the  central  point  of  the 
ground  floor,  where  the  main  and  transverse  halls  unite.  The 
interior  of  the  building  was  draped  with  emblems  of  mourn- 
ing and  with  a  profusion  of  flags,  the  latter  predominating. 
There  was  also  a  profusion  of  flowers  and  palms  and  the  effect 
was  beautiful  in  the  extreme. 

At  the  city  hall,  the  custody  of  the  body  was  given  over 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  27 

to  a  guard  of  honor  consisting  of  four  members  of  the  8th 
Separate  Company,  under  command  of  a  corporal,  and  four 
officers  of  the  police  department,  commanded  by  a  lieutenant. 

This  is  a  bare  statement  of  one  of  the  most  impressive 
scenes  that  has  ever  been  seen  in  Rochester.  All  along  the 
line  of  march  the  streets  were  thronged  and  the  crowd  stood 
with  bared  head,  and  in  silence,  as  it  passed;  then  as  though 
by  common  consent  the  people  fell  into  line  and  followed  on 
to  the  city  hall  to  take  their  turn  with  the  waiting  multitude 
in  looking  upon  the  face  of  the  dead.  Although,  everything 
practical  was  done  to  hasten  the  movements  of  the  crowd  it 
remained  undiminished,  so  far  as  any  one  could  see,  until  it 
became  necessary  to  remove  the  casket  to  the  church,  at  3 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

The  higher  grades  of  the  public  schools  were  dismissed  at 
10  o'clock,  and,  in  charge  of  their  teachers,  passed  the  dais 
upon  which  lay  the  body  of  the  man,  who,  when  their  parents 
were  school  children,  had  been  compelled  |to  plead  for  the 
right  to  send  his  own  little  ones  to  the  public  schools  of  Roch- 
ester, because  they  were  black.  The  thousands  who  passed 
the  catafalque,  in  silent  and  respectful  interest,  included 
many  who  were  unborn  during  the  stirring  days  of  the  active 
life  of  Douglass  and  other  thousands  who  did  not  set  foot 
upon  American  soil  until  after  it  was  all  done.  But,  with 
one  and  all,  there  was  the  same  evidence  of  sorrow  and  of 
respect. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

FUNERAL   CEREMONIES   AT    CENTRAL   PRESBY- 
TERIAN CHURCH. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  ceremonies  at  the  church,  it 
was  necessary  to  force  a  way  to  the  casket  and  to  clear  the 
building.  The  line  of  march  was  formed  on  Fitzhugh  street 
with  the  right  resting  on  West  Main  street  and  was,  perhaps, 
the  most  imposing  that  was  ever  seen  in  the  city  of  Rochester 
to  march  so  short  a  distance.    It  was  as  follows: 

Captain  McDermott,  four  lieutenants  and  forty-eight  men 
from  the  police  drill  corps. 

54th  Regiment  Band. 

Eighth  Separate  Company,  commanded  by  Captain  Hen- 
derson, 65  men. 

Mayor  M.  E.  Lewis  and  members  of  the  Common  Council, 
including  the  committee. 

Police  commissioners. 

The  hearse,  followed  by  the  active  and  honorary  bearers 
and  Douglass  League,  T.  E.  Platner,  commanding,  as  escort. 

The  family,  relatives  and  friends  of  the  deceased. 

The  active  bearers  were  the  following  members  of  Doug- 
lass League:  Charles  P.  Lee,  William  Allen,  A.  H.  Harris,  R. 
J.  Jeffrey,  R.  L.  Kent,  H.  A.  Spencer,  F.  S.  Cunningham  and 
C.  B.  Lee. 

The  honorary  bearers  were:  Hon.  H.  S.  Greenleaf,  Hon. 
John  Van  Voorhis,  J.  K.  Post,  William  Oliver,  E.  A.  Frost, 
and  ex-Mayors  Henry  L.  Fish,  William  Carroll  and  Charles 
W.  Briggs. 

The  line  of  march  as  directed  by  Superintendent  of  Police 
Cleary  was  through  Fitzhngh  to  Church  street  to  the  Central 
Church.  The  policemen  formed  in  line  at  the  Church  street 
entrance  to  the  house  of  worship  and  the  procession  entered 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  29 

at  this  side  and  inarched  down  in  front  where  the  remains 
were  deposited  in  front  of  the  altar.  Five  hundred  seats 
were  reserved  for  the  family,  relatives,  friends  and  escort. 

The  procession  moved  by  way  of  Fitzhugh  street,  West 
Main  street  and  Sophia  street  and  stacked  arms,  the  details 
of  the  guard  of  honor  accompanying  the  remains  of  the  dead 
orator  to  the  church,  while  the  street  was  held  by  the  com- 
pany at  large. 

Long  before  the  procession  reached  the  street,  all  the  seats 
in  the  great  auditorium,  except  the  500  reserved  for  the  im- 
mediate friends  of  Mr.  Douglass,  were  filled  and  the  street 
was  thronged  with  people  who  would  have  been  glad  to  ob- 
tain admission  but  could  not  do  so.  The  casket  was  placed 
in  front  of  the  platform  and  was  surrounded  by  the  wealth 
of  floral  gifts  that  had  come  from  this  city,  from  Washing- 
ton, Boston,  Mass.,  and  elsewhere.  Every  seat  and  every 
available  bit  of  standing  room  in  the  great  church  was  occu- 
pied when  the  services  began. 

Seated  upon  the  platform  were  Rev.  Dr.  H.  H.  Stebbins. 
of  the  Central  Church;  Eev.  Dr.  William  B.  Taylor,  of  the 
Brick  Church;  Eev.  Dr.  J.  P.  Sankey,  of  the  United  Eresby- 
terian  Church;  Eev.  H.  Clay  Peepels,  of  the  Park  Avenue 
Baptist  Church;  Eev.  Dr.  W.  C.  Gannett,  of  the  Unitarian 
Church;  Eev.  G.  W.  Peck,  of  the  ^Torth  Presbyterian 
Church;  Eev.  Wesley  Ely,  of  Zion  Methodist  Church;  Eev. 
Dr.  J.  E.  Mason,  presiding  elder  of  the  African  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  the  district;  Sherman  D.  Eichardson, 
Miss  Mary  Anthony  and  many  others.  Mayor  M.  E.  Lewis 
and  the  aldermanic  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Pauck- 
ner,  Harris,  Ashton,  Adams,  Green,  McMillan  and  Super- 
intendent of  Police  Joseph  Cleary  also  occupied  seats  on  the 
platform,  as  representatives  of  the  municipal  government. 

It  is  not  easy  to  say  anything  about  the  services  from  first 
to  last,  without  the  danger  of  growing  over-eloquent.     The 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE 

church  full  of  people  that  sat  or  stood  through  the  long  serv- 
ice was  one  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  draw  on  any  occasion, 
however  important,  and  impossible  to  bring  together  upon  an 
occasion  of  less  significance.  The  last  time  that  the  church 
held  such  a  gathering  was  when  Douglass  sat  on  the  platform 
with  President  Harrison  on  the  Sunday  before  the  unveiling 
of  the  soldiers'  monument  in  May,  1892. 

After  the  procession  had  passed  down  the  aisle,  and  the 
casket  had  been  placed  before  the  altar,  Dr.  Taylor  of  the 
Brick  Church,  led  in  the  opening  prayer.  After  this  Sher- 
man D.  Richardson  read  the  following  poem: 

I  saw  the  slave  of  Maryland 

Upon  the  soil  of  freedom  stand. 

The  waves  that  once  the  Mayflower  bore 

Were  dashing  on  New  England's  shore. 

The  Stars  and  Stripes  showed  Northern  will 

On  breezes  from  old  Bunker  Hill, 

And  as  he  drank  in  liberty, 

I  saw  the  man  from  serfdom  free. 

I  saw  him  like  a  monarch  stand, 

With  Lincoln's  edict  in  his  hand; 

With  lips  infused  from  heaven's  fire, 

With  thoughts  that  would  all  time  inspire, 

Transfigured  on  Columbia's  sod; 

A  living  type  from  Freedom's  God; 

Incarnate  soul  of  Liberty 

He  stood — A  race  and  land  were  free. 

I  saw  again  God's  Pioneer, 
In  grand  repose  upon  his  bier. 
The  lines  that  showed  the  reaper's  path, 
Were  softened  with  death's  aftermath. 
But  yet  that  face  more  grandly  taught 
Of  will  and  power,  of  battles  fought, 
Of  victories  won  for  Liberty — 
The  crown  at  last,  the  soul  was  free. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  31 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  poem,  and  after  music  by  the 
choir,  Miss  Mary  Anthony,  who  was  one  of  the  warmest  and 
staunchest  friends  of  Mr.  Douglass,  in  his  days  of  trial,  read 
a  spirited  sketch  of  his  life  and  work. 

Then,  after  another  musical  selection,  came  the  address 
of  the  day,  delivered  by  Rev.  Dr.  W.  C.  Gannett,  which  was, 
in  part,  as  follows: 

"This  is  an  impressive  moment  in  our  city  history.  There 
was  a  man  who  lived  in  one  of  its  humbler  homes  whose  name 
barred  him  from  the  doors  of  the  wealthier  mansions  of  our 
city.  This  man  has  come  home  to  a  little  circle  of  his  best 
beloved  ones.  He  has  come,  as  it  were,  alone,  and  our  city 
has  gone  forth  to  meet  him  at  its  gates.  He  has  been  wel- 
comed for  once  in  the  most  impressive  way.  His  remains 
have  laid  in  our  city  hall.  Our  school  children  have  looked 
upon  his  face,  that  they  may  in  the  future  tell  their  children 
that  they  have  looked  on  the  face  of  Frederick  Douglass. 
What  a  difference!  Think  of  the  contrast !  What  does  it  all 
mean?  It  means  two  things.  It  is  a  personal  tribute  and  it 
is  an  impersonal  tribute.  It  is  personal  tribute  to  the  man 
who  has  exemplified  before  the  eyes  of  all  America  the  in- 
spiring example  of  a  man  who  made  himself.  America  is  the 
land  of  opportunities.  But  not  all  men  in  this  land  can  use 
their  opportunities.  Here  was  a  man  who  used  to  the  utmost 
all  the  opportunities  that  America  held  forth  to  him  and 
when  opportunities  were  not  at  hand  he  made  them.  Nature 
gave  him  birth,  nature  deprived  him  of  father  and  almost  of 
mother.  He  was  born  seventy-eight  years  ago,  forty  years 
before  anti-slavery  was  heard  of  as  a  watchword. 

"That  was  his  home,  his  welcome  to  the  earth.  It  was 
heaven  to  be  born  a  slave  in  Maryland.  He  was  born  at  a 
time  when  the  laws  of  that  state  were  links  to  hold  the  black 
man  to  the  ground,  and  you  know  what  the  North  did  in  the 
way  of  keeping  the  law  which  required  that  fugitives  from 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE 

slavery  should  he  sent  hack  to  bondage.  You  know  what  the 
public  opinion  in  the  North  was  against  the  slave.  You  know 
that  Northern  law  sent  back  a  slave,  if  he  escaped,  to  his 
Southern  master.  He  had  no  school,  not  even  the  college  of 
the  wood  pile  to  which  so  many  of  our  Northern  statesmen 
point  so  often  with  pride.  All  the  school  he  knew  was  the 
lash  with  which  his  cruel  master  laid  on  his  back  with  force> 

"The  kind  mistress  he  had  three  or  four  years  gave  him 
in  her  innocence  the  A,  B,  C's.  A  hard  master  gave  him  the 
lash.  Both  caused  him  to  be  Frederick  Douglass.  Read  in 
his  autobiography  how  the  boy  made  up  his  mind  to  obey  his 
master  until  he  was  abused  unlawfully.  Read  the  story  of 
two  hours'  combat  between  the  master  and  slave.  He  did 
not  hurt  his  master,  but  he  did  not  let  his  master  strike  him. 
At  the  end  Douglass  was  a  free  man  in  his  soul.  He  had 
dared  death  and  nothing  else  had  any  terror  for  him.  This 
was  the  last  flogging  Frederick  Douglass  ever  received. 

"Then  came  the  escape.  He  went  to  a  little  anti-slavery 
convention  in  New  England  and  made  a  little  speech.  The 
next  day  Douglass  found  himself  famous.  New  England  sud- 
denly discovered  that  it  had  discovered  an  orator  and  you  who 
heard  him  knew  his  eloquence  came  from  his  heart.  Mean- 
while history  was  making.  All  the  rivers  in  the  great  valley 
to  the  west  run  into  one.  All  the  streams  in  national  life 
wore  running  into  one  stream  during  the  years  1860  and 
1861  and  that  stream  was  slavery.  The  war  followed.  Then 
history  was  being  made  and  the  war  being  done,  Douglass  be- 
came an  American  citizen;  he  became  presidential  elector 
for  New  York  state;  Douglass  became  the  honored  minister 
of  the  United  States  to  Hayti;  Douglass  became  the  honored 
guest  in  all  the  North;  Douglass  became  a  part  of  the  coun- 
try'-! history. 

"He  is  not  simply  a  self-made  man,  although  he  was  one  of 
the  greatest.    A  man  self-made  but  large  hearted.  Who  ever 


THE    DOCGLASS    MONUMENT. 


THE 
ft      nEva/  YORK 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  33 

Lad  better  opportunity  to  be  great  hearted?  Who  ever  need- 
ed to  be  a  greater  hearted  man  more  than  Frederick  Doug- 
lass? Think  of  the  chronic  results  for  which  he  labored  al- 
most to  the  end  of  his  life.  Notwithstanding  that  the  lash 
had  been  lifted  from  his  back,  still  he  encountered  shrugs  of 
the  shoulders,  lifting  of  the  eyebrows  and  an  edging  away 
from  his  fellow  men  when  he  approached  them,  always 
under  that  opportunity  of  insult. 

"His  great  heart  had  a  chronic  forgiveness.  The  sweetness 
of  his  nature  grew  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  till  it  touched 
the  features  of  his  face.  Charity,  ever  growing  charity, 
should  always  accompany  our  thoughts  of  Fred  Douglass,  be- 
cause his  life  was  charity  personified.  Xo  sweeter  nature 
could  be  imagined.  How  true  it  is,  the  word  of  Emerson: 
"The  things  of  the  man  of  which  vTe  visited  were  once  in  the 
dark  and  the  cold.'  There  will  never  be  a  tribute  like  this 
awaiting  us  when  we  come  to  our  last  day.  Yea,  and  often 
he  lived  in  the  darkness  of  coldness  and  insult,  to-day  we 
bring  him  into  the  sunlight  of  true  appreciation. 

"But  that  was  not  all.  It  is  not  simply  a  tribute  to  the 
man.  The  personal  tribute  rises  and  loses  itself  in  a  grander 
and  nobler  thought.  It  becomes  transfigured  into  an  imper- 
sonal thought.  We  are  in  an  era  of  change  on  a  great  sub- 
ject. White  people  here  are  honoring  a  black  people.  An 
exception?  Yes.  Great  men  are  always  exceptions.  An  ex- 
ception? Yes,  but  an  instance  as  well,  an  example  of  how 
the  world's  feeling  is  changing.  Not  only  that.  I  like  to 
think  over  our  140,000  people  of  Rochester  and  pick  out  the 
two  or  three  or  four  who  will  be  called  our  first  citizens  twen- 
ty or  thirty  years  hence.  Very  few  in  Eochester  are  famous 
through  the  Xorth;  very  few  are  famous  through  the 
nation;  very  few  are  famous  throughout  the  wTorld. 
Yet  the  papers  of  two  continents  had  editorials  about 
the  man  whose  remains  lie  before  us.     We  have    but    one 


84 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


bronze  monument  in  our  streets.  Will  the  next  be  that  of 
Fred  Douglass,  the  black  man.  the  ox-slave,  the  renowned  ora- 
tor, the  distinguished  American  citizen?  I  think  it  will  be. 
In  and  around  our  soldiers'  monument  we  group  the  history 
of  war.  It  i<  not  only  the  monument  of  Lincoln,  although 
Lincoln's  figure  is  represented  there.  It  is  the  monument 
of  the  war. 

•"The  nation  to-day,  thnnk  God,  is  not  only  celebrating-  its 
emancipation  from  slavery,  but  also  its  emancipation  from  the 
slavery  of  prejudice  and  from  tin  slavery  of  caste  and  color. 
Let  me  end  with  one  great  word.  It  is  his  word.  There  are 
but  six  words  in  tin-  sentence  and  it  is  one  of  the  great  sen- 
tences worthy  to  be  painted  on  church  walls  and  worthy  to  be 
included  in  such  a  book  as  the  Bible.  It  i-:  "One  with  God 
is  a  majority."  " 

A  prayer  and  the  pronouncing  of  the  benediction  by  Dr. 
11.  II.  Stebbins  closed  the  services  at  the  church,  but  the 
crowd  which  had  gained  access  to  the  building  joined  the 
hundreds  who  had  lingered  outside,  and  waited  until  the  cas- 
ket had  been  placed  in  the  hearse,  until  the  relatives  and  im- 
mediate friends  had  taken  their  places  and  the  procession, 
headed  by  its  cordon  of  police  and  by  the  militia,  had  taken 
up  its  march  toward  Mt.  Hope.  The  band  and  the  dual  escort 
went  only  to  the  gates  of  the  cemetery.  Beyond  that  point 
the  funeral  was  like  that  of  any  other  citizen.  There  was  a 
brief  prayer  by  the  Rev.  W.  li.  Taylor  in  the  chapel,  after 
which  the  same  clergyman  spoke  the  few  words  of  formal 
committal  to  the  receiving  vault,  where  the  body  remained 
until  spring,  and  was  then  buried  in  the  family  lot,  26,  Sec.  T. 

There  was  a  noticeable  increase  in  the  number  of  arrivals 
upon  incoming  local  trains  on  all  lines,  showing  the  high  es- 
teem in  which  the  great  man  was  held  in  all  this  region. 


CHAPTER  V. 

RESOLUTIONS  ADOPTED  BY  VARIOUS  OFFICIAL 
BODIES. 

BY   THE   MONUMENT   COMMITTEE. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Frederick  Doug- 
lass, tip-  city  sustains  the  loss  of  an  eminent  citizen,  whose 
life  and  services  in  behalf  of  human  rights  will  illumine  one 
of  the  most  interesting  and  exciting  chapters  in  the  history 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  Rochester  his  earlier  strug- 
gles for  equality  and  humanity  were  commenced.  His  phe- 
nomenal success  and  honorable  career,  combined  as  they  were 
with  strict  integrity,  inspired  by  unfaltering  zeal  for  his 
life's  mission  in  behalf  of  his  race,  commanding  for  him,  as 
citizen,  patriot,  emancipator  and  statesman,  the  respect  and 
admiration  of  the  civilized  world,  unite  to  render  him  one  of 
the  unique  characters  in  history. 

We  deem  it  appropriate  that  in  our  city,  where  he  built  his 
first  home  as  a  freeman,  he  should  find  his  last  resting  place, 
and  that  here  the  last  sad  rites  should  be  performed  over  his 
mortal  remains,  by  interment  in  the  same  fair  city  of  the 
dead  where  repose  so  many  of  his  former  compatriots. 

Recalling  the  fact  that  his  home  in  our  city  commanded  a 
view  of  Mt.  Hope  and  of  the  adjacent  grounds,  now  known 
as  Highland  Park,  we  would  respectfully  suggest  to  the  hon- 
orable, the  Common  Council,  and  to  the  Board  of  Park  Com- 
missioners of  Rochester,  that  appropriate  action  be  taken  to 
change  the  name  of  that  park  to  Douglass  Park,  and  that  we 
hereby  request  the  co-operation  of  all  to  the  end  that  at  the 
earliest  practical  date,  a  life  size  or  heroic  statue  of  the  dis- 
tinguished fellow  citizen,  whose  death  is  so  generally  de- 
plored, hut  whose  memory  we  will  ever  honor,  be  erected  on 
the  loftiest  spot  therein. 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Resolved,  That  we  will  attend  the  funeral  of  the  deceased 
as  a  body. 

Eesolved,  That  we  tender  the  family  of  the  deceased, 
dwelling  in  the  shadow  of  their  great  sorrow,  our  heartfelt 
sympathy. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  communi- 
cated to  the  honorable,  the  Common  Council,  and  to  the 
Board  of  Park  Commissioners  of  Rochester. 

H.  S.  GREENLEAF, 
C.  S.  BAKER, 
GEORGE  A.  BENTON, 
JOHN  W.  THOMPSON, 
HENRY  A.  SPENCER, 
CHARLES  P.  LEE, 

Committee. 

BY  THE  DOUGLASS  LEAGUE. 

A  special  meeting  of  Douglass  League,  an  organization  of 
colored  men  named  in  honor  of  the  dead  leader,  was  held  at 
its  headquarters  last  evening.  This  memorial  upon  the  death 
of  Mr.  Douglass  was  adopted: 

Whereas,  God  in  His  wisdom  has  removed  from  the  scenes 
of  an  active  life  our  most  distinguished  brother  member, 
Hon.  Frederick  Douglass;  and 

Whereas,  We  feel  that  his  death  leaves  a  vacancy  which 
cannot  be  filled;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Douglass  this  organ- 
ization loses  its  most  illustrious  member,  the  race  a  trusted 
friend  and  counselor,  the  country  one  of  its  greatest  orators, 
an  able  diplomat,  a  wise  statesman  and  a  patriotic  citizen., 
and  the  whole  civilized  world  a  shining  light. 

Resolved,  That  we  recognize  in  him  a  leader  whose  ability 
was  of  the  highest  order,  his  wisdom  far  reaching  and  in 
whose  integrity  we  sincerely  believed  and  implicitly  trusted. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  ever  honor  his  name  and  cherish 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  37 

his  memory  and  hand  down  to  our  children  and  children's 
children  the  example  he  has  set  for  their  emulation. 

Resolved,  That  when  we  take  in  consideration  the  condi- 
tion which  surrounded  his  birth,  and  pursued  him  in  his  flight 
toward  the  polar  star,  still  harrassed  in  the  land  of  sup- 
pressed freedom  until  his  manumission  was  purchased  with 
gold,  yet  followed  during  his  whole  life  by  an  unjust,  unrea- 
sonable prejudice,  which  had  its  birth  in  slavery;  the  severity 
of  which  prejudice  was  diminished  only  by  his  intellectual 
power  and  force  of  character,  may  be  truly  called  one  of  the 
world's  greatest  men. 

Resolved,  That  in  memory  of  our  departed  brother,  the 
headquarters  of  the  league  be  draped  and  each  member  wear 
a  badge  of  mourning  for  the  space  of  thirty  days. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  recorded  on  the  min- 
utes, published  in  the  daily  papers  and  a  copy  sent  to  the 
heart-stricken  family. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  sincere  condolence  to  the 
sorrowing  family  in  this  their  great  bereavement,  and  that 
we  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body. 

J.  W.  THOMPSON, 
A.  H.  HARRIS, 
R.  L.  KENT, 

Committee. 

BY  THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Education  the  following  me- 
morial was  adopted: 

In  the  death  of  Hon.  Frederick  Douglass  the  people  of 
this  country  sustain  a  great  loss  and  the  people  of  his  race 
will  miss  a  staunch  friend  and  a  noble  example.  Upright  in 
manhood,  the  strength  and  purity  of  his  personality  will  com- 
mand respect  and  honor  in  all  future  time. 

As  a  former  citizen  of  Rochester,  as  a  friend  and  patron 
of  our  public  schools,  Mr.  Douglass  will  be  personally  re- 


38  HISTORY  OP  THE 

membered  by  our  citizens  with  great  pride.  It  is  well  to 
honor  the  memory  of  that  distinguished  citizen  whose  life 
will  serve  as  an  example  to  the  rising  generation  of  sterling 
and  stalwart  Americans.  He  was  generous  and  kind;  he 
never  betrayed  a  friend  or  a  cause  and  in  his  personal  life  he 
was  a  distinguished  example;  be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  board  record  its  appreciation  of  his 
great  services  to  his  country  and  the  cause  of  freedom. 

As  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  de- 
ceased orator  the  pupils  of  the  Free  Academy  and  of  the 
upper  grades  of  the  grammar  schools  visited  City  Hall  and 
viewed  the  remains. 

BY   THE   STATE   ASSEMBLY. 

Hon.  James  M.  E.  O'Grady,  of  Rochester,  introduced  and 
the  Assembly  adopted  the  following: 

Resolved,  That  the  Assembly  hears  with  regret  of  the  sud- 
den and  unexpected  death  of  the  Hon.  Frederick  Douglass 
of  Washington,  born  in  slavery,  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sources at  an  early  date,  self  educated  entirely,  and  endowed 
with  great  natural  ability  he  successfully  filled  the  positions 
of  orator,  editor,  diplomat  and  statesman. 

His  death  removes  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  and  most 
striking  figures  of  the  republic  as  well  as  the  most  distin- 
guished member  of  his  race  of  modern  times. 

As  a  former  resident  of  this  state  and  who  has  been  sig- 
nally honored  by  our  citizens,  it  is  fitting  that  wo  should  take 
public  notice  of  his  death. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

ORIGIN  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE  MOVEMENT  TO 
ERECT  A  MONUMENT. 

At  a  meeting  of  Eureka  Lodge,  No.  36,  F.  and  A.  M.,  held 
in  the  city  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  November  20,  1894, 
after  making  a  short  address,  J.  W.  Thompson  made  a  mo- 
tion that  a  committee  be  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  erect- 
ing a  monument  in  memory  of  the  Afro-American  soldiers 
and  sailors  who  had  fallen  in  the  Civil  War.  Mr.  Thompson 
was  elected  chairman  of  the  committee  and  authorized  to 
appoint  others  to  act  with  him.  At  the  next  meeting  he  an- 
nounced the  following  committee:  Hon.  George  A.  Benton, 
Hon.  Charles  S.  Baker,  Hon.  William  Purcell,  Hon.  H.  S. 
Greenleaf,  treasurer,  Hon.  Richard  Curran,  Messrs.  R.  L. 
Kent,  Thomas  E.  Platner,  H.  A.  Spencer,  C.  J.  Vincent, 
Leon  J.  I)u  Bois  and  F.  S.  Cunningham.  Before  the  com- 
mittee had  a  meeting  the  chairman  sent  a  communication  to 
Hon.  Frederick  Douglass  in  regard  to  the  project.  In  answer 
the  foil' *\ving  was  received: 

Mr.  J.  W.  Thompson:  Anacostia,  D.  C,  Dec.  3,  1804. 

My  Dear  Sir — I  am  more  than  pleased  with  the  patriotic 
purpose  to  erect  in  Rochester  a  monument  in  honor  of  the 
colored  soldiers  who,  under  great  discouragements,  at  the 
moment  of  the  national  peril  volunteered  to  go  to  the  front 
and  fight  for  their  country — when  assured  in  advance  that 
neither  by  our  own  government  nor  that  of  the  confederates 
would  they  be  accorded  the  equal  rights  of  peace  or  of  war. 
The  colored  soldier  fought  with  a  halter  about  his  neck,  but 
he  fought  all  the  same.  I  shall  be  proud  if  I  shall  live  to  see 
the  proposed  monument  erected  in  the  city  of  Rochester, 
where  the  best  years  of  my  life  were  spent  in  the  service  of 
our  people — and  which  to  this  day  seems  like  my  home. 

Yours  very  truly,     FREDERICK  DOUGLASS. 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE 

December  21,  the  same  year,  appeals  were  made  for  funds 
in  all  of  the  city  newspapers  and  splendid  editorials  appeared 
approving  the  effort  to  honor  the  memory  of  the  heroes  in 
granite  and  bronze,  those  who  died  for  their  country's  flag. 
The  movement  met  with  some  opposition  from  unexpected 
quarters  among  the  colored  people,  who  claimed  that  one 
soldiers'  monument  represented  all  who  were  killed  in  the 
Civil  War.  Chairman  Thompson  did  not  see  it  in  that  light, 
as  he  stated  at  a  meeting  held  in  Zion's  Church.  "I  have 
visited  the  monument  in  Washington's  Square,"  said  he, 
"and  made  an  examination  of  the  bronze  figures.  The  fea- 
tures of  three  represent  the  American  white  soldier  and 
sailor,  one  the  Irish  soldier  and  one  the  German,  while  the 
Afro-American  is  not  represented  in  features."  The  next 
day  after  this  meeting  Hon.  H.  S.  Greenleaf,  Hon.  Charles 
S.  Baker  and  Chairman  Thompson  met  in  Mr.  Baker's  office 
and  decided  to  erect  a  shaft  in  memory  of  the  soldiers  and 
sailors  and  place  upon  it  a  bronze  statute  in  honor  of  Fred- 
erick Douglass.  The  committee  then  entered  upon  its  duties 
and  the  soliciting  of  funds  began  for  the  purpose. 

On  the  night  of  February  20,  1895,  news  reached  the  city 
that  Frederick  Douglass  died  suddenly  at  his  Anacostia  home. 
A I  r.  Thompson  made  the  announcement  in  the  morning  news- 
papers that  the  monument  would  be  erected  in  memory  of 
the  late  Frederick  Douglass.  In  1896  and  1897  the  financial 
condition  of  the  country  was  in  a  worse  state  than  it  had  been 
since  1873.  Money  was  hard  to  collect.  The  most  of  the 
committee  after  a  short  struggle  turned  in  their  books  or 
refused  to  try  longer  to  do  anything,  but  the  chairman  de- 
clined to  give  up  the  work,  and  in  1897  he  appointed  as 
members  of  the  committee  Mrs.  R.  Jerome  Jeffrey,  T. 
Thomas  Fortune,  New  York  Age;  Bishop  Alexander  Wal- 
ters, N  J. ;  Thomas  H.  Barnes,  Olean,  K  Y. ;  E.  R.  Spauld- 
ing,  Owego,  !N".  Y. ;  Benjamin  F.  Cleggett,  Geneva,  !N\  Y. ; 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ±\ 

Theodore  Duffin,  Geneva,  N.  Y.;  Rev.  James  E.  Mason,  D. 
D.,  Rochester,  N.  Y.  With  these  newly  appointed  members 
to  the  committee,  J.  W.  Thompson  continued  his  effort  to 
raise  the  needed  $10,000  to  complete  the  work,  and  the  grand 
completion  and  unveiling  was  the  proudest  day  of  his  life. 

MR.  J.  W.  THOMPSON  BEFORE    THE   ASSEMBLY. 

Mr.  Thompson  appeared  before  the  finance  committee  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  January  24,  1897,  and  asked  an  appropriation 
of  $5,000  for  the  Monument  Fund.     Mr.  Thompson  said: 
Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen: 

To  stand  within  the  walls  of  this  capitol  building  the  very 
essence  of  architectural  beauty  and  elegance,  the  wealthiest 
and  most  influential  state  in  the  union,  to  address  this  honor- 
able and  respected  committee  of  the  Assembly  of  the  state 
of  New  York  on  this  occasion,  for  a  few  brief  moments  ask- 
ing an  appropriation  to  aid  us  in  erecting  a  monument  to  the 
memory  of  the  late  Frederick  Douglass,  in  the  city  of  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.,  where  he  resided  for  nearly  forty  years,  I  esteem 
it  the  honor  of  my  life. 

I  shall  make  no  effort,  however,  to  speak  for  this  ex-slave 
leader  and  statesman  who  has  fallen  by  the  will  of  the  Al- 
mighty, after  reaching  the  highest  round  in  the  ladder  of 
fame.  Last  Friday  as  I  stood  at  the  foot  of  his  grave,  watch- 
ing the  six  United  States  flags  placed  there  by  myself  last 
Decoration  day,  and  as  they  were  being  tossed  by  the  win- 
ter's wind,  T  said  to  myself  the  remains  of  Frederick  Douglass 
wrapped  in  the  narrow  confinement  of  the  grave,  resting  un- 
der our  National  flags  in  their  magnificent  silence,  are  more 
eloquent  than  any  words  that  could  be  used  by  me  to-day,  I 
shall  therefore  give  a  few  reasons  why  the  state  should  make 
the  appropriation  asked  for. 

Frederick  Douglass  escaped  from  slavery  in  the  year  1838. 
He  went  to  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  worked  in  a  ship  yard 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE 

for  nearly  two  years.  There  the  Liberator,  a  newspaper  ed- 
ited by  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  fell  into  his  hands.  He  said 
the  sentiments  expressed  in  that  paper  against  slavery  were 
the  sentiments  of  his  own  soul.  He  left  that  city  and  went 
to  Europe,  and  on  his  return  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  he  estab- 
lished a  newspaper  known  as  the  "North  Star,"  in  the  in- 
terest of  freedom  and  justice,  by  which  he  created  a  senti- 
ment against  human  slavery  that  caused  hundreds  of  thous- 
ands of  New  York's  bravest  men  to  declare  that  they  would 
march  to  the  front  and  put  down  the  horrible  and  wretched 
curse  of  slavery.  They  went  with  thousands  from  other 
states  but  the  work  was  not  accomplished  until  the  Afro- 
American  was  adorned  with  the  uniform  of  the  United 
States  and  marched  side  by  side  with  their  brothers  to  the 
field  of  battle  in  defence  of  the  American  flag,  and  in  this 
Frederick  Douglass  was  an  important  factor.  He  traveled 
in  every  state  this  side  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line  soliciting 
volunteers  to  preserve  our  glorious  Union.  In  this  he  de- 
clared as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  and  the  great  state 
of  New  York,  I  shall  do  my  duty.  He  was  chosen  by  the 
citizens  of  Rochester  to  deliver  a  Fourth  of  July  oration  in 
the  year  1S55.  Later  on  he  came  very  near  being  elected 
a  member  of  Assembly  from  the  city  of  Rochester.  He  was 
a  great  orator,  and  a  prominent  figure  in  the  history  of  our 
state;  he  was  a  Presidential  elector  from  this  state;  he  at- 
tended many.  National  Conventions  and  received  votes  for 
the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  American  people.  He 
was  Minister  to  Hayti;  he  was  United  States  Marshal  under 
President  Hayes;  he  was  Recorder  of  Deeds  of  the  District 
of  Columbia.  So  great  was  his  ability  and  his  high  character 
that  at  his  death  the  State  Assembly  adjourned  in  respect  to 
his  memory;  the  26th  day  of  February,  1895,  his  remains 
were  received  in  Rochester  in  the  honored  presence  of  the 
Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  that  city  and  thousands  of 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  43 

citizens  with  uncovered  heads;  his  remains  lay  in  state  in  the 
City  Hall,  schools  were  closed  that  teachers  and  scholars 
might  view  for  the  last  time  the  picturesque  form  of  Freder- 
ick Douglass. 

Now,  Mr.  Chairman,  if  you  will  grant  us  the  appropriation 
asked  we  will  add  to  that  the  $2,500  already  pledged;  we  will 
solicit  the  balance  and  unveil  the  monument  of  Frederick 
Douglass  very  shortly,  and  will  place  those  features  and  form 
in  bronze  that  these  same  children  and  the  people  of  the 
world  may  know  that  the  citizens  of  the  Empire  State  regard 
a  man  and  a  statesman  as  such,  regardless  of  his  color  or  pre- 
vious condition.  Now,  sir,  grant  our  appeal  and  gladden  the 
hearts  of  millions  of  our  citizens;  grant  this  appeal  and  we 
shall  rear  a  monument  which  shall  testify  that  we  are  not 
unmindful  of  him  and  his  noble  work.  Far  beyond  that — 
by  the  erection  of  such  a  memorial  we  may  leave  a  witness 
which  shall  speak  long  after  our  tongues  are  hushed,  a  witness 
whose  silent  testimony  shall  be  eloquent,  which  shall  be  a  in- 
spiration for  generations  to  come,  inciting  .American  man- 
hood to  love  of  country;  to  unconquerable  devotions  to  a 
great  cause,  telling  our  boys  that  the  humbleness  of  birth  is 
no  insurmountable  barrier  to  eminence,  that  all  doors  swing- 
open  to  those  who  keep  their  heart  right,  and  give  themselves 
with  unremitting  toil  and  high  purpose  to  the  work  which 
lies  before  them. 

Happy  am  I  to  speak  for  his  monument,  and  happy,  thrice- 
happy,  will  be  those  who  by  your  recommendation  will  be 
given  an  opportunity  to  vote  for  this  appropriation. 

THE  BILL  AS  PASSED  FEB.  3,  1897. 

The  bill,  changed  by  the  Finance  Committee  from  $5,000 
to  -1^,000,  was  introduced  by  W.  W.  Armstrong,  as  follows: 
An  ACT  making  an  appropriation  to  assist  in  the  erection  of 
a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Frederick  Doug- 
lass, at  his  former  place  of  residence  within  this  state. 


-J-4  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Sen- 
,  ate  and  Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1.  The  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars  is  hereby 
appropriated  out  of  any  moneys  in  the  treasury  not  other- 
wise appropriated  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  the  erection 
of  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Frederick  Doug- 
lass at  the  city  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  his  former  place  of  resi- 
dence within  this  state  for  which  contributions  are  now  being 
publicly  solicited  of  the  citizens  of  this  state  by  the  colored 
people,  and  the  comptroller  is  hereby  authorized  to  pay  the 
same  10  the  committee  having  the  same  in  charge  whenever 
it  shall  be  satisfactorily  shown  by  such  committee  that  the 
collectible  subscriptions  for  such  purpose  together  with  the 
sum  hereby  appropriated  will  be  sufficient  to  purchase  and 
erect  such  monument. 

Sec.  2.     This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

The  bill  as  amended  passed  in  the  Assembly  and  Senate 
unanimously  and  was  signed  by  Governor  Frank  S.  Black, 
The  whole  sum  was  paid  to  Chairman  Thompson  during 
August  and  September,  1898. 

THE   ROLL  OF  HONOR. 

The  names  of  those  who  donated  their  services  to  help 
raise  the  funds  by  assisting  in  entertainments  were:  Miss 
Susan  B.  Anthony,  Miss  Mary  E.  Sampson,  Rev.  Anna  Shaw, 
Philadelphia;  Mrs.  Victoria  E.  Mathews,  Xew  York;  Prof. 
Booker  T.  Washington,  Tuskegee,  Ala.;  Hon.  J.  M.  E. 
O'Grady;  Miss  Florence  Sprague;  Mrs,  R.  Jerome  Jeffrey, 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Thompson;  Col.  J.  S.  Graham;  Col.  N.  P.  Pond; 
Col.  Sherman  D.  Richardson;  Mrs.  A.  E.  Stockton;  Ludwig 
Schenck;  Frank  Mandeville;  Miss  May  Lepeon;  Miss  Olive 
Franklin;  Miss  Maude  Bannister;  Miss  Marion  Curtis;  J.  F. 
Marshall;  Prof.  James  H.  Cash;  Arthur  Coleman:  J.  Frank 
Washington;  J.  W.  Thompson;  D.  L.  Ainsworth;  Miss  Ma- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


45 


line  Thomas;  Miss  Ella  M.  Young;  Miss  Carrie  Sprague; 
Thomas  H.  Barnes;  Miss  Pearl  Fundy;  Elliott  Sprague. 

The  juveniles  took  part  in  helping  to  build  the  monument 
by  presenting  a  little  drama  entitled  "The  Ten  Virgins," 
taken  from  incidents  found  in  the  twenty-fifth  chapter  of  St. 
Matthew.  The  bride  was  Mary  Burks,  and  the  groom,  Ed- 
ward Buckingham.  The  ten  virgins  were :  Pauline  L.  Thomp- 
son, Emma  Miller,  Gladys  Myers,  Emma  Gibbs,  Kittie 
Mason,  Elsie  Townes,  Gertrude  A.  Thompson,  Vera  Burks, 
Ethel  Gilbert,  LaBell  M.  Kent,  Chriselda  Cash,  Abbie  Frank- 
lin. 

Much  credit  is  due  Messrs.  Ira  S.  Wile  and  Percival  DeW. 
Oviatt,  two  prominent  young  men  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  for 
their  efforts  to  raise  the  sum  necessary  to  take  up  the  note 
that  had  been  given  the  Smith  Granite  Company  by  John  W. 
Thompson,  chairman  of  the  committee,  for  $2,000.  The  en- 
tertainment took  place  at  the  Lyceum  Theater  February  20, 
1899,  but  less  than  $200  was  realized.  The  participants  of 
the  effort  were  some  of  the  best  local  talent,  among  them  be- 
ing Mrs.  O.  W.  Moore,  elocutionist ;  University  of  Rochester 
Mandolin  Club;  the  Cedar  Hill  Quartette;  Henry  J.  Sehlegel, 
soloist;  George  E.  Fisher;  Charles  E.  Van  Laer;  Charles  R. 
Osgood,  soloist:  Robert  P.  Levis;  Richard  Sutherland;  Wal- 
ter W.  Arnold;  George  P.  Culp,  and  M.  S.  Taylor. 

The  patronesses  were  Mrs.  R,  Sibley,  Mrs.  W.  E.  Hoyt, 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Dodge,  Mrs.  W.  Eastwood,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Mont- 
gomery, Mrs.  W.  S.  Little,  Mrs.  F.  S.  Newell,  Mrs.  Joseph 
O'Connor  and  Mrs.  Martin  W.  Cooke. 

This  entertainment  for  so  noble  a  cause  took  place  just 
four  years  to  the  very  day  after  the  death  of  the  statesman  for 
whose  monument  the  fund  was  to  be  applied.  It  was  a  nota- 
ble fact  that  the  night  was  the  coldest  of  the  winter  which 
had  much  to  do  with  the  small  attendance. 


4g  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ACTION  BY  A.  M.  E.  ZION  CONFERENCE,  JUNE  4,  1898. 

J.  H.  Anderson,  D.  D.,  offered  the  following  resolutions 
which  were  unanimously  approved: 

Whereas,  We  have  heard  with  pleasure  from  Mr.  J.  W. 
Thompson,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  that  the  proposed  Douglass 
monument  to  be  erected  in  Rochester  is  an  accomplished  fact 
so  far  as  the  collection  of  funds  is  concerned,  there  having 
been  appropriated  $3,000  by  the  state  of  New  York,  $1,000 
by  the  Haytien  government  and  about  $2,000  raised  by  his 
own  efforts,  thus  there  being  about  $0,000  raised  of  the 
$7,000  necessary  to  erect  the  monument;  therefore. 

Resolved,  That  we  heartily  commend  the  energy,  tact  and 
successful  efforts  of  Mr.  Thompson,  and  that  the  New  York 
Annual  Conference  of  the  A.  M.  E.  Zion  Church,  of  which 
Frederick  Douglass  was  an  honored  member,  contribute 
$100.00  to  this  highly  commendable  enterprise  in  which  is 
involved  the  interests  of  the  entire  negro  race  in  America. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SELECTION  OF  A  SITE  FOR  THE  MONUMENT  AT 
ROCHESTER,  X.  Y. 

Shortly  after  the  passage  of  the  bill  appropriating  three 
thousand  dollars  to  the  Douglass  monument  fund,  Chairman 
Thompson  was  requested  bj  many  citizens  to  have  the  monu- 
ment placed  in  Plymouth  Park.  The  chairman  appeared  be- 
fore the  Park  Board  and  made  the  request  which  was  referred 
to  a  committee  at  the  next  meeting.  The  request  was  granted 
by  a  unanimous  vote  after  all  of  the  property  owners  had 
been  consulted  and  their  permission  given.  Many  people 
complimented  the  committee  upon  their  excellent  choice  for 
the  statue  of  Douglass,  as  when  placed  at  that  park  it  could  be 
seen  many  blocks  away  and  would  show  to  a  great  advantage 
from  Plymouth  Avenue.  This  was  during  1897.  The  events 
of  the  succeeding  year,  however,  demonstrated  the  fact  that 
there  were  objections  to  the  monument  of  the  great  states- 
man being  placed  in  Plymouth  Park,  which  had  been  asked 
for  by  the  committee  and  granted  by  the  Park  Commission- 
ers. This  objection  counted  for  but  little,  however,  as  there 
were  many  other  sites  offered.  A  large  number  of  admirers 
of  Mr.  Douglass  were  open  in  their  criticism  of  the  committee 
for  selecting  the  park,  giving  as  their  reason  that  it  would 
only  be  seen  by  persons  going  that  way,  while  the  statue  of 
Douglass  was  an  object  lesson  and  ought  to  be  in  the  heart  of 
the  city.  For  that  reason  Chairman  Thompson  raised  no  ob- 
jections believing  the  site  near  the  Central  station  the  best. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Park  Commissioners    January    30, 
1898,  the  following  protest  was  raised: 
To  the  Park  Commission  of  the  City  of  Rochester: 

Gentlemen — We,  the  undersigned,  residents  and  property 
owners  around  Plymouth  Park,  are  informed  that  it  is  the 
purpose  of  your  body  to  place  in  Plymouth  Park  the  statue 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  the  late  Frederick  Douglass.  While  we  feel  with  other 
citizens  of  Rochester  that  the  honor  is  due  his  memory,  still 
we  think  a  larger  park  would  be  more  appropriate.  There- 
fore we  ask  your  honorable  body  to  select  some  other  location, 
as  we  protest  most  emphatically  against  its  being  placed  in 
Plymouth  Park. 

Signed — Helen  M.  Hess,  L.  Powis,  Mary  Powis,  Immacu- 
late Conception  Church  Association,  per  the  Rev.  James  F. 
O'Hare,  M.  L.  Hughes,  Winifred  Egan,  Margaret  B.  Mar- 
shall, F.  J.  Hess,  E.  J.  TCelsey. 

After  President  Moore  had  stated  that  permission  had  al- 
ready been  granted  to  erect  the  monument  in  Plymouth  Park 
and  that  such  action  had  only  been  taken  after  the  views  of 
the  property  owners  in  the  vicinitv  had  been  obtained,  the 
privilege  of  the  floor  was  granted  to  John  AY.  Thompson, 
chairman  of  the  Douglass  Memorial  Committee.  Mr.  Thomp- 
son said  that  there  was  no  desire  on  his  part  to  force  the  mon- 
ument on  any  one.  Personally,  he  favored  Plymouth  Park. 
but  if  the  residents  there  did  not  want  it,  he  would  leave  thy 
matter  in  the  hands  of  the  board.  Mr.  Thompson  said  that 
he  was  sure  that  Mr.  Douglass,  if  he  were  alive,  would  not 
care  to  have  a  monument  to  his  memory  placed  in  a  park 
where  it  might  be  objectionable  to  the  people. 

A  genera]  discussion  of  the  matter  followed,  several  Com- 
missioners participating  in  the  debate.  Commissioner  Gra- 
ham suggested  that  the  matter  ought  to  be  treated  in  a  public 
spirit.  He  did  not  think  Plymouth  Park  was  the  best  place 
for  the  monument.  A  much  better  place  would  be  at  the  en- 
trance to  one  of  the  large  parks,  particularly  Genesee  Valley 
Park.  Another  good  place  would  be  on  the  triangle  at  the 
corner  of  North  St.  Paul  Street  and  Central  Avenue,  oppo- 
site the  Central  Pailroad  station,  where  thousands  of  people 
passing  through  the  city  could  get  a  look  at  the  monument 
which  the  city  of  Eochester  had  erected  in  honor  of  Douglas-. 


HON.  GEORGE  A.  BENTON. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  49 

the  greatest  of  his  race.  The  discussion  was  ended  by  having 
the  matter  referred  to  the  City  Park  Committee  with  instruc- 
tions to  report  back  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  board.  Mean- 
while this  committee  was  to  confer  with  a  committee  from 
the  Douglass  Monument  Committee. 

It  was  said  by  some  that  the  cause  of  the  objections  to 
placing  the  monument  in  the  park  was  on  account  of  the 
smallness  of  the  park,  while  it  was  hinted  by  many  that  the 
protest  was  brought  about  by  race  prejudice  on  the  part  of 
the  signers.  The  writer  who  attended  during  the  four  years 
it  took  for  the  erection  of  the  monument  every  entertain- 
ment or  meeting  of  any  kind  for  the  Douglass  monument,  or 
where  the  name  of  Douglass  was  discussed,  desires  to  say,  to 
the  everlasting  credit  of  the  citizens  of  Rochester,  ~N.  Y., 
that  he  never  observed  any  feeling  of  race  prejudice  in  re- 
gard to  the  monument  to  Frederick  Douglass.  Every  site 
in  the  city  was  offered  except  the  one  in  question. 

The  joint  committee,  consisting  of  the  city  property  com- 
mittee of  the  Common  Council,  the  City  Park  Committee  of 
the  Park  Board,  and  the  Douglass  Monument  Committee, 
met  in  the  rooms  of  the  Park  Commissioners  at  4  o'clock 
February  10,  1898.  The  following  were  present:  J.  W. 
Thompson,  chairman,  and  Hon.  George  A.  Benton,  R.  L. 
Kent  and  Benjamin  Simms  of  the  Monument  Committee; 
Chairman  Moore  of  the  Park  Board;  Chairman  Elwood,  of 
the  City  Park  Committee,  and  Commissioners  Wright  and 
Ritter;  Chairman  Pauckner,  of  the  City  Property  Commit- 
tee of  the  Common  Council,  and  Aldermen  Rauber,  Edelman 
and  Tracy. 

Alderman  Pauckner  was  elected  chairman  of  the  joint  com- 
mittee and  Secretary  Stone  of  the  Park  Board,  secretary  for 
the  joint  meeting.  Mr.  Thompson  was  then  called  on  to 
state  the  object  of  the  meeting  and  the  status  of  the  monu- 
ment movement. 


50 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Mr.  Thompson  arose  and  said:  "Some  time  ago  in  behalf  of 
the  monument  committee,  I  made  application  to  the  park 
board  for  Plymouth  Park  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  site 
for  the  Douglass  monument.  The  commissioners  granted  the 
site  by  a  unanimous  vote.  Afterwards  a  protest  was  filed  by 
the  residents  in  the  vicinity  of  Plymouth  Park.  If  Frederick 
Douglass  were  alive,  I  am  sure  that  he  would  not  want  to  see 
his  statue  placed  among  people  who  did  not  want  it  there. 
That  is  the  feeling  of  his  friends.  To-day  I  come  to  ask  you, 
so  far  as  I  am  personally  concerned,  and  I  think  that  I  voice 
the  sentiments  of  a  large  part  of  our  committee,  that  the  pro- 
posed monument  be  given  a  site  in  the  triangle  at  the  corner 
of  North  St.  Paul  Street  and  Central  Avenue. 

"I  think  it  will  be  an  appropriate  place  for  the  memorial 
of  the  man  who  is  the  first  statesman  of  my  race  to  have  a 
monument.  The  spot  to  which  I  refer  is  one  situated  in  the 
heart  of  the  city,  and  those  who  pass  through  the  city  from 
east  to  west  will  see  the  monument  as  well.  There  are  ob- 
jections to  the  site  as  it  exists  to-day,  but  I  am  assured  that 
it  can  be  made  much  more  sightly  by  raising  the  surface  of 
the  tract  in  question  and  grading  it  properly,  which  I  have 
been  assured  will  be  done." 

Commissioner  Wright  agreed  with  Mr.  Thompson.  He 
thought  that  the  triangle  was  the  place  above  all  others.  Peo- 
ple passing  through  on  the  trains  would  be  sure  to  see  the 
monument  and  Rochester  was  better  known  to  many  people 
as  the  home  of  Frederick  Douglass  than  in  any  other  way. 
He  had  when  traveling  many  times  met  people  who  would 
speak  of  this  city  and  refer  to  it  as  the  home  of  Frederick 
Douglass.  People  passing  through  would  be  sure  to  see  and 
speak  of  the  monument.  Mr.  Wright  thought  that  the  size 
of  the  spot  in  question,  00x50  feet,  as  sufficient  to  afford  am- 
ple room  for  a  site.  Highland  Park,  which  had  been  men- 
tioned, he  considered  too  remote  from  the  heart  of  the  city; 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  51 

too  few  people  would  see  the  monument  there.  It  ought  to 
have  a  place  of  exceeding  great  prominence. 

B.  L.  Kent  also  thought  that  the  triangle  was  the  proper 
place  for  a  monument  to  Douglass.  He  believed  that  the  site 
Avould  meet  with  the  general  approval  of  all. 

Judge  George  A.  Benton  was  called  upon  for  an  expres- 
sion of  opinion  and  said:  "Before  the  Douglass  monument 
was  thought  of  I  had  looked  at  the  triangle  and  wished  that 
a  monument  might  be  erected  there.  I  understand  that  Mrs. 
Douglass  objects  and  prefers  Highland  Park.  Aside  from 
her  objection  I  think  that  the  argument  is  all  on  the  side  of 
the  triangle.  What  better  place  for  a  monument  to  Freder- 
ick Douglass  than  this  where  he  would  face  the  north  and  the 
stream  of  travel,  with  his  back  to  the  south?" 

Alderman  Bauber,  of  the  Fifth  Ward,  said  that  if  the  pro- 
posed site  was  large  enough,  he  was  in  favor  of  it  by  all 
means.  It  was  in  his  ward  and  his  people  wanted  to  get  the 
monument  located  there.  He  had  feared  that  the  site  was 
not  large  enough,  but  after  listening  to  the  discussion  he  was 
satisfied  that  he  had  been  mistaken,  and  that  the  triangle  was 
by  all  odds  the  place  for  the  monument. 

Dr.  Moore  asked  Mr.  Thompson  to  enlighten  the  meeting 
regarding  the  progress  of  the  raising  of  funds  and  the  plans 
of  the  committee.  Mr.  Thompson  replied  that  the  state  had 
voted  $3,000,  to  be  available  when  the  committee  had  raised 
$4,000.  The  committee  had  on  hand  in  cash  and  good  sub- 
scriptions about  $2,000  more.  The  monument  complete,  in- 
cluding the  pedestal,  was  designed  to  cost  $10,000,  and  it  was 
hoped  that  it  could  be  unveiled  in  August.  Mr.  Thompson 
said  that  he  saw  Mrs.  Douglass  on  Sunday,  and  she  spoke  of 
her  desire  to  have  the  monument  located  at  Highland  Park. 

Alderman  Pauckner  said  that  Highland  Park  was  in  his 
ward,  and  the  Fourteenth  Ward  people  wanted  the  monu- 
ment up  there  where  Douglass  had  once  lived. 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Dr.  Moore  objected.  Said  he:  "A  monument  should  be 
in  the  heart  of  a  city  among  the  people,  where  they  are  the 
busiest.  At  Highland  Park,  for  many  years  at  least,  few 
people  would  see  the  monument.  At  the  triangle  the  crowds 
that  will  see  it  will  grow  larger  every  day." 

Reference  was  made  to  the  statue  of  Horace  Greeley,  lo- 
cated on  Thirty-second  Street,  New  York  City,  and  the  fact 
Avas  commented  upon  that  it  is  situated  in  a  cramped  place, 
but  purposely  located  where  it  would  be  seen  by  multitudes 
of  people.  It  was  suggested  that  after  the  triangle  had  been 
graded  and  raised  several  feet,  and  after  Mr.  Laney  had  ex- 
ercised his  skill  in  beautifying  it,  it  would  be  an  admirable 
site. 

Judge  G.  A.  Benton  then  moved  that  it  was  the  sense  of 
the  joint  committee  that  the  triangle  should  be  appropriated 
for  the  site  of  the  Douglass  monument.  The  motion  was 
unanimously  carried  after  a  short  discussion.  Alderman 
Tracy  then  suggested  that  Mr.  Thompson  address  a  commu 
nication  to  the  Common  Council  asking  for  the  site,  in  order 
to  bring  the  matter  before  that  body  in  proper  form,  the  tri- 
angle'not  being  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  park  commis- 
sioners.    The  meeting  then  adjourned. 

Mr.Thompson  stated  before  the  meeting  was  called  to  order 
that  while  there  had  been  some  adverse  comment  on  the  Cen- 
tral Avenue  site,  he  did  not  think  that  the  objections  were 
well  taken.  Tie  thought  that  the  spot  could  be  made  beauti- 
ful, and  while  the  atmosphere  would  be  smoky  and  sooty  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  railroad  at  limes,  the  monument  was  to  be 
of  bronze  and  would  not  show  the  effects  of  the  state  of  the 
atmosphere.  Then,  ton,  if  the  monument  were  properly 
eared  for  there  would  be  no  trouble. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MASONIC  EXERCISES  AT  THE  LAYING   OF  THE 
CORNER  STOXE. 

That  creed  or  color  proved  to  be  nothing  to  the  people  of 
Rochester  when  they  are  afforded  the  opportunity  of  paying 
homage  to  the  memory  of  a  man  who  was  truly  great,  was 
demonstrated  on  the  afternoon  of  July  20,  1898,  when  hun- 
dreds, including  many  of  the  city's  most  prominent  citizens, 
assembled  at  the  ceremonies  attending  the  laying  of  the  cor- 
ner stone  of  the  monument  to  the  Hon.  Frederick  Douglass, 
the  greatest  and  noblest  statesman  of  his  race  and  a  former 
Rochesterian. 

The  circumstances  connected  with  the  raising  of  a  fund 
sufficient  to  secure  a  monument  in  commemoration  of  the 
man  had  but  served  to  increase  the  universal  interest  of  the 
public  and  to  render  the  realization  of  the  effort  put  forth  of 
greater  satisfaction  to  those  of  his  race  who  were  in  attend- 
ance at  the  ceremonies.  These  ceremonies,  as  conducted  by 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Xew  York,  assisted  by  the 
members  of  Eureka  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Rochester,  were 
most  impressive  and  were  admirably  arranged  by  the  Doug- 
lass Monument  Committee. 

At  3.30  o'clock,  Eureka  Lodge,  accompanied  by  Estella 
Chapter,  Xo.  7,  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  the  auxil- 
iary organization,  assembled  at  the  headquarters  of  the  lodge 
in  the  Durand  building,  and,  headed  by  the  Fifty-fourth 
Regiment  Band,  were  escorted  at  4  o'clock  to  Douglass  Park, 
the  new  name  given  to  the  triangle  at  the  corner  of  Central 
Avenue  and  Xorth  St.  Paul  Street,  where  the  monument 
stands. 

There  had  been  built  a  comfortable  and  commodious  cov- 
ered platform  decorated  with  the  national  colors  and  facing 


54 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


the  site  of  the  monument.  In  addition  tO'  the  members  of  the 
Masonic  organizations  there  were  seated  on  the  platform  Dr. 
E.  M.  Moore.  Hon.  John  Van  Voorhis,  Hon.  Charles  S. 
Baker,  Hon.  C.  E.  Parsons,  Hon.  W.  W.  Armstrong,  Hon. 
George  A.  Benton,  Rev.  J.  P.  Sankey,  D.  D.,  Rev.  W.  C. 
Gannett,  D.  D.,  who  pronounced  the  benediction,  Rev.  R. 
Alonzo  Scott,  pastor  of  A.  M.  E.  Zion  Church,  Mrs.  A.  Scott, 
Susan  B.  Anthony,  Mrs.  R.  Jerome  Jeffrey,  president  of  the 
Women's  Club,  and  others. 

In  the  meantime  a  vast  crowd  had  gathered  in  the  streets 
to  witness  the  ceremonies,  and  although  the  heat  was  most 
intense,  nearly  all  remained  that  they  might  attest  their  rev- 
erence for  the  memory  of  Douglass.  After  a  national  air  had 
been  played  by  the  band,  Chairman  John  W.  Thompson,  of 
the  monument  committee,  made  a  brief  opening  address,  in 
which  he  said  that  the  committee  was  pleased  to  witness  the 
assembly  of  so  many  who  had  contributed  to  the  fund,  and 
that  they  were  privileged  to  see  the  consummation  of  the 
project. 

Grand  Marshal  M.  R.  Poole  commanded  silence  and  the 
Masonic  services  were  opened  by  Grand  Master  E.  R.  Spauld- 
ing.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Chaplain  Leon  J.  Dubois,  follow- 
ing which  was  an  ode  given  by  the  members  of  Eureka  Lodge. 
The  list  of  articles  placed  in  the  corner  stone  was  then  read 
by  Grand  Secretary  Benjamin  Myers,  after  which  the  box 
containing  them  was  placed  in  the  stone  by  Grand  Treasurer 
M.  L.  Hunter.  The  working  tools  were  presented  to  the 
grand  master  by  Master  Architect  William  Oscar  Payne  and 
were  distributed  among  the  proper  officers. 

Then  followed  the  grand  Masonic  honors  and  the  conse- 
cration ceremony.  The  ceremonies,  accompanied  by  sacred 
music,  were  very  impressive  and  were  performed  by  the 
proper  officers  in  a  manner  that  could  only  be  understood  in 
the  seeing.     Grand  Master  Spaulding  then  introduced  as  the 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  55 

first  speaker  the  Hon.  John  Van  Voorhis,  who  spoke  as  fol- 
lows : 

The  citizens  of  Rochester  were  proud  of  Frederick  Doug- 
lass, and  proud  that  he  made  this  city  his  home.  Considering 
what  he  was  and  what  he  did  for  our  country  and  for  man- 
kind, he  was  pre-eminently  our  first  citizen.  It  is  fitting  that 
the  corner  stone  of  the  monument  to  be  erected  to  his  mem- 
ory should  be  laid  under  the  beautiful  rites  of  Masonry.  And 
yet  Frederick  Douglass  was  not  a  Mason.  He  belonged  to  no 
orders.  Sublimer  themes  engrossed  his  whole  attention.  He 
knew  no  brotherhood  but  the  universal  brotherhood  of  man. 
He  had  a  mission  to  perform.  That  mission  was  to  elevate 
the  republic  in  the  eyes  of  mankind  by  wiping  from  it  the 
stain  of  African  slavery.  That  mission  was  to  emancipate 
millions  of  slaves.  To  accomplish  that  mission  he  devoted  his 
entire  time  and  the  energies  of  his  great  genius. 

He  lived  to  see  that  mission  successfully  accomplished.  He 
lived  to  witness  the  emancipation  of  4,000,000  of  slaves.  He 
lived  to  see  the  stigma  of  slavery  which  had  attached  to  this 
republic  in  the  begining  entirely  destroyed.  Monuments  of 
bronze  and  marble  may  be  erected  to  him  here  and  elsewhere, 
but  his  greatest  monument  will  be  found  in  the  history  of 
his  time.  As  an  emancipator  he  stands  by  the  side  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  It  was  largely  his  work  that  made  the  emanci- 
pation proclamation  possible.  He  visited  every  free  state,  and 
every  city  and  village  therein,  and  spoke  from  more  platforms 
than  any  other  man  in  our  generation.  He  taught  the  people 
the  wrongs  of  slavery  and  prepared  them  to  stand  by  Lincoln 
when  he  made  his  famous  proclamation.  There  is  not  time 
to  do  Frederick  Douglass  justice  on  this  occasion.  Many  of 
our  able  men  preached  against  the  wrongs  of  slavery.  Among 
them  were  Freeborn  G.  Garrison,  Wendell  Phillips,  Charles 
Sumner  and  Garrett  Smith,  all  great  orators,  but  Douglass 
was  the  chiefest  of  them  all. 


5(3  HISTORY  OF  THE 

There  was  no  chance  to  criticise  Douglass  except  on  ac- 
count of  his  complexion,  and  educated  and  cultivated  people 
never  did  that.  The  prejudice  against  color  does  not  exist. 
in  other  countries  as  it  does  here.  If  Frederick  Douglass 
had  been  an  Englishman  he  would  have  been  awarded  a  niche 
in  Westminster  Abbey.  He  was  not  to  be  blamed  for  his 
complexion,  the  Almighty  created  him  that  way.  Shakes- 
peare makes  the  Prince  of  Morocco,  a  black  man,  say: 

"Mislike  me  not  for  my  complexion, 

The  shadowy  livery  of  the  unburnished  sun." 

In  listening  to  Frederick  Douglass  upon  the  platform,  or 
m  private  conversation,  no  one  thought  of  his  complexion. 
He  was  the  most  magnificent  orator  who  ever  stepped  upon 
an  American  platform.  Although  not  able  to  read  or  write 
until  twenty  years  of  age,  he  became  a  great  scholar  and  han- 
dled the  English  tongue  most  admirably.  Whenever  he  was 
to  speak  crowds  were  there  to  hear  him.  Whenever  he  would 
stop  speaking  the  crowd  was  anxious  to  have  him  continue. 
He  never  wearied  an  audience,  but  invariably  left  his  audi- 
ence anxious  to  hear  more. 

In  private  conversation  he  Avas  a  master.  He  always  had 
something  interesting  to  say,  and  said  it  in  a  most  interesting 
maimer.  Wherever  Douglass  went  the  best  people  thronged 
around  him  and  treated  him  with  the  greatest  courtesy. 
Learned  men  like  Lincoln,  Seward,  Chase  and  Sumner  were 
proud  to  meet  him.  The  argument  based  on  complexion  had 
no  effect  with  such  men.  It  is  only  among  the  ignorant  and 
the  vulgar  that  the  complexion  of  Douglass  is  ever  alluded 
to  in  an  unfavorable  manner.  He  was  a  man  of  great  dignity 
of  character.  He  had  the  power  of  talking  into  submission 
the  most  unruly  audience  and  the  most  threatening  mob. 

I  remember  one  occasion  in  our  City  Hall,  Ira  Stout  had 
been  convicted  of  murder  and  was  awaiting  execution.  Cer- 
tain  kind-hearted  people  who  did  not  favor  capital  punish- 


HON.    JOHN   VAN    VOORHIS. 


//        TH : 

(      NEW  YO' 

PUBLIC  LIS 

:a'ry 

Astor,  Li 

\\.       Fi 

DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  57 

nient  called  a  meeting  at  the  City  Hall  with  a  view  to  ask  the 
governor  to  commute  the  sentence  of  Stout  to  imprisonment 
for  life.  The  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  a  very  eloquent  pulpit 
orator  from  Syracuse,  was  advertised  as  the  speaker  of  the 
occasion.  When  the  time  arrived,  there  marched  into  the 
hall  an  organized,  angry  and  shouting  mob.  The  mob  filled 
the  greater  part  of  the  hall.  When  Mr.  May  rose  to  speak, 
not  a  word  that  he  attempted  to  utter  could  be  heard,  so  great 
was  the  noise  of  the  howling  mob.  Again  and  again  Mr.  May 
attempted  to  speak,  but  at  last  gave  it  up.  Other  persons 
sought  to  get  the  attention  of  the  audience,  but  were  shut 
off  by  the  mob.  Frederick  Douglass  was  in  the  audience,  and 
when  it  was  apparent  that  none  of  the  speakers  would  be  per- 
mitted to  speak,  he  walked  deliberately  upon  the  platform, 
stood  before  the  mob  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  surveyed  it 
calmly.  Then,  with  a  voice  of  power,  which  none  but  Doug- 
lass possessed,  he  began  to  speak.  He  talked  the  mob  into 
silence  and  compelled  it  to  listen  to  his  speech.  That  is  only 
one  instance  of  many  occasions  where  Douglass  showed  his 
mastery  over  men  who  sought  to  interrupt  public  meetings. 
The  first  time  I  ever  saw  Douglass  was  somewhere  in  the 
forties,  probably  about  '45.  I  was  a  boy  living  with  my 
father  on  his  farm  in  the  town  of  Mendon  in  this  county.  It 
was  rumored  about  that  Frederick  Douglass  and  Charles 
Lenox  E-emond  would  speak  against  slavery  on  a  Sunday 
afternoon  in  the  Quaker  Church  at  Mendon  Center.  It  was 
a  great  novelty,  and  I  with  others  went  to  see  the  per- 
formance. The  Hixite  Quakers  were  conservative  then. 
and  their  managers  had  decided  not  to  allow  Douglass  to 
enter  their  church,  and  to  accomplish  that  result  they  locked 
up  the  church  and  nailed  up  the  gates  to  the  grounds.  But 
the  younger  men  of  the  church — Quakers  only  by  birthright, 
opened  the  gates,  confiscated  a  lumber  yard  near  by,  and 
made  a  platform  on  the  church  grounds  with  seats  for  the 


58 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


audience,  and  upon  that  platform  Douglass  and  Remand 
spoke  to  an  enormous  crowd.  I  cannot  remember  ever  to 
have  heard  such  denunciation  of  slavery  and  its  abettors  as 
Douglass  poured  forth  to  that  audience.  He  paid  his  respects 
to  the  Quaker  authorities  who  had  denied  him  free  speech  by 
locking  up  the  church.  It  was  such  an  occasion  as  had  never 
been  seen  at  that  Quaker  church  before  and  never  since. 

The  impression  that  I  got  of  Douglass  at  that  time  was 
such  that  T  never  afterwards  failed  to  go  to  hear  him  when 
an  opportunity  offered.  Those  who  only  heard  Douglass 
speak  in  his  old  age  can  form  no  conception  of  the  power  of 
his  oratory  in  his  earlier  years.  He  was  invited  to  speak 
everywhere,  before  senators  and  legislators,  before  lawyers 
and  judges,  before  .scholars  and  men  of  learning,  before  doc- 
tors of  divinity  and  religious  organizations,  and  I  believe  it 
is  a  fact  that  he  never  in  his  life  made  a  poor  speech.  He 
was  invited  by  the  assembly  of  the  state  of  New  York  to  give 
an  address  in  the  assembly  chamber  in  the  presence  of  the 
Governor,  Lieutenant  Governor,  the  judges  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals  and  the  members  of  the  state  government.  The 
chamber  was  packed  to  the  utmost  and  the  oration  was  a 
great  success.  Directly  in  front  of  Douglass  sat  that  dis- 
tinguished ISTew  Yorker,  Thurlow  Weed,  with  his  hand  up 
behind  his  ear  so  that  he  might  catch  every  utterance  which 
came  from  the  lips  of  the  orator. 

It  mattered  not  where  Douglass  went;  in  England,  in 
Scotland  and  in  Ireland  he  spoke  to  great  audiences  with  the 
same  success.  In  Ireland  he  was  introduced  to  an  immense 
audience  by  the  then  greatest  orator  of  Europe,  Daniel 
O'Connell,  as  the  black  O'Connell  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  the  citizens  of  Rochester  meet  to 
honor  the  memory  of  Frederick  Douglass  and  to  erect  a 
monument  to  him.  He  has  honored  Rochester  as  no  other 
man  has  ever  done. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  59 

"The  sweet  remembrance  of  the  just, 
Shall  flourish  when  he  sleeps  in  dust." 

The  next  speaker  was  Dr.  E.  M.  Moore,  the  venerable 
president  of  the  Park  Commission,  who,  like  Mr.  Van  Voor- 
his,  had  enjoyed  the  acquaintance  and  friendship  of  Doug- 
lass, and  recalled  incidents  connected  with  the  famous  or- 
ator's life  that  were  peculiarly  interesting  at  such  a  time. 
Dr.  Moore  said: 

AVe  meet  to-day  to  perform  a  duty,  long  since  due  from 
the  citizens  of  Eochester  to  one  of  the  striking  figures  in 
modern  American  history.  Our  great  Civil  War  must  ever 
remain  as  one  of  the  most  notable  events  of  all  time.  I  do 
not  refer  to  the  stupendous  volunteering  defense  of  the  coun- 
try, but  rather  to  the  emancipation  of  the  slave.  It  must 
be  recollected  that  it  was  not  merely  slavery  that  was  con- 
cerned, slavery  in  various  forms  has  existed  the  world  over, 
but  when  of  the  same  race,  there  have  always  been  modifying 
circumstances.  Time  usually  has  softened  the  asperities  of 
the  condition,  but  when  we  reflect  upon  the  fact  that  the 
beneficiaries  of  the  emancipation  were  of  another  race  and 
the  furthest  removed,  the  execution  of  the  deed  successfully 
was  deemed  by  reasonably  conservative  men  as  a  pure  chi- 
mera. 

The  exodus  of  the  Israelite  from  Egypt  has  perhaps  been 
regarded  as  the  most  towering  fact  of  liberation  presented  by 
history.  But  the  emancipation  of  the  slave  in  this  country  is  a 
far  greater  fact  of  liberation.  The  servitude  of  the  Ameri- 
can slave  had  no  modification.  It  was  simply  perfect.  The 
man  had  no  rights  that  a  white  man  was  bound  to  respect  as 
announced  by  the  chief  justice  of  the  United  States.  And 
yet  with  one  bound  the  slave  leaped  to  the  status  of  his  for- 
mer master,  his  political  equal  before  the  law. 

The  fact  that  though  fraud  may  deprive  the  voter  of  his 
right,  still  he  is  the  equal  of  the  white  before  the  law.  Among 


QO  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  marked  men  of  the  oppressed  race  was  to  be  seen  the 
commanding-  figure  of  Frederick  Douglass,  whose  ability  re- 
futed the  calumnies  that  flowed  from  countless  lips.  In  per- 
son, he  was  of  imposing  stature,  and  when  in  public  speech, 
he  was  urging  the  claims  of  his  race,  his  eloquence  was  lofty 
and  fervid.  The  theme  inspired  the  man.  While  there  were 
many  others  that  brilliantly  proved  their  right  to  the  free- 
dom they  plead  for,  there  was  perhaps,  no  one  of  them  that 
stood  upon  so  high  a  pedestal  as  he.  But  in  order  apparently 
to  prove  that  he  could  play  on  more  than  one  string,  he  ap- 
peared on  the  rostrum  of  the  lyceum,  while  the  stage  still 
held  Emerson  and  Holmes.  His  lecture  on  "William  the 
Silent,"  settled  that  point. 

I  recollect  him  when  a  young  man.  He  had  just  escaped 
from  bondage,  bright,  alert  with  a  hunted  look,  he  came  to 
my  father's  house,  one  of  the  stations  on  "the  underground 
railway,"  for  the  slave.  This  was  the  era  of  the  fugitive 
slave  law  urged  and  signed  by  Vice  President  Fillmore, 
which,  perhaps  the  greatest  statesman  that  the  country  has 
ever  produced,  received  with  exultation  as  a  sort  of  finale. 
"Now  is  the  winter  of  our  discontent,  made  glorious  summer 
by  the  son  of  York." 

But  great  movements  are  not  checked  by  unjust  laws  or 
quotations  from  Shakespeare.  To-day  we  commemorate  the 
ability  and  worth  of  this  truly  great  man.  We  raise  a  mon- 
ument of  imperishable  bronze  and  place  it  here  in  the  flowing 
tide  of  commerce  where  the  stranger  that  enters  our  gates 
may  see  in  what  a  permanent  way  we  have  honored  our 
slaves. 

The  exercises  closed  with  the  singing  of  "America"  by  the 
audience  and  benediction  by  Dr.  W.  C.  Gannett. 

The  trowel  used  by  Grand  Master  E.  R.  Spaulding  was  a 
handsome  silver  one  with  an  ivory  handle  and  was  presented 
to  Mr.  Spaulding  by  the  members  of  Eureka  Lodge,  No.  36, 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  Q± 

F.  and  A.  M.,  at  a  meeting  held  the  night  before.  The  pres- 
entation speech  was  made  by  Benjamin  Simms  and  responded 
to  by  the  grand  master. 

Among  the  articles  which  were  placed  in  the  corner  stone 
were  two  leaflets  furnished  by  Susan  B.  Anthony,  one  of 
which  was  eminently  fitted  to  so  repose,  being  a  copy  of  the 
declaration  of  sentiments  expressed  at  the  first  convention 
ever  called  to  discuss  the  civil  and  political  rights  of  women. 
This  convention  was  held  in  Seneca  Falls,  and  during  the  sec- 
ond day,  which  by  a  remarkable  coincidence  was  just  fifty 
years  ago,  July  20,  1848,  a  resolution  was  adopted  urging  the 
elective  franchise  for  women,  which  was  signed  by  Douglass. 
The  other  was  a  copy  of  an  article  written  by  Miss  Anthony 
last  year  for  the  Arena,  giving  in  brief  what  has  been  accom- 
plished for  the  enfranchising  of  women,  since  the  memorable 
convention  alluded  to.  The  other  articles  placed  in  the  stone 
were : 

Road  map  of  Monroe  county;  calendar  for  1898;  book, 
"Slavery  Unmasked,"  by  Rev.  Philo  Tower,  published  by  E. 
Darrow  &  Bro.,  in  1856,  and  donated  by  Mr.  Darrow;  list  of 
those  who  assisted  at  laying  of  the  corner  stone;  members  of 
the  Literary,  Musical  and  Home  Circle,  of  Toronto,  Ont.; 
letter  donating  $1,000  from  the  government  of  Hayti,  and 
note  from  Minister  W.  F.  Powell,  accepting  the  gift;  names 
of  members  of  the  monument  committee  appointed  Novem- 
ber 20,  1894,  and  names  of  members  afterwards  appointed; 
resolutions  of  committee;  notes  of  women's  clubs,  Rochester; 
record  of  the  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M. ;  copies  of  the 
Post  Express,  Democrat  and  Chronicle,  Herald,  Union  and 
Advertiser,  and  Rochester  Times. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CORRESPONDENCE    BETWEEN    MR.    THOMPSON 
AND  THE  HAYTIEN  GOVERNMENT. 

Rochester,  K  Y.,  October  11,  1897. 
Hon.  ^y.  E.  Powell,  Legation  of  the  United  States,  Port  Au 

Prince,  Hayti: 

My  Dear  Sir — I  am  a  stranger  to  you.  I  desire  to  in- 
troduce myself  by  saying  that  I  am  engaged  at  this  time  in 
trving  to  raise  funds  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  monument 
in  this  city  in  memory  of  the  late  Erederick  Douglass,  as  you 
will  see  by  the  enclosed  clippings.  I  write  you  asking  that 
you  use  your  influence  with  President  Sam  in  regard  to  the 
matter  as  I  have  also  written  to  him  to-day  asking  a  con- 
tribution from  his  government  because  Mr.  Douglass  was  at 
one  time  Minister,  representing  this  government  at  Port-au- 
Prince.  He  also  represented  the  government  of  Hayti  at  the 
World's  Fair  at  Chicago.  He  was  indeed  faithful  to  hi* 
trust.  Anything  you  can  do  to  help  along  the  project  will 
be  greatly  appreciated  by  me. 

Yours  very  truly, 

JOHN  W.  THOMPSON. 


In  answer  to  Mr.  Thompson's  first  letter  to  Hon.  W.  F. 
Powell  the  following  was  received: 

Legation  of  the  United  States, 
Port-au-Prince,  Hayti,  December  15,  1897. 
Mr.  John  W.  Thompson,  Rochester,  N.  Y. : 

Sir — Your  favor  of  November  27  reached  me  in  this  mail, 
in  which  you  request  that  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power  to  get 
Hayti  represented  in  the  contribution  of  funds  for  the  pur- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  63 

pose  of  erecting  a  monument  to  commemorate  the  deeds  and 
virtues  of  the  Hon.  Frederick  Douglass,  at  one  time  minister 
resident  and  consul-general  to  this  republic.  My  instructions 
are  of  such  a  character  that  I  cannot  comply  with  the  request 
you  have  made  to  me,  but  whatever  I  can  do  in  an  unofficial 
way  I  will  be  glad  to  do.  AVith  you  I  think  too  much  honor 
cannot  be  done  to  the  dead  hero,  whose  name  should  not  only 
be  imbedded  in  the  marble  monument  you  propose  to  erect, 
but  should  be  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  not  only  this,  but  of 
future  generations. 

Each  child  should  be  taught  from  its  infancy  until  it  has 
gained  the  estate  of  manhood  or  womanhood  of  the  great 
virtues  possessed  by  the  lamented  Douglass.  We,  as  a  race, 
are  prone  too  often  to  forget  those  who  have  been  the  ex- 
ponents of  that  race  in  the  past.  Unless  such  love  is  engen- 
dered on  the  part  of  the  living  to  the  dead,  our  pride  of  race 
will  soon  be  extinct. 

I  cheerfully  wish  you  success  in  this  great  and  grand  move- 
ment on  your  part  toward  the  illustrious  dead.  As  I  have  al- 
ready stated,  in  an  unofficial  way  my  services  are  at  your 
command.     I  have  the  honor  to  remain. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  E.  POWELL. 


J.  W.  Thompson  made  this  reply  to  Mr.  Powell's  letter  of 
December  15,  1897: 

Rochester,  K  Y.,  December  15,  1897. 
Hon.  W.  E.  Powell,  Legation  of  the  United  States,  Hayti: 

My  Dear  Sir — I  am  truly  grateful  to  you  for  the  prompt 
attention  given  my  letter.  I  regret  that  your  instructions  are 
of  such  a  character  as  to  make  you  unable  to  act  in  an  official 
way.  You  can  doubtless  do  much,  however,  in  an  unofficial 
way  which  might  bring  about  some  good  results.  I  am  glad 
you  appreciate  my  efforts  to  erect  a  monument  in  memory 


(54  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  the  hero  of  our  race  and  one  Avho  we  can  say  that  this 
country  is  better  because  he  lived  in  it  and  our  city  is  much 
the  richer  because  his  remains  rest  within  its  walls,  and  his 
monument  though  silent  shall  be  magnificent  and  an  inspira- 
tion to  generations  yet  unborn.  Do  the  best  you  can  and  re- 
member nothing  would  be  more  pleasing  to  me  than  to  have 
Hayti  represented  by  a  contribution  to  this  fund. 
Yours  very  truly, 

JOHN  W.  THOMPSON. 


Hon.  Brutus  St.  Victor's  note  to  Hon.  W.  F.  Powell,  noti- 
fying him  of  the  contribution  to  the  Mounment  Fund,  was  as 
follow-: 

Department  of  State  for  Foreign  Relations, 

Port-au-Prince,  February  11,  1898. 
Mr.  Minister — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  your  letter  of  January  20  last,  -by  which  you  have  trans- 
mitted to  me  a  copy  of  the  one  you  received  from  Mr.  John 
W.  Thompson,  relative  to  the  project  for  the  erection  of  a 
monument  to  the  Honorable  Frederick  Douglass,  who  was 
Minister  Resident  of  the  United  States  to  Hayti,  at  the  same 
time  you  make  an  appeal  for  that  object  to  all  the  admirers 
of  that  great  American  citizen  of  the  same  race  as  he. 

I  had  at  heart,  Mr.  Minister,  to  submit  the  project  to  the 
Council  of  Secretaries  of  State,  under  the  presidence  of  His 
Excellency  the  President  of  the  Republic,  and  I  am  happy  to 
announce  to  you  that  the  government  associating  itself  to  the 
thoughts  of  those  who  have  had  the  initiative  and  wishing  to 
contribute  towards  its  realization,  takes  part  in  the  sub- 
scription opened  for  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars. 

Please  accept,  Mr.  Minister,  the  assurances  of  my  high 
consideration. 

BRUTUS  ST.  VICTOR. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  55 

Hon.  W.  F.  Powell's  acknowledgement  of  the  contribution, 

was  as  follows: 

Legation  of  the  United  States, 
Port-au-Prince,  Hayti,  March  21,  1898. 
Honorable  Brutus  St.  Victor,  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign 

Affairs,  Port-au-Prince,  Hayti: 

Sir — I  note  with  pleasure  your  dispatch  of  March  5,  1898, 
that  your  government  has  directed  you  to  inform  me  that  it 
desires  to  be  commemorated  in  the  monument  about  to  be 
erected  by  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  in  the  city  of 
Rochester,  1ST.  Y.,  a  monument  of  one  of  the  ablest  of  Amer- 
ica's sons,  Frederick  Douglass,  one  whose  voice  was  ever 
raised  in  behalf  of  the  oppressed  not  only  of  his  own  race, 
but  that  of  others  of  other  climes.  He  claimed  for  that  race 
witli  which  he  was  identified,  that  if  equal  advantage  be 
given  it  in  the  race  of  life,  it  would  achieve  equally  great  re- 
sults, as  a  proof  of  this,  it  was  his  pride  to  point  to  the  great 
results  obtained  by  your  Republic  under  the  most  adverse 
circumstances,  from  the  day  that  you  won  your  independ- 
ence from  one  of  the  great  nations  of  the  world  to  the  present 
time.  That  under  all  difficulties  that  have  since  beset  you, 
isolated  as  it  were  from  the  great  family  of  nations,  you  have 
maintained  your  integrity,  and  with  it  the  honor  of  your  Re- 
public, neither  of  which  have  become  tarnished  or  diminished 
by  age,  until  to-day  you  stand  as  the  recognized  factor  of 
what  a  race  can  achieve  under  the  blissful  light  of  freedom, 
of  independence. 

The  last  days  of  his  life,  he  often  referred  to  the  happy 
hours  he  passed  in  your  midst  as  the  representative  of  a  gov- 
ernment that  at  one  time  denied  to  him  and  the  members  of 
his  race  the  common  attributes  pertaining  to  man. 

Permit  me,  sir,  to  express  to  you  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, and  the  committee  associated  with  him,  and  to  you,  Mr. 


66 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Minister,  personally,  their  thanks  as  well  as  my  own  for  this 
grateful  act  to  this  illustrious  American  citizen. 

Accept,  Mr.  Minister,  my  high  regard  and  personal  esteem, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  F.  POWELL. 


March  29  Mr.  Thompson  received  the  following: 

Legation  of  the  United  States, 
Port-au-Prince,  Hayti,  March  21,  1898. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Thompson,  Chairman  Douglass  Monument  Fund, 

Rochester,  N".  Y. : 

Sir — I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  the  Haytien  govern- 
ment has  contributed  to  the  monument  fund  to  the  memory 
of  the  late  Frederick  Douglass  the  sum  of  $1,000.  This  sum 
I  will  send  to  you  by  draft  upon  the  return  of  the  Foreign 
Secretary.  If  you  have  this  correspondence  published  have 
the  same  also  inserted  in  some  of  our  race  papers,  as  the 
"Age,"  or  the  "Colored  American."  Be  kind  enough  to  send 
two  or  three  copies  of  the  same  to  hand  to  members  of  the 
Cabinet.  At  the  same  time  will  you  also  send  me  a  copy  of 
paper  that  contained  my  reply  to  your  previous  letter.  I  am 
very  glad,  sir,  this  amount  has  been  secured  (and  congratulate 
you  upon  the  same  and  a  speedy  erection  of  the  monument, 
and  with  it  a  happy  conclusion  of  your  labor  and  that  of  the 
committe  associated  with  you. 

I  am,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  F.  POWELL. 


Legation  of  the  United  States, 
Port-au-Prince,  Hayti,  April  13,  1898. 
Hon.  John  Sherman,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C: 
Sir — I  respectfully  inform  the  department  that  this  re- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  Qf 

public  has  donated  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  towards 
the  erection  of  a  monument  by  the  citizens  of  Rochester  in 
that  city,  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Hon.  Frederick  Doug- 
lass, at  one  time  Minister  Resident  and  Consul-General  here. 

I  inclose  copies  of  correspondence  that  has  taken  place  be- 
tween the  Secretary  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  the  Legation. 

I  have  the  honor,  sir,  etc.,  etc., 

W.  F.  POWELL. 


Legation  of  the  United  States, 
Port-au-Prince,  Hayti,  August  15,  1898. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Thompson,  Chairman  Douglass  Monument  Fund, 
Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Sir — I  have  sent  by  this  mail  to  the  State  Department, 
Washington,  the  promised  draft  from  the  Haytien  govern- 
ment. I  will  endeavor  to  send  also  photograph  of  Cabinet 
by  this  mail.  I  trust  your  imposing  exercises  in  unveiling  the 
monument  of  the  illustrious  Douglass  will  be  crowned  with 
success.  Respectfully  yours, 

W.  F.  POWELL. 


Department  of  State, 
Washington,  April  29,  1898. 
His  Honor,  the  Mayor  of  Rochester,  1ST.  Y. : 

Sir — I  enclose  for  the  information  of  the  citizens  of  Roch- 
ester copy  of  a  dispatch  from  our  Minister  to  Hayti,  report- 
ing that  that  Republic  has  donated  one  thousand  dollars 
toward  the  erection  of  a  monument  in  your  city  to  the  late 
Frederick  Douglass,  at  one  time  Minister  Resident  and  Con- 
sul General  to  Hayti. 

Respectfully  yours, 
J.  B.  MOORE, 

Acting  Secretary. 


gg  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Department  of  State, 
Washington,  August  31,  1898. 
J.  W.  Thompson,  Esquire,  Chairman  Douglass  Monument 
Committee : 

Sir — Eeferring  to  the  Department's  letter  of  April  29  last 
to  the  Mayor  of  Rochester,  and  by  him  referred  to  your  com- 
mittee, whereby  the  information  was  conveyed  that  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  Republic  of  Hayti  would  donate  the  sum  of 
$1,000.00  towards  the  erection  at  Rochester  of  a  monument 
in  commemoration  of  the  late  Frederick  Douglass,  I  have 
now  to  enclose,  as  Hayti's  contribution  to  the  above  object, 
a  draft,  No.  2,515,  for  $990.10,  United  States  currency, 
drawn  by  Oh.  Weymann  &  Company,  Port-au-Prince,  Au- 
gust 22,  1898,  on  Messrs.  Lyon  &  Company,  New  York,  to 
the  order  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  Washington,  and  by  me 
endorsed  to  the  order  of  the  Douglass  Monument  Committee, 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  which  draft  was  handed  by  the  Minister 
for  Foreign  Affairs  of  Hayti  to  the  Minister  of  the  United 
States  at  Port-au-Prince  and  was  by  the  latter  forwarded  to 
this  Department. 

I  shall  be  pleased  to  have  you  acknowledge  its  receipt. 
Respectfully  yours, 

J.  B.  MOORE, 
Acting  Secretary. 


J.  W.  Thompson  tendered  thanks  to  the  government  of 
Hayti,  and  received  the  following  from  Washington: 

Department  of  State, 
Washington,  September  7,  1898. 
John  W.   Thompson,  Esquire,  Chairman  of  the    Douglass 
Monument  Committee: 

Sir — I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of 
the  3d  instant,  expressing  gratitude  for  the  donation  made  by 
the  Haytien  government  to  the  Douglass  monument  fund. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  QQ 

A  copy  of  your  letter  has  been  forwarded  to  our  Legation 
at  Port-au-Prince.  Eespectfully  yours, 

J.  B.  MOORE, 

Acting  Secretary. 


Department  of  State, 
Washington,  May  18,  1898. 
John  W.  Thompson,  Esquire,  Rochester,  N.  Y. : 

Sir — In  compliance  with  the  request  contained  in  your 
letter  of  the  16th  instant,  our  Minister  at  Port-au-Prince  ha3 
been  instructed  to  present  to  the  Haytien  Foreign  Office  the 
thanks  of  the  Frederick  Douglass  Monument  Committee  for 
the  donation  made  by  the  government  of  Hayti  to  the  erec- 
tion of  the  monument  to  Mr.  Douglass. 

Respectfully  yours, 

J.  B.  MOORE, 
Assistant  Secretary. 


Department  of  State, 
Washington,  July  12,  1898. 
J.  W.  Thompson,  Esquire,  Chairman,  Douglass  Monument 
Committee,  Rochester,  !N".  Y.: 

Sir — I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of 
the  7th  instant  asking  that  the  United  States  Minister  to 
Hayti  be  informed  that  the  Douglass  monument  is  to  be  un- 
veiled on  the  14th  of  September  in  your  city  and  that  he  be 
requested  to  extend  an  invitation  to  the  President  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Cabinet  of  Hayti  to  be  present. 

Copy  of  your  letter  has  been  transmitted  to  Mr.  Powell 
with  instructions  to  communicate  the  contents  to  the  Haytien 
government.  Respectfully  yours, 

J.  B.  MOORE, 

Acting  Secretary. 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Department  of  State, 
Washington,  August  17,  1898. 
J.  W.  Thompson,  Esquire,  Chairman  Douglass  Monument 
Committee,  Rochester,  1ST.  Y. : 

Sir — Referring  to  your  letter  of  the  7th  ultimo,  and  to 
the  Department's  reply  of  the  12th  ultimo,  I  have. now  to 
inform  you  that  our  [Minister  at  Port-au-Prince  reports  to 
the  Department,  under  date  of  the  1st  instant,  that  Mr.  J. 
!N\  Leger,  the  Minister  of  Hayti  at  this  capital,  will  repre- 
sent the  President  of  Hayti  and  his  Cabinet  at  the  unveiling 
of  the  Douglass  monument  at  Rochester,  !N\  T. 

Respectfully  yours, 
J.  B.  MOORE, 

Acting  Secretary. 


CHAPTER  X. 

MUSICS  L  AND  LITERARY  ENTERTAIXMEXT  AND 

DOUGLASS  BIRTHDAY  EXERCISES. 

A  pleasing  literary  and  musical  entertainment  was  given 
in  Unitarian  Church,  May  11,  1898,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Douglass  monument  fund. 

"Frederick  Douglass"  was  the  subject  of  an  address  by 
Mr.  James  M.  E.  O'Grady.  He  briefly  but  vividly  and  com- 
prehensively sketched  the  life  of  the  noted  orator  and  emanci- 
pator, from  its  beginning  as  a  slave  on  a  Southern  plantation 
to  its  peaceful  conclusion  in  the  Nation's  capital.  In  conclud- 
ing Mr.  O'Grady  said: 

"In  summing  up  the  career  of  Frederick  Douglass,  one  is 
at  a  loss  to  select  the  capacity  in  which  he  excelled.  He  was 
great  as  an  orator,  as  a  writer,  as  a  debator,  and  as  an  admin- 
istrator of  business  affairs.  As  an  orator  he  ranks  in  the  first- 
class.  Those  who  once  heard  him  can  never  forget  him.  The 
impression  left  upon  his  hearers  was  indelible.  His  splendid 
personal  appearance,  his  magnificent  head,  his  graceful  and 
appropriate  gestures,  his  voice,  sweet,  low,  persuasive,  harsh, 
forbidding,  sonorous  or  clarion-like,  swayed  his  hearers  at  his 
sweet  will.  It  is  true  that  his  greatest  effect  was  upon  his 
immediate  hearers,  and  these  he  could  move  to  laughter  or 
to  tears  at  his  pleasure.  He  had  great  logic,  deep  sarcasm 
and  inimitable  wit. 

"I  well  remember  the  impression  made  upon  me  upon  the 
last  occasion  upon  which  I  heard  Douglass  in  Rochester.  It 
was  at  an  open  air  meeting  held  in  Franklin  Square,  to  cele- 
brate Memorial  Day.  The  sun  shone  brightly  through  the 
newly  leafed  trees  upon  an  immense  throng  that  almost  com- 
pletely filled  the  inclosure.  On  a  stand  in  the  center  of  the 
park  stood  the  orator.  He  was  then  between  65  and  70  years 
of  age,  robust,  rugged,  and  in  the  fullness  of    his    manly 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE 

strength.  For  upwards  of  an  hour  he  spoke  most  eloquently, 
holding  the  absolute  attention  of  his  hearers,  and  profoundly 
moving  them  with  the  pathos  and  patriotism  of  his  utter- 
ances. To  speak  to  and  hold  the  attention  of  an  audience  in 
the  open  air  is  the  greatest  test  to  which  a  public  speaker  can 
be  put;  and  I  know  of  no  man  who  could  excel  Douglass  in 
this  power. 

"Many  people  rank  Douglass  higher  as  a  writer  than  an 
orator,  and  believe  that  his  work  in  this  line  will  live  longest. 
He  was  indefatigable  as  ;i  worker.  He  entered  in  news- 
papers and  did  all  the  drudgery  connected  therewith  in  the 
early  days.  He  cull  ivated  a  pure  and  graceful  style,  and  I  he 
volume  and  felicity  of  his  expression  is  really  amazing  to  one 
who  knows  his  history.  He  read  far  and  wide,  and  was  a 
hard  student.  He  was  a  self-made  man  in  every  sense.  He 
illustrated  another  exception  in  that  he  demonstrated  the 
fact  that  it  is  not  always  necessary  for  a  man  to  be  a  college 
graduate  to  succeed  m  literary  life.  Although  university 
education  was  wanting  to  him,  he  made  up  for  it  by  intense 
application  to  the  work  of  college  men.  He  never  believed 
liis  education  was  finished,  but  was  a  student  until  the  day  of 
1 1 is  death. 

"To  an  American  the  lesson  of  this  man's  life  can  never 
l>e  lost.  To  rise  from  the  lowliest  and  most  hopeless  con- 
dition to  a  position  of  great  power  among  the  rulers  of  the 
nation,  by  one's  own  personal  efforts,  is  possible  only  in  the 
great  republic  founded  upon  the  equality  of  all  men  before 
the  law.  And  when  the  example  is  that  of  a  member  of  a 
down  trodden  race,  lifting  himself  from  absolute  human 
slavery  and  bondage,  by  self  education  and  self  effort,  and 
against  the  greatest  odds,  to  a  point  where  he  becomes  the 
chosen  constitutional  instrument  to  receive  and  record  the 
vote  of  the  greatest  state  of  the  Union  for  the  highest  office 
of  the  nation,  and  the  chosen  representative  of  that  nation 


D( >UGLA88   MON1  Mi.  ;'i  <jrg 

in   the  making  of  it     treaty   with   •>>   foreign  conn 
directly  does  it  come  dom':  to  us  that  our  country  i-  founded 
upon  the  very  rock  of  human  liberty.     Truly  will  the 
of  tlii-  man  live  after  him. 

"His  race  can  alway  poinl  to  him  as  a  star  of  the  first  mag 
nitudc.  What  he  was  others  within  human  limitation  may 
become-  Mi-  oratorical  ability  may  be  Impossible  of  accom 
plishment,  because  they  w<  re  God  given  gifts;  bu1 

position,  tin:  uprightness  of  his  character,  his 
high  sense  of  honor,  and  his  honesty  and  integrity  '•;>))  be 
attained  of  nil  men.     Not  only  hi.-;  own  race  may  profit  b; 

pie;  ;ill  men,  of  what<  rer  race  or  creed  <>r  color,  can 
point  to  liim  with  pride,  as  one  of  the  noblest  examph 
human  endeavor,  to  be  emulated  as  long  ;«-  the  human  c 
acter  t<  nds  upwards  towards  the  highest  ideal 

DOUG 

Dougla  1  birthday  <  1  rcises  vere  held  at  Plymouth  Church, 
February  15,  L897,  under  the  management  of  the  Woe 
Club,  to  commemorate  the  birthday  anniversary  of  the  fore 
most  repre  entative  of  t } j r -  colored  race.  The  object  of  this 
meeting  was  twofold:  To  preserve  the  memory  :>n<]  eulogize 
the  life  of  Douglass  ;«r"l  to  further  the  project  for  ered  1 
monument  to  him. 

Plymouth  Congregational  Church  threw  open  ii    doo 

such  a  meeting;  and  the  spacious  edifice  was  thronged.   Every 

taken  and  extra  "hair-  were  brought  in  and  utilized 

in  ;ill  available  spaces.     There  were  many  colored  people  in 

the  audience;  and  seated  side  by  side  with  them  were  some  of 

pres<  ntative  citizens  of  Roche 

Ov<  -  '!.'  '-  w  formerly  occupied  by  Douglass  and  hi-  fam- 
ily were  emblematic  decorations;  and  immediately  in  fronl  of 
the  pulpit  was  ;i  large  portrait  of  the  man  to  whose  memory 
nearly  two  thousand  citizens  of  Roc  embled  to 

do  honor  and  reverence 


74 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Susan  B.  Anthony  presided,  in  itself  an  honor  to  the  occa- 
sion. On  her  left  was  seated  Rev.  Anna  Shaw,  who  had 
come  on  to  Rochester  to  spend  her  fiftieth  birthday  with  Miss 
Anthony,  who  to-day  celebrates  her  seventy-seventh  birthday 
anniversary.  On  Miss  Anthony's  right  sat  Mrs.  Victoria 
Earle  Mathews,  who  represents  the  National  Association  of 
Colored  Women  in  the  movement  for  the  erection  of  a  mon- 
ument to  Frederick  Douglass.  Others  on  the  pulpit  plat- 
form were  Rev.  William  F.  Kettle,  pastor  of  Plymouth. 
Church,  and  Mrs.  R.  J.  Jeffrey,  president  of  the  local  Col- 
ored Woman's  Club. 

In  opening  the  meeting  Miss  Anthony  said : 

"I  am  very  happy  to  be  here  to-night  in  Plymouth  Church, 
not  only  because  it  is  the  church  which  Frederick  Douglass 
and  the  members  of  his  family  attended,  but  because  it  is  the 
church  which  my  elder  sister  and  my  brother-in-law  attended 
for  many  years;  and  as  I  used  sometimes  to  accompany  them 
I  feel  that  I  am  not  altogether  a  stranger  in  Plymouth 
Church. 

"I  think  there  is  no  one  who  remembers  that  magnificent 
figure  of  Frederick  Douglass  but  cherishes  the  memory  of 
one  whom  they  estimated  to  be  at  least  a  very  marked  figure 
in  their  presence;  a  man  who,  if  he  had  not  had  the  taint  of 
slavery  in  his  veins,  would  have  taken  the  very  highest  place 
as  an  orator  and  as  a  statesman  in  this  city  and  in  this  coun- 
try. 

"I  never  shall  forget  what  was  said  by  him  that  night  when 
the  news  reached  us  that  Lincoln  had  been  murdered.  There 
was  a  meeting  in  City  Hall.  There  were  speeches  by  prom- 
inent men,  ministers,  the  president  of  the  University  and 
others.  ]STone  felt  that  the  very  soul  of  the  matter  had  been 
touched,  however,  till  someone  called  for  Douglass.  He 
made  a  speech  that  thrilled  the  heart  and  stirred  the  soul 
of  every  listener.     But  because  of  the  taint  of  slavery  that 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  75 

brooded  down  upon  him  he  had  never  before  been  recognized 
among  his  fellow  men  and  women,  until  that  night." 

Later  in  the  meeting  Miss  Anthony  mentioned  the  names 
of  the  following  Rochesterians  among  the  few  who  in  those 
days  accorded  Douglass  the  friendship  due  him  as  a  man  and 
a  fellow  human  being:  Amy  Post,  Ida  Post,  Miss  Maria 
Porter,  her  brother,  Samuel  Porter. 

Miss  Anthony  stated  that  when  she  promised  to  preside  at 
the  meeting  she  at  once  wrote  to  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton, 
of  the  following  Rocheslerians  among  the  few  who  in  those 
assembled.  Mrs.  Stanton  was  a  staunch  friend  of  Douglass, 
who  had  championed  the  cause  of  equal  suffrage  for  her  in 
the  -first  woman's  political  convention,  called  in  Seneca  Falls, 
July  19,  1848,  winning  a  majority  vote  for  Mrs.  Stanton's 
proposition  that  the  right  of  franchise  was  the  first  right 
of  every  individual  from  an  assembly  that  had  at  first  been 
opposed  to  it.  Mrs.  Stanton's  reply,  which  was  read  by  Miss 
Anthony,  was  as  follows: 

26  West  Sixty-first  Street, 

New  York,  Feb.  13,  1897. 

Dear  Miss  Anthony:  For  noble  Frederick  Douglass  1 
have  varied  memories;  sad  for  all  he  suffered  from  cruel 
prejudices  against  his  race  and  the  insults  to  his  proud 
nature;  and  pleasant  for  the  tender  love  and  friendship  of 
his  noble  soul.  I  love  him  as  he  loved  me,  for  the  indignities 
we  alike  endured.  I  am  happy  to  learn  that  the  people  of 
Rochester,  who  would  never  treat  him  as  a  social  equal  when 
living,  purpose  to  build  a  monument  to  his  memory  at  last. 

On  a  visit  once  at  Peterboro,  Douglass  came  there,  too. 
Some  Southern  women  guests  wrote  a  note  to  Mr.  Smith  to 
know  "if  Douglass  would  sit  in  the  parlor  and  at  the  dining 
table;  if  so  they  would  remain  in  their  rooms."  My  cousin 
replied:  "Certainly,  he  will.  I  feel  honored  to  have  the 
greatest  man  that  ever  graduated  from  the  'Southern  Tnsti- 


7(5  HISTORY  OF  THE 

tution'  under  my  roof."  When  Douglass  arrived,  Cousin 
Gerrit  met  him  with  open  arms  and  kissed  him  on  either 
cheek.  He  staved  with  us  two  weeks,  and  all  that  time  the 
two  ladies  took  their  meals  in  their  apartments,  while  the 
rest  of  us  walked  about  the  grounds,  sat  under  the  trees, 
played  games  and  sang  songs  with  Douglass,  he  playing  the 
accompaniment  on  the  guitar.  Our  ladies,  in  their  solitude, 
no  doubt  often  regretted  that  they  were  voluntary  exiles 
from  all  our  enjoyments. 

I  met  Douglass  for  the  last  time  in  Paris,  when  he  and  his 
wife  dined  with  my  son  Theodore.  On  parting  he  said: 
"You  have  been  denied  the  rights  of  an  American  citizen  be- 
cause of  your  sex,  I  because  of  my  color !  I  hope  we  shall 
stand  on  equal  ground  with  the  angels  in  heaven  !"  "Alas !" 
said  I,  "we  better  not  be  too  sure  of  that;  earthly  prejudices 
die  hard.  There  may  be  those  who  will  write  Peter  a  note 
to  know  if  you  and  I  are  to  be  there — and  if  so  they  will  take 
their  meals  in  their  own  apartments!''  How  hateful  any 
prejudice  looks  in  retrospection  !  I  am  thankful  I  never  had 
hut  one,  and  that  one  I  have  sedulously  cultivated  year  by 
year.  When  I  reach  heaven  I  shall  write  a  note  to  Peter 
to  know  if  there  are  any  religious  bigots  there — and  if  so 
to  request  them  to  stay  in  their  own  apartments,  leaving  the 
negroes,  women,  infidels,  Socialists,  Jews,  Chinese  and  In- 
dians free  to  roam  whithersoever  they  will. 

When  in  Paris,  my  son  took  Douglass  to  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies  and  introduced  him  to  the  member  who  had  ban- 
ished slavery  from  all  the  French  colonies.  His  name  I  can- 
not recall.  He  is  always  spoken  of  as  the  William  Lloyd 
Garrison  of  the  Chamber.  When  he  met  Douglass,  he,  too 
threw  his  arms  about  him  and  kissed  him  on  either  cheek. 
"Ah !"  said  he,  "you  are  the  one  American  above  all  others  I 
have  longed  to  see !"  Think  of  such  a  man  born  a  slave  in 
this  republic !     A  political  nonentity,   a  social  pariah !  in- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  7- 

ferior  in  position  to  all  ignorant  white  men  and  women ! 
Then  think  of  seventy-five  years  in  such  an  atmosphere !  It 
is  a  depressing  thought  to  estimate  his  feelings;  but  infinitely 
worse  to  have  been  one  of  the  number  who  helped  thus  to 
degrade  a  man.  I  never  felt  more  deeply  this  hateful  preju- 
dice of  color  than  when  witnessing  in  an  Episcopal  church  the 
administering  of  the  communion:  After  a  succession  of 
white  men  and  women  had  knelt  at  the  altar,  a  splendid  black 
man,  who,  dressed  in  new  livery,  looked  like  an  African 
prince,  so  stately  was  his  carriage  as  he  walked  up  the  aisle 
and  knelt  alone  to  receive  the  communion.  A  little  white 
child  under  his  care  slowly  followed  and  seated  herself  beside 
him.  "When  the  service  ended,  hand  in  hand  they  walked 
back  to  the  negro  pew !  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  vir- 
tue, respected  by  the  whole  community,  loved  and  honored 
bv  the  family  he  served;  yet  no  Christian  could  celebrate 
the  last  supper  in  memory  of  Jesus  by  his  side  ! 

I  sincerely  wish  the  monument  Eochester  proposes  to  build 
in  honor  of  Douglass  might  be  a  schoolhouse  or  a  tenement 
for  the  poor.  It  seems  a  pity  to  raise  so  many  useless  shafts 
of  marble  and  granite,  while  the  homes  of  the  poor,  the 
schools  and  prisons  are  so  overcrowded ! 

With  best  wishes  to  all  assembled,  and  for  many  public 
honors  to  Frederick  Douglass,  an  eloquent  orator,  a  faithfui 
friend  and  a  lover  of  justice,  liberty  and  equality  for  all  man- 
kind !  No  Parian  marble  too  pure  for  his  monument;  no 
garlands  too  beautiful  for  his  shrine  ! 
With  sincere  love, 

ELIZABETH  CADY  STANTON". 

Applause  greeted  the  reading  of  Mrs.  Stanton's  letter;  and 
then  Hiss  Anthony  introduced  as  the  speaker  of  the  evening, 
Mrs.  Victoria  Earle  Mathews,  representing  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Women,  who  made  a  tour  through  the  country 
in  the  interests  of  the  women  of  her  race. 


7g  HISTORY  OF  THE 

In  presenting  Mrs.  Mathews  the  chairman  told  how, 
upon  being  introduced  to  her  at  the  Unitarian  Church 
the  day  before  she  had  asked:  "Mrs.  Mathews,  is  it 
possible  there  is  a  drop  of  black  blood  in  jour  veins?''  "I 
tell  you  I  was  born  a  slave,"  was  Mrs.  Mathews'  reply. 
"What  were  we  thinking  of,"  exclaimed  Miss  Anthony, 
"when  fathers  sold  their  own  sons  and  daughters  on  the  auc- 
tion block  and  counted  them  merely  as  so  much  goods  and 
chattels  I" 

Mrs.  V.  E.  Mathews  expressed  some  embarrassment  in  ad- 
dressing so  large  an  audience,  saying  that  nothing  but  the 
seriousness  of  her  cause  could  prompt  her  to  stand  as  a 
speaker  upon  the  platform  with  Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony  and 
Miss  Anna  Shaw  arid  attempt  to  address  so  large  an  audience. 

After  stating  that  she  was  the  representative  of  a  Na- 
tional movement  of  women  of  her  race  Mrs.  Mathews  drew  a 
vivid  picture  of  the  condition  of  the  mothers  and  young  girls 
in  the  South,  as  they  flock  to  the  cities  from  the  plantations 
and  find  their  way  to  the  slums.  "What  is  being  done  for 
them"  she  asked.  "What  is  to  be  done  for  them?  Have 
you  ever  stopped  to  think  of  the  seriousness  of  this  ques- 
tion?" 

Turning  to  a  consideration  of  the  proposed  monument  to 
the  memory  of  Frederick  Douglass  the  speaker  took  issue 
with  Mrs.  Stanton's  suggestion  of  a  utilitarian  memorial, 
speaking  in  part  as  follows: 

"Ours  is  a  communion  of  tears.  We  know  that  our  chil- 
dren are  naked  and  ignorant  and  in  need  of  schools;  we 
know  that  there  is  great  need  of  rescue  and  relief  of  homes; 
we  do  not  underestimate  the  value  of  education;  but  as 
mothers  we  see  the  destiny  and  ambition  of  our  children 
hanging  in  the  balance,  but  as  to  a  monument  in  memory  of 
Frederick  Douglass  the  (colored  people  have  one  to  whom 
they  can  point  as  an  example,  an  incentive,  to  their  children. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  79 

When  it  is  known  that  worth  and  not  power  will  be  honored 
it  will  indeed  stimulate  a  higher  type  of  the  youth  of  our 
race." 

Rev.  Anna  Shaw  beamed  with  enthusiasm  as  she  rose  to 
deliver  the  final  address  of  the  evening.  She  was  glad  that 
Mrs.  Mathews,  with  her  white  face,  still  belonged  to  the 
African  race.  And  the  speaker  expressed  regret  that  she 
too  had  not  a  drop  of  black  blood  in  her  veins,  so  that  she 
might  take  her  sister  by  the  hand  and  say:  "I,  too,  am  of 
your  people." 

Miss  Shaw  agreed  with  Mrs.  Mathews  on  the  monument 
question,  saying: 

"It  is  seldom  that  Mrs.  Stanton  makes  a  mistake;  but  she 
did  so  there,  when  she  allowed  her  love  of  the  utilitarian  to 
prompt  her  to  suggest  a  schoolhouse  or  a  tenement  house 
for  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  Frederick  Douglass. 
This  monument  is  to  be  for  the  American  people,  to  recall 
To  them  the  greatness  of  this  man,  who  was  born  a  slave, 
but  who  lived  to  take  his  place  among  the  noblest  of  human 
kind.  The  one  thing  We  need  is  more  monuments,  not 
fewer. 

"No,  let  him  stand,  magnificent  in  bronze,  where  people 
can  see  that  wonderful,  that  collossal  figure  of  him  who, 
born  a  slave  yet  lived  to  die  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  one 
of  the  foremost  nations  of  the  world;  one  at  whose  bier 
statesmen  stood  in  silent  reverence;  one  who  lived  the  life, 
of  a  man;  born  a  slave,  but  not  enslaved;  one  who  stood  firm 
for  the  principle  of  universal  liberty,  who  recognized  the 
great  law  of  universal  freedom;  one  who  recognized  that  one 
only  is  our  Father,  even  God,  and  that  we  are  all  brethren. 

"Rochester  will  never  have  the  opportunity  to  honor  her- 
self as  she  will  have  it  in  helping  the  colored  citizens  to  erect 
a  monument  not  only  for  Frederick  Douglass  and  his  race, 
but  for  all  the  American  people." 


8Q  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony  then  announced  that  a  collection 
would  be  taken,  the  proceeds  to  be  devoted  to  the  Douglass 
Memorial  Fund.  Her  apt  and  pointed  eloquence  in  this  line 
was  not  without  its  effect. 


ENOCH     K.     SPAULDING. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

UNVEILING  EXERCISES  AND  DISAPPOINTMENT 
AT  NON-ARRIVAL  OF  STATUE. 

The  Chairman  of  the  committee  fixed  the  date  for  the  un- 
veiling exercises,  September  14th,  according  to  the  follow- 
ing from  the  agent  of  the  Smith  Granite  Company,  W'ester- 

lJ>  E-  L:  Utica,  N.  Y.,  April  5,  1898. 

John  W.  Thompson,  Chairman  Committee  of  Douglass  Me- 
morial, Rochester,  N.  Y. : 

Dear  Mr.  Thompson:  Yours  received.  I  presume  with- 
out doubt,  that  our  sculptor  is  in  Washington,  although  the 
company  have  not  notified  me.  There  will  be  no  doubt 
about  getting  the  statue  ready  by  August  2d.  The  monu- 
ment is  a  small  matter  as  it  is  all  done  now  except  the  panels. 
I  inclose  plan  of  the  lettering  which  shows  its  location  on 
the  die.  These  all  have  to  be  cast  in  plaster  and  then  in 
bronze. 

Kindly  see  that  they  are  correct  in  every  particular  and 
return  to  me  as  soon  as  possible  and  I  will  forward  to 
Westerly.  I  am,  Mr.  Thompson, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 
(Dictated)  G.  W.  SANBORN. 

All  arrangements  for  the  unveiling  exercises  were  complet- 
ed and  invitations  to  the  family  had  been  sent,  and  accepted, 
and  these  were  present:  Mrs.  Helen  Douglass,  Mrs.  Rosa 
Douglass  Sprague,  Miss  F.  Douglass  Sprague,  Messrs. 
Charles  R.  Douglass,  Lewis  H.  Douglass  and  Joseph  H. 
Douglass,  grandsons  of  Fredrick  Douglass,  with  many  other 
persons  of  note,  from  many  sections  of  the  country. 

It  was  not  known  until  the  afternoon  of  September  12th 
that  the  statue  would  not  be  in  the  city  for  unveiling. 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE 

After  writing  and  telegraphing  for  some  days  the  fid- 
lowing  were  received: 

Utica,  X.  Y.j  September  12.  1898. 
John  W.  Thompson,  Rochester,  X.  Y. : 

Am  writing  to  Westerly  to  find  out  about  statue. 

G.  W.  SAXBORX. 

The  same  day  this  was  received  by  the  Chairman: 

Westerly,  R.  I.,  September  12th. 
John  W.  Thompson: 

Douglass  statue  cannot  be  shipped  from  Philadelphia  until 
26th.      See  letter. 

SMITH  GRAXITE  COMPAXY. 

On  receiving  the  news  the  feeling  of  disappointment  can- 
not be  described.  Charles  R.  Douglass,  who  had  gone  to 
Brockport  to  visit  friends  after  reading  of  the  disappoint- 
ment in  the  newspapers,  called  up  Chairman  Thompson  over 
the  telephone  and  advised  him  to  go  on  with  the  exercises 
which  he  did. 

At  2  o'clock,  September  14,  1S98,  nearly  three  thousand 
people  assembled  in  Fitzhugh  Hall  to  pay  honor  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Douglass. 

The  contractors  who  were  to  model  and  cast  the  bronze 
statue  of  Frederick  Douglass  failed  to  have  the  statue  in 
the  city.  The  unveiling  ceremonies  did  not  take  place  in 
the  morning,  but  the  exercises  attending  the  presentation 
of  the  monument  to  the  city  were  held  in  the  afternoon  and 
<  vening  at  Fitzhugh  Hall,  addresses  being  delivered  by  prom- 
inent orators,  the  monument  being  formally  accepted  in  be- 
half of  the  city  by  Mayor  Warner.  The  audience,  which  al- 
most entirely  filled  the  hall,  was  composed  of  some  of  Roch- 
ester's foremost  citizens,  the  representatives  of  both  races 
being  about  evenly  divided.  Upon  the  platform  were  seat- 
ed, beside  the  general  committee  and  the  speakers,  members 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  83 

of  the  Park  Board  and  Common  Council,  prominent  residents 
and  representatives  of  the  old  abolitionist  families  of  the 
city.     The  interest  of  all  present  was  held  until  the  end. 

Born  in  obscurity,  forced  to  endure  the  tutelage  of  slav- 
ery, within  sight  and  sound  of  the  ceaseless  service  our  na- 
tion offered  up  to  liberty,  breaking  the  bonds  of  his  slavery 
and  mastering  all  the  arts  of  civilization,  of  intellectual  de- 
velopment, of  high  manhood,  working  with  the  energy  of  a 
Titan  for  the  freed  of  his  fellow  serfs,  and  finding  time  to 
plead  for  the  rights  of  women,  suffering  untold  indignities, 
fleeing  before  the  agents  of  a  nation  that  stood  for  the  rights 
of  men  and  religions,  and  triumphing  at  last  until  his  name 
and  fame  were  honored  in  the  land,  Frederick  Douglass  was 
the  grand  disciple  of  an  oppressed  race. 

And  so,  September  14th,  in  the  full  light  of  the  end  of 
the  century's  humanity,  in  the  glow  of  a  nation's  victory  for 
the  cause  of  manhood,  in  the  city  where  he  found  a  haven 
when  the  clouds  were  darkest,  the  name  of  Frederick  Doug- 
lass was  honored,  not  alone  by  men  of  his  race,  who  showed  in 
their  intellectual  powers  the  fruits  of  the  rights  for  which  the 
great  freedman  strove,  but  also  by  prominent  public  men, 
who  in  the  years  past  had  fought  the  fight  against  prejudice, 
and  had  even  taken  up  arms  against  their  brothers  to  defend 
flic  helpless  slaves. 

It  was  the  prophecy  of  Wendell  Phillips  come  true.  The 
name  of  the  shire  was  printed  in  the  great  sunlight  of  truth, 
the  name  of  the  man,  who,  with  the  matchless  orator  and 
Garrison,  the  sturdy  newspaper  man,  were  the  first  apostles 
of  liberty. 

THE  EXERCISES  AT  FITZHUGH  HALL. 

The  city  of  Rochester  again  took  pride  in  honoring  the 
name  of  Frederick  Douglass.  After  months  of  arduous 
work,  the  committee  having  in  charge  the  matter  of  the 
erection  of  a  monument  to  his  memory  was  able  to  report 


§4  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  work  completed,  although  even  at  the  last  unavoidable 
circumstances  prevented  the  unveiling  of  the  monument  it- 
self. This'  fact,  nevertheless,  did  not  detract  from  the  inter- 
est or  significance  of  the  memorial  exercises  which  were 
held  in  Fitzhugh  Hall. 

Among  the  prominent  persons  who  were  present  at  the 
exercises  were  Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony;  T.  Thomas  Fortune, 
of  New  York,  editor  of  The  Age;  John  H.  Smyth,  of  Vir- 
ginia, ex-minister  to  Liberia;  Hon.  John  C.  Dancy,  collector 
of  customs  of  the  port  of  Wilmington,  X.  C. ;  Chris.  J. 
Perry,  editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Tribune;  Miss  Mary  An- 
thony, Hon.  Arthur  E.  Sutherland,  Judge  George  A.  Ben- 
ton, Mayor  George  E.  Warner,  Mrs.  Jean  Brooks  Greenleaf, 
Dr.  E.  M.  Moore,  Bishop  Alexander  Walters,  D.  D.,  James 
N".  jSTeib,  editor  of  a  prominent  journal  in  Philadelphia,  and 
all  of  the  surviving  members  of  the  family  of  Frederick 
Douglass,  including  his  children  and  grandchildren. 

WHY  THE  STATUE  WAS  NOT  UNVEILED. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  committee  to  have  the  statue 
of  Douglass  in  the  city  and  placed  for  the  unveiling,  but 
Chairman  Thompson  presented  the  following  letter  to  ex- 
plain why  the  ceremony  w7as  postponed: 

Westerly,  K.  I.,  Sept,  12,  1898. 
J.  W.  Thompson,  Esq.,  Rochester,  N.  Y.: 

Dear  Sir:  After  receiving  your  telegram  on  the  9th  we 
telegraphed  to  Philadelphia  for  the  earliest  date,  and  re- 
ceived reply  that  they  would  ship  the  statue  on  the  26th. 
We  wrote  them,  asking  them  to  hurry  it  and  ship  it  as  much 
earlier  than  the  26th  as  they  possibly  could. 

You  doubtless  know  that  we  had  delays  in  Washington, 
caused  by  our  Mr.  Edwards  being  unable  to  obtain  the  as- 
sistance he  required,  which  has  put  us  behind  just  the  num- 
ber of  days  to  complete  the  statue  on  time.  A  letter  to  this 
effect  was  dictated  to  you  on  the  9th,  but  by  an  oversight 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  35 

on  the  part  of  the  stenographer  it  was  not  written.     "We 
are  very  sorry,  both  for  the  statue  not  being  completed  on 
time  and  for  our  letter  failing  to  go  on  the  9th,  which  would 
have  explained  matters  to  you  before  this  time. 
Yours  respectfullv. 

THE  SMITH  GRANITE  CO. 
J.  R.  Randal],  Secretary. 

COMMENCING  OF  THE  EXERCISES. 

The  memorial  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  2:30  o'clock 
by  Chairman  J.  W.  Thompson,  of  the  monument  commit- 
tee. He  gave  a  cordial  invitation  to  all  friends  of  Douglass, 
any  Grand  Army  men  who  might  be  present,  and  all  city 
officials,  to  occupy  seats  on  the  platform,  an  invitation  which 
was  supplemented  by  Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony,  who  said  thai 
every  old-time  abolitionist  ought  to  be  proud  to  take  a  seat 
on  the  platform  where  exercises  in  honor  of  a  man  who 
stood  not  only  for  the  freedom  of  his  race,  but  also  for  the 
emancipation  of  women,  were  being  held.  A  number 
availed  themselves  of  the  invitation. 

The  exercises  were  opened  with  music  by  an  orchestra 
from  the  Fifty-fourth  Regiment  Band,  which  played  a  med- 
ley of  patriotic  airs.  Following  this  a  forceful  and  eloquent 
prayer  was  offered  by  Bishop  Alexander  "Walters,  D.  D.  J. 
W.  Thompson  then  briefly  explained  the  circumstances  which 
had  prevented  the  ceremony  of  unveiling  the  monument  and 
then  introduced  the  Rev.  Alonzo  Scott,  pastor  of  Zion 
Church,  who  sang  "His  Name  Shall  Live  Forever,"  com- 
posed by  himself  for  the  occasion.  He  was  accompanied  by 
a  chorus  of  forty  voices  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  R. 
Jerome  Jeffrey. 

POEM  BY  MR.  T.  THOMAS  FORTUNE. 

In  introducing  T.  Thomas  Fortune,  of  New  York,  editor 
of  The  Age,  one  of  the  leading  papers  published  in  the  in- 


S(J  HISTORY  OF  THE 

terest  of  his  race,  Mr.  Thompson  paid  a  fitting  tribute  to  his 
abilities  and  his  earnest  efforts  to  secure  the  erection  of  the 
monument.  Mr.  Fortune  read  an  original  poem,  entitled, 
''Frederick  Douglass."     The  poem  follows: 

We  cannot  measure  here  the  dizzy  heights  he  trod 
To  whom  this  glyptic  shaft  is  lifted  from  the  sod, 
Towards  the  matchless  azure  of  sweet  Freedom's  skies, 
If  we  forget  the  depths  whence  God  bade  him  arise, 
Above  the  slave's  log  cabin  and  a  sireless  birth, 
To  be  a  prince  among  the  children  of  the  earth ! 

ISTo  giant  who  has  placed  one  foot  upon  the  land 

And  one  upon  the  sea,  with  power  to  them  command, 

To  bid  the  angry  turbulence  of  each  be  still. 

And  have  them  bend  obedient  to  his  master's  will — 

Ever  started  lower  in  the  social  scale  than  he — 

This  Champion  of  the  Slave,  t  hi-  Spokesman  of  the  Free  ! 

In  him  the  deathless  lesson  of  our  common  race 

Was  taught  anew — the  lesson  you  who  will  may  trace 

From  Babel's  fatal  tower  to  fateful  Waterloo— 

From  Eden's  blest  abode  to  slavery's  Tuckaho — 

That  still  "one  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole  world  kin," 

The  world  of  love  and  joy,  the  world  of  woe  and  sin. 

But  such  as  Donglass  was  not  born  to  wear  a  chain — 

At    the    slave's   task    to    bend   and    cower    and    cringe    and 

strain — 
To  bare  his  princely  back  to  the  rude  lash  whose  welt 
Produced  no  pain  that  his  proud  soul  must  have  felt ! 
As  Moses  did,  he  served  in  bondage  for  an  hour 
The  better  to  be  armed  to  crush  the  master's  power. 

It  has  been  ever  thus  since  the  old  world  was  young — 

The  giants  of  the  race  from  the  head  of  woe  have  sprung — 

Out  of  the  agony  and  sweat  and  rayless  hope 

In  which  the  swarming  masses  have  been  doomed  to  grope. 

So  lifts  its  head  from  rocks  and  sands  the  lighthouse  brave, 

To  guide  the  fearless  sailor  o'er  the  treacherous  wave. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  gf 

I'i  r  who  can  sing  of  woe  who  never  felt  a  pain — 
Who  never  hoped  'gainst  hope  to  know  a  joy  again? 
Who  thirsl   for  vengeance  on  the  skulking,  coward  foe 
As  he  whose  sire  or  mate  has  fallen  'neath  the  blow? 
Who  feel  the  vpnom  of  the  slave's  undying  hate 
As  ho  whose  lot  has  been  the  slave's  degrading  fate? 

'Twas  a  long  way  to  the  north  star  from  Tuckaho — 
From  slavery's  dark  shade  to  freedom's  electric  glow — 
From  out  the  depths — "O  the  depths!" — of  slavery's  long 

night— 
To  the  high  altitude  of  freedom's  fadeless  light! 
And  here  he  stood  in  winter's  storm  and  summer's  sun, 
Majestic,  brave,  till  the  fierce  war  was  fought  and  won. 

We  claim  him  as  our  own,  the  greatest  of  the  race, 
In  whom  the  rich  sun  stamp  of  Africa  you  trace, 
And  we  delight  to  place  upon  his  massive*  brow 
Affection's  crown  of  reverence,  as  we  do  now. 
But,  in  a  larger  sense,  forsooth,  did  he  belong 
To  all  the  race,  a  prophet  strong  among  the  strong! 

For  he  was  large  in  stature  and  in  soul  and  head 
True  type  of  Xew  America,  whose  sons,  'tis  said, 
The  western  world  shall  have  as  glorious  heritage — 
That  they  shall  write  in  history's  fadeless,  truthful  page 
Such  deeds  as  ne'er  before  have  wrought  for  liberty 
And  all  the  arts  of  peace — the  strongest  of  the  free! 

And  every  depth  he  braved,  and  every  height  he  trod 
From  earth's  alluring  shrines  to  the  presence  of  his  God; 
And  he  was  cheered  by  children's  confidence  and  trust, 
A  tribute  never  withheld  from  the  true  and  just; 
And  woman's  sympathy  was  his,  the  divine  power 
That  rules  the  world  in  calmest  and  stormiest  hour ! 

To  him  all  weakness  and  all  suffering  appealed ; 

'Gainst  none  such  was  his  brave  heart  ever  steeled. 

And  pleading  womanhood  for  honest  rights  denied 

Xo  champion  had  of  stnrdier  worth  to  brave  wrong's  pride — 

To  claim  for  her  in  all  the  fullest  measure  true 

Of  justice  God  ordained  her  portion,  as  her  due. 


88  HISTORY  OP  THE 

He  needs  no  monument  of  stone  who  writes  his  name 
By  deeds,  in  diamond  letters,  in  the  Book  of  Fame — 
Who  rises  from  the  bosom  of  the  race  to  be 
A  champion  of  the  slave,  a  spokesman  of  the  free — 
Who  scorns  the  fetters  of  a  slave's  degrading  birth 
And  takes  his  place  among  the  giants  of  the  earth. 

This  shaft  is  lifted  high  in  Heaven's  holy  air 

To  keep  alive  our  wavering  hope,  a  message  bear 

Of  inspiration  to  the  living  from  the  dead, 

Who  dared  to  follow  where  the  laws  of  duty  led, 

They  are  so  few — these  heroes  of  the  weak  and  strong — 

That  we  must  honor  them  in  story  and  in  song. 

So  let  this  towering,  monumental  column  stand. 

While  freedom's  sun  shall  shine  upon  our  glorious  land, 

A  guiding  star  of  hope  divine  for  all  our  youth, 

A  living  witness  to  the  all-enduring  truth — 

The  living  truth  that  makes  men  brave  to  death,  and  true — 

The  truth  whose  champions  ever  have  been  few — 

The  truth  that  made  the  life  of  Douglass  all  sublime, 

And  gave  it  as  a  theme  of  hope  to  every  clime ! 

Mr.  Fortune's  poem  was  followed  by  an  excellent  violin 
solo  by  Joseph  Douglass,  of  Washington,  a  grandson  of  Fred- 
erick Douglass.  The  older  members  of  the  audience,  who  re- 
membered the  great  frcedman's  love  for  music,  and  his  own 
proficiency  in  the  use  of  the  violin,  recalled  many  instances 
and  greeted  the  young  player  with  enthusiasm.  He  played 
a  selection  from  Verdi's  "II  Trovatore." 

EULOGY  BY  HON.  JOHN  C.  DANCY. 

Any  eulogy  I  may  make  of  Frederick  Douglass  can  only 
emphasize  those  already  made  by  others  who  have  preceded 
me.  The  best  tribute  to  his  memory  is  tame  in  comparison 
with  the  actual  achievements  of  Ins  life,  considering  its  early 
environments.  He  was  indeed  the  architect  of  his  own  for- 
tune, "the  builder  of  the  ladder  bv  which  .he  climbed."     His 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  39 

birth,  his  race,  his  condition  as  a  chattel,  were  all  against 
him,  and  his  first  greatest  obstacle  was  to  conquer  these,  and 
minimize  their  influence  as  recognized  insurmountable  bar- 
riers. His  boyhood  did  not  prophesy  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable careers  this  Nation  has  seen;  nor  did  anything  in 
his  early  life  indicate  that  he  was  born  to  a  noble  destiny. 
His  mother  was  a  greater  woman  than  his  father  was  man, 
and  he  no  doubt  inherited  from  her  the  qualities  of  soul 
which  were  in  him  the  inspiring,  overmastering  power  which 
moved  and  electrified  vast  audiences,  and  made  him  the  won- 
der and  admiration  of  the  world. 

Mr.  Douglass  always  insisted  that  we  must  not  be  meas- 
ured by  the  heights  to  which  we  have  attained,  but  rather  by 
the  depths  from  which  we  have  come.  These  depths  were 
lower  than  those  from  which  Garfield  came — and  he  drove  a 
canal  boat;  or  from  which  Grant  came — and  he  was  a  tanner; 
or  Lincoln — and  he  was  a  rail-splitter.  Douglass  came  from 
depths  far  beneath  any  of  these,  for  he  was  a  slave,  and  had 
to  go  further  to  reach  their  starting  point  than  either  of  them 
went  iii  the  entire  journey  of  their  triumphs.  Wisely  and 
philosophically  did  he  remark,  immediately  after  the  war 
closed,  at  a  great  meeting  held  in  Dr.  Sunderland's  church, 
"It  is  a  long  way  from  the  cornfields  of  Maryland  to  Dr.  Sun- 
derland's church  in  Washington."  The  actual  distance  was 
only  about  twenty  miles,  but  it  took  Mr.  Douglass  forty  ye ars 
to  go  the  journey — like  Moses'  forty  years  in  the  wilderness. 
He  has  told  me  that  he  walked  the  decks  of  steamers  that 
plied  between  the  ports  of  New  York  and  Boston,  because 
he  was  denied  accommodation  elsewhere.  And  yet  even  this 
affront  to  his  sensitive  nature  did  not  curb  his  ambition,  relax 
his  efforts  to  uplift  himself  and  his  race,  or  smolder  the  burn- 
ing fires  of  his  manhood.  Obstacles  which  would  have  abso- 
lutely sapped  the  vitality  and  the  hopes  of  almost  any  other 
man,  seemed  to  be  to  him  an  inspiration,  which  nerved  him 


90 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


to  more  superhuman  effort  in  order  to  more  transcendent  tri- 
umphs. 

But  Douglass  laid  well  his  foundation.  A  fugitive  slave 
he  began  his  life  of  liberty,  as  it  were,  under  the  shadow  of 
Plymouth  Rock,  at  New  Bedford,  Mass.  He  early  identified 
himself  with  an  unpretentious  little  A.  M.  E.  Zion  church 
where  he  became  sexton,  steward,  Sunday-school  superintend- 
ent, exhorter  and  finally  local  preacher.  It  was  in  these  ca- 
pacities that  he  was  introduced  to  the  "Whaling  ( !ity,"  as  his 
splendid  physique  and  magnificent  presence  as  well  as  speech, 
filled  with  soul,  attracted  to  him  the  attention  of  all  who  saw 
and  heard  him. 

Wendell  Phillips  and  William  Lloyd  Garrison  found  occa- 
sion to  visit  New  Bedford  to  hold  an  anti-slavery  meeting. 
The  former,  the  most  finished  and  eloquent  orator  of  his 
time;  the  latter,  the  prince  of  abolition  agitators  and  chain 
pions.  Both  filled  with  unconquerable  zeal  and  enthusiasm 
— they  stirred  that  city  on  that  great  occasion,  as  it  was  never 
stirred  before.  When  enthusiasm  had  reached  its  zenith, 
and  the  speakers  had  concluded  their  phillippics  against  the 
most  infamous  of  wrongs — slavery — a  call  was  made  for  some 
colored  man  in  the  audience  to  say  a  word  describing  the  foul 
wrong  from  the  standpoint  of  his  own  experience.  Then 
some  voice  uttered  the  name  of  Douglass.  The  war  was 
waked  anew.  A  grand  form  pushed  its  way  to  the  front 
through  the  surging  mass.  He  was  physical  perfection — 
calm,  motionless,  erect,  he  bowed  his  salutation,  and  warming 
to  his  work  he  entered  into  a  portrayal  of  the  iniquitous  insti- 
tution from  which  he  had  made  his  escape,  shook  his  majestic 
head  as  a  lion  shakes  from  his  shaggy  mane  the  dew  drops 
of  the  morning,  while  his  voice  of  deep-toned  thunder  uttered 
such  anathemas  of  denunciation,  that  the  audience  went  mad 
with  wildest  expressions  of  sympathy  and  indignation.  Phil- 
lips and  Garrison  gave  vent  to  their  feelings  by  securing 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  91 

Douglass  at  once  as  a  regular  platform  orator  for  the  Abo- 
lition cause.  He  awoke  the  next  morning  a  great  man — one 
of  the  world's  modern  Seven  Wonders. 

When  fierce  gales  bowed  the  high  pines,  when  blazed 
The  lightning,  and  the  savage  in  the  storm 

Some  unknown  godhead  heard,  and  awestruck  gazed 
On  Douglass'  majestic  form. 

His  fame  was  at  once  secure.  Like  the  eagle  from  his 
eyrie,  beholding  the  approaching  storm,  with  calm  serenity, 
so  Douglass  watched  the  gathering  storm  which  was  to  erad- 
icate slavery  from  "the  land  of  the  free."  But  unlike  the 
eagle,  he  did  not  wing  his  flight  beyond  the  gathering  clouds, 
but  rather  boldly  met  those  clouds  and  bravely  aided  in  the 
work  of  their  dispersion  in  the  abolition  of  slavery.  In  New 
England,  the  West,  Canada  and  Great  Britain,  he  faced  riot- 
ous elements  of  opposition,  and  by  the  magnificence  of  his 
eloquence,  he  transformed  rebellious  and  antagonistic  mobs 
into  enthusiastic  supporters.  In  him  the  man  and  the  cause 
met,  and  the  cause  became  a  part  of  the  man.  If  it  was 
charged  that  he  violated  the  law,  he  joined  with  Seward  in 
the  assertion  that  there  was  "a  higher  law,"  and  he  invoked 
its  intervention  to  insure  American  liberty  "to  each,  to  all, 
and  forever."  He  was  aware  that  there  were  "depths  of 
infamy,  as  well  as  heights  of  fame,"  and  he  would  lift  his 
proud  land  from  the  quagmires  of  the  one  into  the  glories  of 
the  other.  He  believed  with  Webster  in  "liberty  and  union, 
one  and  inseparable,"  but  he  realized  the  impossibility  of  a 
secure  union  without  the  blessings  of  unrestricted  liberty.  He 
made  the  silence  of  the  seas  articulate  the  songs  of  liberty, 
and  the  darkness  of  the  night  became  luminous  with  the  rays 
of  approaching  dawn.  He  agreed  with  Conkling  in  the  dec- 
laration that  "from  Bunnyinede  to  Appomattox,  the  jewel 
for  which  civilized  man  has  fought  has  been  the  law  of  the 
land  and  equality  before  the  law."     In  all  these  contentions 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Mr.  Douglass  fought  his  own.  way,  won  his  own  victories  and 
made  his  own  fame.  He  was  indeed  a  changeless  sincerity. 
He  was  never  in  masquerade  or  disguise.  He  loved,  he 
hoped,  he  believed  in  the  justice  of  his  cause,  and  prayed  for 
the  time  when  right  should  rule  supreme  and  conquer  wrong. 

Montesquieu,  the  French  philosopher,  taught  that  "the 
animating  sentiment  of  a  monarchy  is  honor,  while  the  ani- 
mating sentiment  of  a  republic  is  virtue."  Douglass  sought 
to  emphasize  the  truth  of  this  remark  and  make  the  animat- 
ing sentiment  of  his  country,  virtue,  which  should  be  the 
cardinal  and  basic  principle  of  every  land  and  people.  He 
loved  truth  and  impartial  justice,  and  wanted  them  written 
not  merely  in  our  laws,  but  in  our  lives,  and  in  the  hearts 
and  consciences  of  the  whole  nation.  He  did  not  dissemble 
either  with  friends  or  foes,  and  was  honored  and  respected 
by  men  who  hated  his  opinions,  which  were  with  him  a  posi- 
tive conviction. 

With  Senator  Charles  Sumner  he  jointly  urged  President 
Lincoln  to  issue  a  call  for  volunteer  colored  troops.  The 
country  was  against  it — even  the  sympathetic  North.  The 
President  himself  hesitated  and  agreed  to  pray  over  it.  The 
wisdom  of  the  suggestion  dawned  upon  the  President  later, 
and  the  call  was  issued  for  75,000  colored  volunteers.  It  was 
heard  above  all  the  din  and  smoke  of  battle,  and  above  the 
cries  of  the  dead  and  dying,  so  that  200,000  ebony-hued  sons 
of  Ham  answered  to  that  call.  Mr.  Douglass'  sons  were 
among  the  first  to  enlist.  He  proved  his  faith  by  his  works. 
The  courage,  daring  and  heroism  of  these  braves  on  hundreds 
of  battlefields,  including  Port  AVagner,  Fort  Pillow,  and 
Petersburg,  where  they  proved  themselves  as  much  the  flower 
of  the  Army  as  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry  and  the  Twen- 
ty-fourth and  Twenty-fifth  Infantry  did  in  saving  the  Rough 
Eiders  and  capturing  El  Caney  and  San  Juan  Hill  from  the 
Spaniards  in  our  recent  war  with  Spain.        All  the   world 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  93 

knows  of  the  glory  of  the  Black  Regiments  which,  will  go 
down  the  ages  in  song  and  story  with  the  ride  of  the  Six 
Hundred,  immortalized  by  Tennyson  on  the  field  of  Balak- 
lava.  Douglass  paved  the  way  for  this  new  found  glory,  and 
thereby  in  this  path-finding  alone  gave  immortality  to  his 
name  and  fame. 

"The  sword  of  Michael  from  the  Armory  of  God  seemed 

given  him, 
Tempered  so  that  neither  keen  nor  solid  might  resist  that 

edge." 

His  triumphs  are  as  inspiring  in  splendor  as  they  are  in- 
finite in  variety.  Indeed,  he  does  not  suffer  by  contrast  with 
any  of  the  great  men  of  the  century.  Kossuth  was  a  patriot 
like  himself,  who  befriended  the  oppressed  of  Hungaria,  but 
with  no  greater  influence,  power  and  success  than  Douglass; 
Gambetta  was  the  tribune  of  the  French  people,  but  with  all 
the  fury  of  his  wonderful  oratory  he  could  arouse  no  more 
sympathy  or  support  than  Douglass;  Bismarck  was  the  acting, 
controlling,  directing  force  of  the  German  Empire  for  a  half 
century,  and  yet  he  championed  fewer  reforms  that  meant 
the  uplift  of  the  whole  people  than  Douglass,  the  emanci- 
pated slave;  Gladstone  was  the  commoner  and  most  popular, 
as  well  as  the  ablest  champion  of  manhood  rights  since  Pitt, 
who  defended  the  attitude  of  the  Americans  in  their  fight  for 
Independence,  and  yet  Gladstone  never  dared  go  to  the 
limits  to  which  Douglass  went  in  seeking  to  establish  a  civili- 
zation, not  merely  without  a  slave,  but  also  without  a  preju- 
dice. If  Douglass  did  not  attain  to  their  stations,  it  was 
more  because  he  came  from  so  much  greater  depths  than  be- 
cause he  merited  less  elevated  heights.  There  was  in  him  al- 
ways a  latent  heroism  that  responded  at  once  to  an  appeal 
to  give  up  all  to  some  noble  cause.  His  ideals  were  always 
the  highest,  the  best  and  the  purest,  and  he  reckoned  no  life 
exemplary  that  did  not  comport  with  such  ideals.      A  vein  of 


94 


HISTORY  OP  THE 


humor  ran  through  some  of  his  strongest  utterances,  but  that 
humor,  like  Lincoln's,  was  as  the  ripple  of  the  surface  of  an 
unfathomable  sea.  Honors  were  lavished  upon  him,  not  be- 
cause he  sought  them,  but  because  he  earned  them.  He  be- 
came marshal,  recorder  of  deeds  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
member  of  the  Commission  looking  toward  the  annexation  of 
San  Domingo,  and  minister  to  Hayti.  not  merely  becausi  of 
his  color,  but  because  of  his  ability.  He  did  not  occupy  so 
large  a  place  in  the  public  eye  and  esteem  because  he  had 
been  a  slave,  but  because  lie  became  a  man.  He  utilized  the 
opportunities  which  came  To  him  to  the  best  possible  advan- 
tage, and  emphazised  their  value  by  the  reward,  in  honor  and 
emolument,  which  sought  him  with  such  constancy  as  his  staff 
of  life  bent  under  the  weight  of  years. 

As  with  Douglass,  so  with  us — the  ideal  determines  the 
character  of  the  life.  When  the  aim  of  life  i^  right,  rules 
and  'precepts  are  merely  subordinates.  If  wrong,  rules 
and  precepts  are  worthless.  Xothing  so  strengthens  the 
mind  and  enlarges  the  manhood  and  widens  the  thought,  as 
the  constant  effort  to  measure  up  to  the  high  ideal,  to  strug- 
gle for  that  which  is  beyond  and  above  us.  It  s1  retches  the 
mind  to  a  larger  measure,  and  Touches  the  life  to  finer  issues. 

A  stranger  going  through  a  public  park  in  a  leading  city 
observed  an  eagle  walking  around  with  The  satisfied  air  of  a 
domestic  animal.  He  could  not  understand  it;  he  therefore 
inquired  the  cause  of  a  bystander.  "Follow  me,"  said  the 
friend.  Coining  close  up  lie  was  shown  a  net  of  wire  on 
either  side  and  overhead.  Said  he,  "That  eagle  was  put  in 
that  inclosure  untamed,  yea,  wild.  He  made  several  attempts 
to  fly  upward,  but  each  successive  Time  he  struck  That  wire 
and  fell  back  helpless.  lie  lost  heart,  courage  and  ambition, 
and  is  now  content  with  his  state." 

l\\v.  Douglass  came  upon  the  arena  at  a  time  when  an  en- 
lire  race  was  under  the  same  influence  as  this  eagle.      They 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  95 

had  made  fruitless  efforts  to  rise,  but  that  wire  of  human 
prejudice  and  bondage  was  ever  there  to  beat  them  back  in 
their  every  attempt  at  ascent.  They  had  grown  spiritless 
and  disheartened,  and  had  yielded  to  what  seemed  the  inev- 
itable. Douglass  was  one  of  them.  He  saw  that  wire  and 
had  struck  against  it  himself.  But  nerving  himself  to  the 
task,  after  falling  back  once,  with  courage  bold,  he  made  a 
superhuman  effort  a  second  time,  and  with  the  strength  which 
God  gave  him,  he  hurled  himself  against  it  with  redoubled 
force  and  the  wire  gave  way,  and  he  stopped  not  in  his  ascent 
until  he  reached  the  goal  of  his  ambition.  His  race  caught 
and  shared  his  spirit  everywhere  until  to-day  a  Nation  rises 
from  its  spell  of  years  to  testify  to  the  wisdom  and  courage  of 
a  seer  of  the  black  race,  who  knowing  his  rights  ('.'red  to  as- 
sert and  maintain  them.  With  that  wire  broken  we  are  at 
Liberty  to  measure  up  to  the  higher  ideal  and  struggle  for 
that  which  is  beyond  and  above  us.  Bulwer's  description  of 
the  voice  of  O'Connell  describes  that  wonderful  voice  of 
Douglass  during  his  contention  for  universal  liberty: 

"Aloft  and  clear  from  airy  tide  to  tide 

It  glided  easy  as  a  bird  may  glide; 
Even  to  the  verge  of  that  vast  audience  sent, 
.It  played  with  each  wild  passion  as  it  went; 
Now  stirred  the  uproar;  now  the  murmur  stilled, 

And  sobs  or  laughter  answered  as  it  willed." 

In-breaking  thai  wire  Douglass  played  the  whole  gamut 
of  loftiest  eloquence.  He  blended  the  deep-toned  thunder 
of  Webster,  the  musical  harmonies  of  Clay,  the  lightning 
flashes  of  O'Connell  and  the  charm  and  dignify  of  Wendell 
Phillips.  Tie  believed  his  own  race  largely  the  safety-valve 
of  the  Republic  and  pleaded  for  an  opportunity  for  them  to 
prove  it.  Time,  the  Unerring  arbiter,  in  two  wars — and  in 
peace  as  well — has  richly  vindicated  the  wisdom  of  his  plea. 


(,,;  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Willi  our  young  men  distinguishing  themselves  in  ever} 
avenue  of  industrial  and  professional  Life;  with  skilled  me- 
chanics and  artisans,  lawyers,  physicians,  learned  ministers 
of  i  lie  <  rospel  and  teachers,  and  a  wealth  running  up  to  nearly 
a  half  billion  in  money  and  homes;  with  improved  churches 
and  schools  and  their  constantly  fencreasing  ai  tendance;  with 
three  millions  of  us  who  can  read  and  write  in  the  face  of 
former  laws  which  made  the  possession  of  such  blessings  a 
crime;  and  another  million  in  the  schools,  instructed  by 
twenty  thousand  trained  teachers;  with  a  population  just 
double  what  it  was  thirty-five  years  ago — nine  millions  in  all 

these  wonderful  transformations  are  the  highest  encomi- 
um- that  can  be  paid  to  the  greatness  of  Douglass  and  his 
compeers — Lincoln,  Grant,  Phillips,  Garrison,  Beecher,  and 
t  heir  allies,  in  giving  us  freedom,  and  in  placing  us,  by  an  ap- 
peal to  the  dread  arbitrament  of  the  sword,  under  the  pro- 
tecting  aegis  of  the  ample  folds  of  the  American  flag. 

Mr.  Douglass  addressed  himself  in  the  later  years  of  his 
life  to  reform  conditions  as  they  confronted  the  country,  lie 
was  the  uncompromising  enemy  of  mob  law,  and  especially 
as  it  developed  into  lynch  law — the  worst  form  of  mob  vio- 
lence known  to  any  civilization,  lie  demanded  a  fair  and 
impartial  trial  for  every  man  accused  of  crime,  whether  white 
or  Mack  that  his  guill  or  innocence  might  be  fully  estab- 
lished; he  insist ed  upon  a  free  and  unrestricted  exercise  of 
the  right  of  franchise,  the  right  preservative  of  all  rights — 
the  palladium  id'  American  liberty;  ho  demanded  the  broad- 
ening of  the  common  school  system  so  as  to  put  its  benefits 
within  the  reach  of  the  humblest  child  in  tin1  land;  he  con- 
tended for  an  industrial  system  that  would  open  up  avenues 
of  employment  to  all  idlers,  and  thereby  increase  the  produc- 
ing class  and  minimize  that  class  who  are  chiefly  consumers 
without  the  alternative  nf  being  contributors  to  our  product- 
ive  wealth;   he   was  an   emphatic  champion   of  every  moral 


BENJAMIN    MYERS 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


97 


cause,  whether  it  was  temperance,  religious  or  otherwise, 
which  promised  favorable  results  to  the  Nation  at  large.  He 
had  all  the  ardor  of  John  Brown  without  his  daring;  all  the 
zeal  of  Beecher  without  his  intrepidity;  all  the  courage  of 
Wilberforce  without  his  "winters  of  discontent;"  all  the  de- 
termination of  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  St  owe  and  Miss  Susan 
B.  Anthony,  and  "Sojourner  Truth"'  without  their  meekness 
and  patience  and  willingness  to  wait  results.  He  believed  in 
woman's  rights  as  much  as  he  did  in  man's,  and  spent  the  last 
day  of  his  life  giving  them  a  final  note  of  warning  as  to 
what  was  the  next  best  thing  to  do  to  strengthen  the  influ- 
ence of  their  organized  protest  against  existing  wrongs  aimed 
at  them.     He  believed  that 

"Woman's  cause  is  man's; 

They  rise  or  sink  together 
Dwarfed  or  God-like,  bond  or  free.1' 

I  saw  Mr.  Douglass  under  many  and  varying  circum- 
stances, but  he  was  always  the  same  grand,  peerless  character 
in  his  personality.  I  heard  him  declare  in  a  great  conven- 
tion, where  weighty  political  interests  were  involved,  and 
party  spirit  ran  high,  that  "the  Republican  Party  is  the  ship 
and  all  else  is  the  sea";  I  beheld  him  with  cane  in  hand  at  the 
Columbian  Exposition,  at  Chicago,  at  a  great  congress,  tell  a 
caustic  critic  of  our  race,  in  answer  to  his  animadversions,  to 
desist  from  his  unfair  attacks  and  "go  home,  and  learn  the 
truth,  before  attempting  again  to  instruct  others  as  to  the 
true  status  of  a  too  long  maligned  and  oppressed  race;"  I 
heard  him  in  a  great  National  Republican  Convention,  speak- 
ing of  his  own  race,  assert  that  "we  may  be  many  as  the 
waves,  but  we  are  one  as  the  sea";  I  watched  him  before  an 
audience  made  up  chiefly  of  foreigners,  at  "Washington,  dur- 
ing the  great.  Ecumenial  Conference,  as  he  rose  to  the  loftiest 
pitch  of  overpowering  eloquence  and  made  a  last  appeal  to 


93  HISTORY  OF  THE 

them  on  behalf  of  fair  play  for  all  mankind;  I  sat  with  him  an 
hour  at  the  Executive  Mansion,  as  he  talked  with  President 
Harrison,  portraying  the  greatness  of  the  people  of  Hayti, 
whom  he  loved;  I  have  seen  him  make  merry  at  his  home  at 
Cedar  Hill,  overlooking  the  Potomac,  as  he  and  his  grandson 
played  in  concert  on  violins  his  favorite,  'The  Suwannee 
River";  and  to  cap  the  climax,  I  beheld  him  as  the  orator  of 
the  day,  on  the  occasion  of  the  unveiling  of  the  Lincoln  mon- 
ument on  Capitol  Hill,  at  Washington,  in  April,  1876.  Pres- 
ident Grant  and  his  cabinet,  the  Vice-President,  nearly  all 
the  United  States  Senators  and  members  of  Congress,  the 
Chief  Justice  and  members  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Governors 
of  different  states,  the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  other  notable 
persons  were  there — with  an  assembled  mass  of  more  than 
50,000  persons,  constituting  the  finest  audience  that  ever 
heard  a  plain  civilian  in  this  country,  speak — and  Douglass 
never  appeared  to  better  advantage,  as  he  addressed  himself 
so  marvelously  to  that  surging  sea  of  upturned  faces.  It  was 
the  speech  of  his  life.  But  under  none  of  these  changed  cir- 
cumstances did  he  ever  to  our  mind  vary  a  hair's  breadth 
from  the  modest,  sincere,  brave,  true,  and  unaffected  Fred- 
erick Douglass  whom  the  world  has  known  and  honored  for 
nearly  a  half  century. 

But  great  as  Douglass  was  as  a  statesman  and  patriot,  lie 
was  no  politician  in  the  narrower  sense.  He  comprehended 
great  questions  of  state  and  had  vast  influence  with  states- 
men, but  he  knew  little  or  nothing  of  the  art  of  practical  poli- 
tics, and  was  therefore  no  competitor  with  men  of  much 
smaller  mental  caliber  when  it  came  to  a  contest  in  the  pri- 
maries for  leadership.  But  the  primaries  once  over,  the  re- 
sponsibility of  carrying  party  principles  to  a  successful  issue, 
rested  on  his  broad  and  capable  shoulders.  In  such  case  he 
became  the  leader  of  leaders,  the  recognized  tribune  of  the 
people. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  9£) 

But  Mr.  Douglass  is  dead.  That  magnificent  presence  is 
no  more  amoug  us  to  advise,  direct,  and  encourage  us;  but  his 
example  is  still  with  us,  and  like  Webster,  he  "still  lives." 
New  questions  of  state  and  national  policies  will  come  up  to 
vex  political  leaders  and  disintegrate  and  cause  a  realign- 
ment of  political  parties.  The  question  of  races  will  be 
broadened  under  the  policy  of  territorial  expansion  and 
aggrandizement.  Other  dark  races  with  an  increase  by  the 
enlarged  territory  of  our  nation,  mil  give  us  nineteen  instead 
of  nine  million  of  the  dark  races  to  be  considered  in  the  new 
equation.  "Whether  present  prejudices  will  wear  away  under 
the  policies  to  be  inaugurated  to  settle  the  newer  problem, 
only  time  will  disclose.  At  all  events,  we  shall  need  the  di- 
recting presence  of  a  Douglass  that  we  may  avoid  Charybdis 
in  escaping  Scylla.  The  question  of  education,  of  party  affili- 
ations, or  moral  and  material  development,  of  manhood 
rights,  of  our  present  duties  and  obligations — all  being  ques- 
tions which  occupied  the  best  moments  of  his  life,  are  still 
presenting  themselves  with  added  charm  and  force,  and  ap- 
peal to  our  closest  scrutiny  and  most  careful  consideration. 
May  God  send  us  other  guides  to  take  up  Sthe  work  where  he 
left  off. 

As  a  living  example  of  the  value  to  me,  at  least,  of  his 
championship  of  human  freedom,  I  stand  here  as  one  of  the 
manumitted  slaves — born  in  the  same  month  and  year  that 
he  made  his  famous  address  against  the  Dred  Scott  decision 
by  Chief  Justice  Taney — to  bear  testimony  to  his  heroism 
and  lay  at  his  feet  this  imperfect  tribute  to  his  worth  and 
character.     I  do  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  he  was  indeed 

"A  hero — a  hero  who  dared  to  struggle  in  the  solid 
ranks  of  truth, 

To  clutch  the  monster  Error  by  the  throat, 

To  bear  opinion  to  a  loftier  height, 

To  blot  the  error  of  oppression  out 

And  load  a  universal  Freedom  in." 

3081 


100 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Other  great  men  have  risen  to  fame  and  distinction,  and 
others  will  rise;  but  the  like  of  Douglass  we  will  hardly  see 
in  this  generation  or  the  next.  The  occasion  may  never  rise 
for  his  like.  I^o  Vulcan  need  forge  thunder  bolts  like  those 
prepared  for  him,  as  they  are  hardly  required  to  carry  the 
same  power  of  destruction,  or  to  produce  the  same  trepida- 
tion and  dismay.  The  power  of  the  whirlwind  and  awe-in- 
spiring tremor  of  the  earthquake  shock  are  hardly  necessary 
now  as  in  darker  days  to  arouse  a  nation  to  a  full  sense  of  its 
duty  and  its  danger — realizing  as  we  do  that  a  nation's  chief 
sin  is  its  chief  danger.  In  his  own  day,  this  sin  denied  his 
manhood,  humbled  his  pride,  sapped  his  vitality  and  clouded 
his  future.  He  realized  its  dangerous  influence  and  tendency, 
and  clutching  it  by  the  throat,  assisted  in  choking  it  to  death. 

So  we  turn  from  this  spectacle  so  grand  in  design,  so  true 
in  form,  proportion  and  feature,  so  worthy  of  him  whose 
memory  it  seeks  to  perpetuate.  Ho  lived,  fought,  and  sacri- 
ficed for  us  and  his  country;  let  us  not  prove  ourselves  un- 
worthy of  his  great  triumphs,  which  were  won  in  our  defense. 
This  gathering  is  a  slight  testimonial  of  our  abiding  grati- 
tude. Let  us  wind  ourselves  out  of  the  labyrinths  of  doubt, 
self  distrust,  and  pessimistic  forebodings,  and  like  him  whose 
monument  we  erect  to  his  memory,  rise  above  every  degrad- 
ing environment  into  the  higher  life  where  dwell  only  the 
pure,  the  worthy  and  the  true.  Then  Douglass  will  not  have 
sacrificed  in  vain.  Freedom  will  prove  a  blessing  indeed, 
and  manhood  rather  than  race  will  be  the  true  badge  of 
honor,  and  the  true  test  of  character. 

As  one  star  differeth  from  another  star,  so  one  life  differoth 
from  another  life.  Douglass  was  a  star  of  the  first  magni- 
tude— one  of  the  proudest  in  the  constellation  of  stars — a 
comet,  indeed,  whose  light  emblazons  the  horizon  long  after 
it  has  disappeared  from  sight.  A  life  of  sore  trial,  of  con- 
flict, of  sacrifice,  of  constant  plodding,  of  final  triumph,  both 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  -^q^ 

here  and  hereafter — it  is  to  us  an  example  and  to  the  world 
a  benediction.  Great  as  he  was  in  life,  and  grand  as  he  was 
in  death,  we  conclude  the  last  tribute  that  the  beneficiary  can 
pay  to  the  benefactor  by  bidding  him  hail !  and  farewell ! 

The  next  number  was  a  solo  by  Mrs.  Charles  P.  Lee,  who 
rendered  in  excellent  style  "The  Sun  is  on  the  Hills,"  Miss 
May  LeLeon  accompanist. 

MEDAL  FOR  CHAIRMAN  THOMPSON. 

The  programme  was  interrupted  at  this  point  by  Walter 
Stewart,  of  Elmira,  who  arose  on  behalf  of  the  citizens  of 
Rochester,  to  present  a  token  of  their  gratitude  to  John  W. 
Thompson,  chairman  of  the  committee,  who  had  conceived 
and  engineered  the  plans  for  the  memorial  to  the  great  leader 
of  his  race.     Mr.  Stewart  said  briefly: 

"It  is  a  custom  among  all  nations  to  perpetuate  the  mem- 
ory of  their  greatest  men  who  in  some  special  manner  have 
stamped  their  names  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people,  but  as 
far  as  I  can  determine  this  is  the  first  time  that  a  people  have 
met  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  any  of  my  race.  This  idea 
was  first  promulgated  by  a  citizen  of  Rochester  in  1894,  long 
before  Douglass  was  deceased.  John  "W".  Thompson  being 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  his  race,  arose  in  a  Masonic  meeting 
and  first  started  this  work.  But  ere  he  had  perfected  his 
plans  the  grand  old  man  had  run  his  race.  But  at  his  death 
Mr.  Thompson  put  forth  renewed  energy,  and  though  prog- 
ress was  slow  he  was  conscious  that  he  was  right  and  worked 
on  and  on  without  fear  of  failure  or  hope  of  reward,  and  to- 
day he  can  look  back  upon  a  successful  work.  Often  he  had 
to  tread  the  winepress  alone,  yet  I  believe  there  was  an  un- 
seen influence  assisting  him  so  that  he  could  not  fail. 

"To-day  John  W.  Thompson  ought  not  to  be  without  re- 
ward, so  in  token  of  our  appreciation  for  his  efforts  I  wish  to 
present  him  with  this  gold  medal." 


1Q2  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Mr.  Thompson  accepted  the  gift  with  a  few  words  of  grati- 
tude, though  taken  entirely  by  surprise.  The  medal  was  a 
handsome  one,  being  a  solid  gold  medallion,  with  an  engrav- 
ing of  the  Douglass  monument  and  a  personal  inscription  to 
the  donee.  A  pleasant  and  appropriate  feature  of  the  pro- 
gramme was  the  reading  by  Miss  Fredericka  Douglass 
Sprague,  a  granddaughter  of  Frederick  Douglass,  of  an  ex- 
tract from  the  great  speech  of  the  freedman,  delivered  in 
Washington  on  April  16,  1883,  the  occasion  being  the  cele- 
bration of  the  twenty-first  anniversary  of  emancipation. 

MISS    ANTHONY'S    REMINISCENCE 3. 

Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony  was  then  introduced.  She  said,  in 
part: 

"I  am  proud  and  happy  to  bear  my  testimony  by  presence 
and  words  to  the  great  truths  that  Frederick  Douglass  did  so 
much  to  vindicate  by  his  life  and  works.  It  is  not  because  I 
have  not  been  importuned  to  provide  a  sentiment  for  the 
monument  but  because  I  have  been  busy  and  so  at  this  late 
hour  I  am  going  to  read  a  testimonial  from  Frederick  Doug- 
lass to  me  and  I  think  that  this  one  sentence  should  be  the 
sentiment  inscribed  on  the  pedestal  at  Douglass  Park: 

"  'The  cause  of  woman  suffrage  has  under  it  a  truth!  as 
eternal  as  the  universe  of  thought,  and  must  triumph  if  this 
planet  endures.' 

"I  must  pay  a  tribute  to  the  old  abolitionists  who  have 
passed  before.  Robert  Pnrvise,  Parker  Pillsbury  and  all  the 
rest,  but  Elizabeth  Herrick,  a  grand  noble  woman,  was  the 
influence  behind  it  all,  when  she  made  the  utterance  for  imme- 
diate emancipation.  When  he  came  to  this  country  William 
Lloyd  Garrison  brought  with  him  a  true,  noble  wife  and 
mother,  and  T  believe  that  he  could  not  have  done  the  work 
unless  for  her  influence.  And  then  there  was  the  invalid 
wife  of  Wendell  Phillips,  who  read  all  anti-slavery  literature 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  -j^Q3 

and  encouraged  the  great  orator  to  go  and  speak  for  the  op- 
pressed. I  think  that  Mr.  Phillips'  most  magnificent  speech 
was  made  in  Rochester  when  he  stopped  with  John  and 
Mary  Hallo  well.     I  said  to  him: 

"  'That's  a  great  speech,  Mr.  Phillips.' 

"  'Yes,  but  you  must  thank  Ann  for  it.' 

"And  Ann  was  his  faithful,  loving  wife,  who  encouraged, 
helped,  cheered  him  in  his  great  fight  for  abolition. 

"I  remember  well  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  Douglass. 
When  I  came  home  from  school  teaching.  My  father  put 
me  in  the  buggy  and  carried  me  down  to  Alexander  street  to 
see  Douglass  and  his  children,  and  through  all  the  years  after 
the  friendship  was  continued.  Our  happiest  Sundays  were 
when  Douglass  and  his  family  spent  the  day  at  our  house. 
We  felt  proud  of  those  occasions.  Douglass  was  a  jolly  fel- 
low.    He  always  brought  that  violin  along. 

"In  our  circle  of  friends  we  very  often  had  those  who  visit- 
ed us  who  were  prejudiced.  I  didn't  mean  to  persecute  them 
or  make  them  unhappy,  but  I  was  mighty  glad  to  introduce 
Douglass  to  them.  I  am  going  to  detain  you  to  tell  you  one 
experience. 

"The  son  of  my  mother's  brother  was  a  real  good,  solid 
Western  New  York  Democrat.  He  had  come  out  from  the 
city  to  spend  his  vacation  at  our  beautiful  little  farm.  He 
didn't  like  our  'niggers.'  One  time  when  he  was  there 
Douglass  came.  I  invited  him  into  the  parlor  to  meet  Doug- 
lass. 

He  refused,  but  later  consented  to  an  introduction.  He 
began  to  ply  his  legal  lore  on  Mr.  Douglass  and  found  him- 
self wholly  unable  to  cope  with  Frederick  Douglass.  Realiz- 
ing this,  he  turned  to  Rosa  Douglass,  his  daughter,  and  asked 
her  to  play,  and,  unlike  many  white  girls,  she  played  without 
dissent.  She  played  another  selection  and  finally  my  cousin 
followed  Rosa  out  to  the  table  and  nlaced  a  chair  for  her. 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE 

And  before  the  evening  was  over  that  'Lish,'  that  Democratic 
ISTew  York  city  lawyer,  actually  ran  down  and  opened  the 
gate  for  Douglass  to  drive  through  when  he  started  home. 
Douglass  overcame  prejudice. 

"I  tell  you  the  greatest  thing  that  stands  in  the  way  of 
advancement  is  prejudice.  To  negro  men  I  say,  don't  imi- 
tate white  men.  The  women  ought  to  be  remembered,  and 
colored  men  should  still  stand  by  the  women.  Why  the 
white  men  propose  to  give  the  ballot  even  now  to  heathens 
and  leave  Frederick  Douglass'  daughter  under  the  heel  of 
prejudice. 

MRS.    IDA    B.    WELLS    BARNETT. 

One  of  the  interesting  addresses  of  the  afternoon  was  that 
by  Mrs.  Ida  B.  Wells  Barnett,  of  Chicago,  who  is  classed  with 
the  leading  female  orators.  Her  life  has  been  spent  in  advo- 
cating the  anti-lynching  law.     Mrs.  Barnett  said: 

"I  come  as  a  pilgrim  to  a  Mecca,  a  worshipper  at  the  shrine 
of  one  of  the  greatest  men  this  country  has  produced.  The 
American  nation  owes  Frederick  Douglass  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude because  he  helped  her  to  cure  herself  of  a  radical  evil. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  recount  what  he  did  for  the  United 
States.  We  have  come  to  know  and  love  him  because  he  es- 
poused the  cause  of  those  who  are  victims  of  mob  law.  He 
is  not  dead,  his  words  live  after  him,  and  will  be  an  inspira- 
tion to  us  in  the  many  problems  which  confront  us." 

The  speaker  referred  to  the  work  Douglass  had  done  in 
espousing  the  cause  of  the  anti-lynch  law,  of  woman's  suf- 
frage and  against  the  "hydra-headed  monster  of  prejudice," 
and  said  that  the  work  that  he  did  should  be  an  inspiration 
for  the  present  generation  to  take  up  those  questions  with  re- 
newed energy,  until  perfect  emancipation  and  freedom  were 
granted  to  all  races  and  all  sexes  in  the  country. 

"His  Name  Shall  Live  Forever,"  was  rendered  by  a  chorus 
of  forty  voices.     Mrs.  R.  Jerome  Jeffrey,  accompanist. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.      "  ^05 

EX-MINISTER    SMYTH'S    EULOGY. 

John  H.  Smyth,  ex-minister  to  Liberia,  and  president  of 
the  Reformatory  Association,  of  Virginia,  now  a  prominent 
lawyer  in  the  South,  was  to  have  delivered  an  extended  ad- 
dress, but  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  opportunity 
was  presented  to  him,  and  he  confined  his  remarks  to  a  few 
brief  words  of  tribute  to  the  great  freedman.  Though  he 
spoke  but  a  short  time,  Mr.  Smyth  showed  that  he  was  easily 
one  of  the  foremost  orators  of  his  race.  By  way  of  preface 
he  seconded  heartily  the  suggestion  of  Miss  Anthony  that 
the  negro  should  not  be  an  imitator  of  the  white  man.  He 
paid  a  high  tribute  to  the  women  of  the  land,  and  stated  that 
it  was  doubtless  through  womanly  influence  that  Douglass  be- 
came what  he  was.  "It  was  due  to  the  negro  woman,"  he 
said,  "that  we  had  a  Frederick  Douglass,  or  any  other  illustri- 
ous negro  in  religion,  politics  or  the  field  of  battle. 

"The  man  whose  active,  moral  and  intellectual  agency  aid- 
ed in  the  destruction  and  extirpation  from  America  of  a 
legalized  infamy  and  degradation  is  no  less  a  national  bene- 
factor than  the  martyr  souls  were  human  benefactors,  wiio 
went  to  God  through  Eome  in  its  zenith,  and  the  inquisiton  in 
protest  against  godlessness,  heathenism  and  sin  in  the  cause 
of  Christianity  and  its  redemptive  forces. 

"It  is  ever  of  interest  to  have  narrated  the  circumstances 
connected  with  the  birth  and  family  of  any  great  personage. 
Alas !  for  the  negro  in  Christian  lands — little  that  is  anthem 
tic  that  may  be  relied  upon,  can  be  said  of  such  in  this  respect 
who  have  lived  so  long  as  fifty  years.  Chronology  in  con- 
nection with  a  nec;ro  slave,  had  importance  only  with  regard 
to  his  ability  to  work.  Genealogy,  so  far  as  blacks  were  con- 
cerned, heretofore,  was  a  matter  of  indifference.  From  our 
emancipation  and  throughout  all  our  future,  chronology  and 
genealogy  are  to  be  factors  in  our  life  and  history,  which 
under  God,  may  be  significant  and  important. 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Frederick  Douglass'  parentage  and  antecedents  are 
shrouded  in  mystery.  It  is  not  a  surprising  circumstance,  as 
all  must  realize,  the  result  of  human  slavery  in  the  United 
States  where  he  was  horn. 

"Through  the  warp  and  woof  of  his  private  and  public  life, 
one  purpose  ran:  Honesty,  incorruptibility  and  loyalty  to 
the  interests  of  his  race.  His  uncompromising  hatred  of  op- 
pression and  American  prejudice  distinguished  him  from 
1838  to  the  end  of  an  eventful,  useful,  effective  and  beautiful 
life.  His  name  will  ever  be  'great  in  tongues  of  wisest  cen- 
sure.' " 

THE    PRESENTATION. 

( iharles  P.  Lee,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Rochester,  1ST.  Y., 
then  made  the  presentation  of  the  monument  to  the  city.  Re- 
ferring to  the  noble  work  of  the  Monument  Committee,  Mr. 
Lee  said: 

"The  character  of  a  country  is  often  known  by  the  class  of 
men  it  crowns.  Monuments  dedicated  to  heroes  and  patriots 
disclose  a  nation's  ideals  and'reveal  the  growth  and  grandeur 
of  its  civilization."     Continuing,  he  said: 

"This  monument  represents  a  great  leader.  God  endowed 
Douglass  with  all  the  qualities  of  exalted  leadership,  high 
moral  purpose,  courage  of  conviction,  great  personal  magnet- 
ism, broad  perceptive  powers,  iron  will,  matchless  physical 
endurance,  restless  industry,  spotless  integrity,  commanding 
and  conspicuous  figure,  a  leader  by  Divine  right.  Believing 
the  principles  he  defended  and  the  cause  he  espoused  were 
true  and  righteous,  he  stood  by  them  with  unflinching  fidel- 
ity. This  unwavering  firmness  made  him  strong  in  counsel, 
steady  in  conflict,  powerful  with  the  people.  Douglass  was 
a  leader  of  fixed  principles  and  unshaken  integrity.  He 
would  not  sell  the  people's  right  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate  or 
betray  their  confidence  for  a  second-class  appointment. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  207 

"During  the  reconstruction  period,  Douglass  devoted  his 
energies  to  the  material  advancement  of  the  freedman  and  to 
the  graver  conditions  and  circumstances  growing  out  of 
emancipation.  His  powerful  appeals  for  justice — equality 
before  the  law  and  absolute  civil  rights  for  his  race — con- 
tributed much  toward  the  formation  of  that  public  sentiment 
which  gave  a  guaranteed  citizenship.  The  trials  and  tri- 
umphs of  Douglass  extended  over  all  the  thrilling  period  of 
our  national  history. 

He  saw  the  flag  of  his  country  in  dishonor — he  lived  to  see 
it  restored  in  glory.  He  saw  the  constitution  blotted  by  a 
fugitive  slave  law— he  lived  to  see  it  redeemed  by  the  four- 
teenth and  fifteenth  amendments.  He  saw  slaves  sold  in  the 
public  square — he  lived  to  see  them  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  He  saw  his  race  in  political  degradation — he 
helped  lift  it  to  the  heights  of  civil  liberty  and  equality.  He 
saw  his  countrymen  shut  out  from  every  avenue  of  trade,  the 
paths  of  polite  industry  and  enjoyment — he  died  leaving 
them  possessed  of  every  opportunity  of  elevation  and  ad- 
vancement. All  of  this  he  saw  and  part  of  which  he  was. 
In  the  economy  of  life  Douglass  filled  many  places,  as  editor 
and  author,  diplomat  and  statesman,  and  in  them  all  he  ac- 
quitted himself  well. 

"It  repeats  the  story  of  the  soldier  and  sailor,  whose  cour- 
age in  battle  never  faltered  or  failed,  but  with  a  heroism  born 
of  inspiration,  faced  rebel  ball  and  blade,  for  the  Union,  lib- 
erty and  law.  On  tented  field  and  crested  wave,  where  trea- 
son trampled  under  foot  the  rights  of  man,  and  grim-visaged 
rebellion  besieged  a  nation's  forts  and  firesides,  they  fought 
and  fell. 

"Tt  marks  the  majestic  march  of  that  public  sentiment, 
which,  when  the  smoke  of  battle  rolled  away — in  a  spirit  of 
justice  equal  to  the  world's  sublimest  hope,  stooped  and  took 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  freedman  by  the  hand,  placed  him  in  possession  of  polit- 
ical rights,  made  him  equal  before  the  law,  surrounded  him 
with  great  opportunities  of  advancement  and  elevation,  in 
the  exalted  duty  and  dignity  of  citizenship,  bade  him  live  and 
labor  for  the  grandeur  of  his  country,  the  glory  of  his  race 
and  God. 

"This  monument  is  a  mute  appeal  to  the  Afro-American  of 
to-day.  It  implores  us  to  show  by  our  devotion  to  duty,  our 
love  of  truth,  our  zeal  for  knowledge  and  our  acquisition  of 
wealth  and  prosperity,  that  we  appreciate  the  advantages  we 
enjoy,  that  we  are  worthy  of  the  liberty  left  us  as  a  legacy 
of  love.  It  begs  us  to  cultivate  habits  of  virtue,  temperance, 
economy,  industry  and  commercial  activity,  seeking  ever  that 
righteousness  which  exalteth  a  nation,  and  by  the  nobility  of 
our  lives,  the  purity  of  our  characters  and  the  material  gran- 
deur of  our  achievements,  reach  and  realize  the  highest 
privileges  and  possibilities  of  American  civilization.  It  points 
out  to  us  the  necessity  of  rising  to  the  duty  of  the  hour,  of 
realizing  our  part  and  place  in  the  progress  of  the  age,  of 
lending  our  effort  and  energy  in  defense  of  every  measure 
and  movement  beneficial  to  mankind,  which  marks  the  spirit 
of  the  times,  the  triumphant  march  of  the  new  republic. 

"We  know  of  no  city  more  entitled  to  the  honor  of  this 
monument  than  Rochester.  Douglass  loved  her  with  a  de- 
votion that  was  passing  strange,  and  though  separated  from 
her  by  ocean  trips,  or  called  away  by  public  duty,  he  still 
clung  to  her  as  his  home.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
he  was  identified  with  her  welfare,  associated  with  her  growth 
and  grandeur,  and  enjoyed  her  great  generosity.  It  was 
here  that  he  toiled  and  triumphed  and  firmly  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  that  fame  and  fortune  which  cheered  and  comforted 
his  declining  years.  It  was  here  he  commanded  and  con- 
trolled the  thrilling  conflict  and  tragic  commotion  of  the  anti- 
slavery  campaign.     It  was  here  he  saw  the  light  of  liberty 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  109 

break  over  the  land  of  bondage.  His  life  was  closely  inter- 
woven with  her  own — and  his  mortal  remains  have  found 
lasting  repose  in  her  loving  embrace. 

"May  she  welcome  this  monument  as  a  worthy  contribution 
to  her  Pantheon  of  glory,  around  which  are  clustered  mem- 
ories, that  will  inspire  her  youth  for  generations  to  come  with 
lofty  hopes  and  heroism,  and  awaken  in  the  hearts  of  her  citi- 
zens a  high  and  holy  admiration  for  the  life  and  labor,  name 
and  fame  of  this  venerated  apostle  of  liberty.  In  that  silent 
city  of  the  dead — on  the  banks  of  the  historic  Genesee— 
Douglass  sleeps  to-day — and  the  sun  shines  on  no  grander 
spot  than  where  his  majestic  form  mingles  with  its  mother- 
earth — and  where  the  lovers  of  liberty  from  every  land  shall 
seme  day  come  to  weave  a  garland  above  his  grave.  Let  none 
of  us  approach  that  sacred  shrine  with  feelings  of  resentment, 
or  come  away  to  revive  the  flame  of  race  animosity,  but  with 
past  trials  forgotten,  past  wrongs  forgiven,  gather  around 
his  tomb  and  recalling  the  cherished  memories  of  his  life  and 
invoking  the  sainted  shades  of  his  illustrious  spirit,  consecrate 
ourselves  anew  to  the  Genus  of  Liberty— to  the  grandson  of 
free  government.     He  lives,  ever  lives." 

THE   MAYOR'S   ACCEPTANCE. 

Mayor  George  E.  Warner,  in  behalf  of  the  city  of  Koch: 
ester,  accepted  the  monument,  as  follows: 

"Eochester  would  prove  herself  unworthy  of  having  been 
the  home  of  a  great  man  if  she  would  do  nothing  to  perpet- 
uate his  memory.  She  has  had  many  citizens,  able  in  the 
councils  of  the  state  and  nation,  alert  in  business,  and  of  bril- 
liant mind,  but  none  as  great  as  Frederick  Douglass.  He  was 
great  on  account  of  what  he  did  for  himself — because  he 
transformed  himself  from  a  piece  of  personal  property  on  the 
plantation  of  his  master,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  land  and 
the  prejudices  of  the  people,  to  a  sage,  the  adviser  of  the 


110 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


great ;  and  great  on  account  of  what  he  did  for  his  people — 
because  he  gave  for  their  salvation  the  rarest  endowments 
of  nature  and  the  whole  wealth  of  his  mind  accumulated 
through  years  of  the  severest  trials.  He  was  the  true  self- 
made  man,  for  he  could  look  back  to  the  time  when  the  laws 
of  the  republic  said  he  was  not  a  man.  He  became  a  man 
not  with  the  aid  of  its  beneficent  laws,  but  in  spite  of  its  in- 
human laws. 

"The  years  he  spent  in  our  city  were  the  ones  in  which  the 
greatest  efforts  of  his  life  were  put  forth  for  his  race.  Here 
he  edited  a  newspaper  for  the  publication  of  his  views  on 
slavery.  Between  the  hours  of  labor  which  he  spent  in  this 
enterprise,  he  traveled  over  the  country  lecturing.  He  also 
held  here  a  sort  of  central  office  for  the  "underground  rail- 
way." an  institution  for  the  humane  purpose  of  conducting 
slaves  to  Canada..  That  he  was  well  received  by  our  people 
he  gives  testimony  in  his  autobiography.  He  notes  that  we 
did  not  take  the  advice  iof  a  Xew  York  paper  and  throw  his 
printing  press  into  the  lake.  By  financial  contributions  and 
in  other  material  ways  he  was  assisted  by  our  people  in  the 
great  work  of  his  life. 

'Tor  twenty-five  years  he  was  a  familiar  figure  on  our 
streets  and  in  our  public  life.  Our  citizens  learned  to  admire 
and  reverence  him,  and  thousands  gathered  to  hear  his  fre- 
quent anti-slavery  speeches.  That  he,  too,  had  a  tender  feel- 
ing for  our  city  and  people,  appears  from  the  following  sen- 
tence from  his  'Life  and  Times:' 

"  'I  know  of  no  place  in  the  Union  where  I  could  have  lo- 
cated at  the  time  with  less  resistance,  or  received  a  larger 
measure  of  sympathy  and  co-operation,  and  I  now  look  back 
to  my  life  and  labors  therewith  unalloyed  satisfaction,  and 
having  spent  a  quarter  of  a  century  among  its  people.  I  shall 
always  feel  more  at  home  there  than  anywhere  else  in  the 
countrv.' 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  m 

"Our  city  is  proud  for  having  sheltered  him  when  other 
cities  would  have  refused  him  shelter.  At  his  death  she  hon- 
ored his  remains  and  gave  them  a  resting  place  at  her  door. 
To-day  her  citizens  honor  his  memory  by  erecting  a  beautiful 
monument  inscribed  with  his  eloquent  words. 

"It  is  fitting  that  it  should  stand  near  a  great  portal  of  our 
city  where  the  thousands  who  enter  may  see  that  she  is  will- 
ing to  acknowledge  to  the  world  that  her  most  illustrious  cit- 
izen was  not  a  white  man. 

"As  mayor  of  the  city  I  accept  this  monument  to  a  great 
and  good  man.  May  it  stand  always  to  remind  our  people 
of  a  life  which  should  never  be  forgotten,  and  as  an  index 
finger  to  a  bright  page  in  history." 

Before  the  exercises  were  brought  to  a  close,  Miss  Anthony 
said  that  no  public  gathering  could  be  complete  without  a 
word  from  the  venerable  Dr.  E.  M.  Moore,  who  occupied  a 
seat  of  honor  on  the  platform.  Dr.  E.  M.  Moore  spoke 
briefly,  saying  that  he  was  very  glad  to  be  present  and  thus 
show  his  admiration  and  respect  for  a  man  who  had  at  one 
time  been  his  fellow  townsman  and  friend.  Mrs.  Jean 
Brooks  Greenleaf  also  made  a  few  remarks  in  the  same  strain. 
The  afternoon's  exercises  were  then  brought  to  a  close  by  the 
singing  of  "America"  by  the  audience,  and  a  benediction  by 
the  Bev.  Alonzo  Scott. 

THE  RECEPTION. 

Probably  no  part  of  the  programme  was  enjoyed  by  young 
and  old,  foreigners  and  Bochesterians  alike,  more  than  the  re- 
ception and  ball  at  Eitzhugh  Hall  in  the  evening.  It  was  very 
largely  attended,  though  the  guests  wrere  somewhat  late  in 
arriving,  it  being  fully  11  o'clock  before  the  evening  had 
reached  its  zenith.  It  was  well  along  towards  the  small 
hours  of  morning  before  the  ball  was  at  an  end.  The  music 
was  excellent,  the  floor  was  in  fine  condition    and  everything 


H2  HISTORY  OF  THE 

seemed  propitious  for  a  perfect  evening's  enjoyment,  The 
dancers  were  graceful  in  their  movements  as  they  responded 
to  the  strains  of  harmony.  The  hall  was  handsomely  decorat- 
ed with  flags  of  different  nations,  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  of 
course,  predominating.  There  were  many  handsome  and 
artistic  costumes  worn  by  the  ladies,  mostly  of  bright  tints, 
relieved  by  numerous  white  toilettes.  Pink  predominated, 
but  light  blue,  red  and  yellow  made  pretty  contrasts,  the  en- 
semble producing  a  brilliant  scene.  There  were  many  hand- 
some as  well  as  stylishly  gowned  women  present. 

The  Douglass  party  was  in  attendance  as  spectators,  occu- 
pying a  place  in  the  south  balcony. 

Taken  as  a  whole  the  affair  was  a  fitting  finale  to  an  event- 
ful day  in  the  history  of  Rochester.  Many  prominent  white 
citizens,  both  men  and  women,  were  present. 


COL.    NATHAN    P.    POND. 


THE 
NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
Astor,  Len, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    DATE    SELECTED,     AND    ARRANGEMENTS 
COMPLETED. 

The  bronze  statue  arrived  over  the  Lehigh  Valley  Rail- 
road from  Philadelphia,  October  4,  1898.  Weight  1,200 
pounds;  placed  in  position  October  11th.  October  12th  had 
been  fixed  for  the  unveiling.  On  October  9th  Chairman 
Thompson  was  taken  dangerously  ill  which  necessitated  an- 
other postponement.  The  Monument  Committee  at  that 
time  was  still  in  need  of  -$2,000  and  had  the  monument  been 
unveiled  at  that  time  with  that  sum  charged  against  the 
committee,  it  would  have  been  years  before  the  same  could 
have  been  raised.  This  the  chairman  understood  quite  well 
so  he  adopted  the  wise  plan  and  waited  until  the  next  year 
with  the  hope  of  having  the  Governor  of  the  state  fix  the  day, 
and  when  that  was  done  he  knew  the  money  would  come 
without  much  trouble.  Up  to  that  time  he  had  received  but 
little  encouragement  from  the  members  of  his  race.  "When 
the  work  was  completed  and  after  reading  the  sentiment  on 
the  bronze  tablets,  Professor  Booker  T.  Washington  on  a 
visit  to  the  city  said :  "This  monument  is  grand  and  it  is  the 
only  thing  we  have." 

As  the  news  was  flashed  over  the  country  that  the  unveil- 
ing was  again  postponed  there  was  some  criticism  from  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  country  by  parties  who  did  not  under- 
stand, but  the  most  unjust  of  all  appeared  in  the  "Conserva- 
tor," a  paper  edited  by  Mrs.  Ida  B.  Wells  Barnett,  at  Chi- 
cago, which  brought  forth  this  able  defense  by  Charles  R. 
Douglass,  which  was  published  in  that  paper,  and  duly  ac- 
knowledged : 


114:  HISTORY  OF  THE 

609  F  Street,  K  W., 
Washington,  D.  0.,  Nov.,  1898. 
Editor,  The  Conservator: 

My  attention  has  been  called  to  a  most  unjust  criticism  of 
the  "Douglass  Monument"  management  contained  in  your 
issue  of  October  20th  instant.  There  is  no  truth  in  the  state- 
ment that  the  statue  is  not  now  in  position,  and  was  in  posi- 
tion two  weeks  prior  to  the  issue  of  your  paper  of  October 
29th. 

When  Mr.  John  W.  Thompson  was  putting  forth  his  best 
efforts  to  secure  funds  to  erect  a  monument  to  the  late  -Fred- 
erick Douglass,  where  were  these  critics  that  are  now  so 
numerous — faultfinding  because  the  monument  was  not  un- 
veiled as  announced — not  a  nickle  did  they  give. 

Less  than  $500  came  from  the  pockets  of  the  10,000,000 
negroes  in  the  United  States.  The  little  republic  of  Hayti, 
numbering  less  than  a  million  inhabitants,  gave  a  thousand 
dollars — more  than  was  contributed  by  all  the  negroes  in  the 
United  States  together.  The  balance  of  the  $10,000  came 
from  white  people. 

Let  Thompson  alone.  He  has  undertaken  and  accom- 
plished more  than  has  ever  been  accomplished  before  by  any 
negro.     He  has  erected  a  monument  to  one  of  his  race. 

CHAS.  R,  DOUGLASS. 

GOVERNOR  ROOSEVELT  NAMES  THE  DAY. 

At  the  request  of  many  prominent  members  of  the  G.  A. 
R.  and  other  citizens,  the  committee  was  requested  to  fix  a 
day  for  unveiling,  when  there  would  be  good  weather,  in 
order  that  they  could  take  part  in  the  parade.  J.  W. 
Thompson  wrote  Governor  Roosevelt  asking  him  to  fix  a 
day  for  the  unveiling,  when  he  could  be  present,  and  request- 
ed him  to  act  with  Senator  Armstrong. 

Mr.  Thompson  received  the  following: 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  H5 

Albany,  February  8,  1899. 
My  Dear  Mr.  Thompson:  Replying  to  your  letter  of  the 
30th  ultimo,  in  reference  to  the  unveiling  of  the  Douglass 
monument,  I  will  gladly  come,  but  think  I  shall  have  to  wait 
until  the  Legislature  adjourns.  When  the  date  for  ad- 
journment is  fixed,  will  you  write  to  me,  and  I  will  fix  a  date 
for  you.  Sincerely  yours, 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 

Following  is  the  Governor's  letter,  and  one  from  Senator 
Armstrong  to  Chairman  John  W.  Thompson  of  the  Monu- 
ment Committee: 

Executive  Chamber, 

Albany,  May  3,  1899. 
Hon.  W.  W.  Armstrong,  Rochester,  2J5T.  Y.: 

My  Dear  Senator:     Replying  to  yours  of  the  1st,  would 
say  that  I  will  make  the  date  June  9th.     The  7th  of  June  I 
have  to  spend  at  Columbia  University. 
Sincerely  yours, 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 


Rochester,  K  Y.,  May  4,  1899. 
John  "W.  Thompson,  City: 

My  Dear  Mr.  Thompson :     I  have  the  pleasure  of  inclosing 
you  a  communication  from  Governor  Roosevelt,   which  I 
know  will  be  very  pleasing  to  you.     Please  advise  me  if  I  can 
be  of  any  future  service  in  the  matter. 
Yours  truly, 

W.  W.  ARMSTRONG. 

This  news  was  very  pleasing  to  the  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee, as  the  citizens  were  getting  impatient  and  tired  of 
seeing  the  canvas  covered  statue. 


-Qg  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  chairman  proceeded  to  make  the  arrangements  for 
the  final  event  of  June  9th.  In  order  to  get  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  interested,  and  assist  in  making  the  day  one 
of  importance  and  dignity,  as  well  as  to  secure  the 
$2,000  which  was  still  due  on  the  monument,  he  called 
upon  Mr.  K.  A.  Sibley,  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, to  entertain  Governor  Roosevelt  on  the  occasion  of  his 
visit  to  the  city.  While  Mr.  Sibley  had  the  matter  under 
consideration  it  became  known  to  many  leading  citizens  that 
such  a  request  had  been  made,  and  the  rumor  came  near 
breaking  up  the  parade.  Prominent  gentlemen  called  on 
Chairman  Thompson  and  made  objections  to  the  Governor 
being  taken  to  a  private  residence.  One  caller  said  indig- 
nantly, that  the  Governor  wanted  to  be  among  the  people 
and  not  carted  off  in  a  private  carriage.  Another  said,  "if 
what  I  have  just  heard  is  true  the  G.  A.  R.  won't  turn  out 
and  the  school  children  will  not  march."  He  continued  say- 
ing, you  had  better  have  the  Governor  go  right  to  the  square 
where  the  monument  is  to  be  unveiled,  the  people  will  come, 
and  don't  have  any  parade.  The  chairman  was  perplexed, 
and  the    outlook   for   a   successful   unveiling   seemed   dark. 

Colonel  James  S.  Graham,  however,  came  to  his  rescue 
from  the  unexpected  troubles.  After  an  interview  with  the 
colonel,  by  appointment,  Mr.  Thompson  met  him  in  his  office 
at  the  Postoffice,  the  next  morning,  and  walked  over  to  the 
office  of  Hon.  W.  W.  Armstrong,  where  there  was  a  con- 
ference between  the  three.  After  the  case  had  been  stated 
with  all  of  its  details,  Senator  Armstrong  called  these  gen- 
tlemen over  the  telephone  to  meet  at  the  Rochester  Whist 
Club  the  same  afternoon  at  4  o'clock:  Colonel  N.  P.  Pond, 
Hon.  A.  E.  Sutherland,  Hon.  George  A.  Benton,  Charles  H. 
Bastable.  They  were  met  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Armstrong, 
Colonel  J.  S.  Graham,  Hon.  John  Van  Voorhis  and  John  W. 
Thompson.      The  conference  lasted  two  hours  and  a   half. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  H7 

Mr.  Bastable  acted  as  secretary,  and  was  instructed  to  send 
invitations  to  five  hundred  citizens  to  meet  in  the  Supervis- 
ors' rooms,  Monday,  June  4th,  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
Governor's  reception  and  raise  the  balance  due  on  the  mon- 
ument. It  was  decided  further  that  Hon.  George  A.  Ben- 
ton should  be  the  chairman  of  the  meeting  of  citizens,  and 
Charles  U.  Bastable,  secretary. 

At  the  citizens'  meeting,  June  4th,  Judge  George  A.  Ben- 
ton was  unanimously  elected  chairman,  Mr.  James  Fee,  treas- 
urer and  Mr.  Bastable,  secretary.  Judge  Benton  was  au- 
thorized to  appoint  an  executive  committee  of  ten.  It 
proved  to  be  a  hard  task  to  perform  satisfactory  just  at  that 
time,  as  the  political  pot  had  just  began  to  boil  fiercely.  The 
primaries  were  not  to  be  held  until  September.  Mr.  Dewitt 
C.  Becker,  of  Perinton  had  announced  himself  a  candidate 
for  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  and  was  the  choice  of  the 
Republican  organization,  backed  by  Hon.  George  W.  Ald- 
ridge.  Hon.  J.  B.  Hamilton  was  also  a  candidate  for  the 
same  position  and  supported  by  all  of  the  anti-organization 
people,  and  many  others.  In  appointing  this  committee  it 
was  extremely  hard  for  the  Judge,  while  he  wished  to  ap- 
point only  those  who  would  act,  and  make  the  committee 
work  a  success,  he  was  accused  of  favoring  the  Aldridge  fac- 
tion of  the  Republican  party,  but  such  accusation  was  not 
well  founded.  He  desired  men  on  this  important  committee 
for  something  else  other  than  honor.  Of  course  all  who 
wanted  the  honor  could  not  be  appointed,  but  those  selected 
gave  general  satisfaction  to  the  public,  and  at  11  o'clock 
June  9th  we  had  money  enough  raised  to  pay  all  of  the  ex- 
penses of  the  Governor's  reception  and  the  balance  due  on 
the  monument. 

Hon.  H.  S.  Greenleaf  was  the  first  treasurer  appointed. 
He  served  nearly  two  years,  but  finally  had  to  retire  on  ac- 
count of  illness.     This  caused  much  regret  in  the  committee 


llg  HISTORY  OF  THE 

and  it  was  the  opinion  of  many  that  his  place  could  not  be 
filled.  Mr.  Greenleaf  was  a  great  admirer  of  Mr.  Douglass 
and  was  the  first  citizen  to  pledge  $100  to  the  fund.  After 
some  time  the  vacancy  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Hon. 
George  A.  Benton,  as  treasurer.  The  Judge  accepted  the 
position  and  discharged  its  duties  faithfully,  being  at  all 
times  ready  to  confer  with  the  chairman,  and  giving  valuable 
advice,  never  faltering.  Judge  Benton  served  Monroe  coun- 
ty six  years  as  district  attorney,  and  is  now  Surrogate  of 
Monroe  county,  N.  Y.  He  is  an  able  lawyer,  and  one  of 
the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Rochester.  The  comple- 
tion of  the  monument  and  its  successful  unveiling  made 
Treasurer  Benton  one  of  the  happiest  men  in  the  city,  espe- 
cially so  when  he  could  make  out  the  check  for  the  last 
$2,500  then  due  on  the  Douglass  monument.  When  this 
was  accomplished  it  was  truly  a  great  relief  to  all,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  the  sum  needed  was  collected  in  a 
much  shorter  time  than  is  usual  in  the  case  of  erecting  monu- 
ments by  popular  contributions.  When  all  things  are  con- 
sidered, the  accomplishment  of  the  work  in  less  than  four 
years  was  indeed  remarkable. 

PROCLAMATION  BY  THE  MAYOR. 

Mayor's  Office,  June  7,  1899. 

On  Friday  next  will  occur  the  ceremony  of  unveiling  the 
monument  erected  by  our  citizens  to  Frederick  Douglass. 

Rochester  may  well  cherish  the  memory  of  her  great  cit- 
izen. His  figure  stands  outlined  on  the  pages  of  history  as 
one  of  the  few  great  emancipators.  No  race  or  country  can 
claim  him  exclusively.  He  was  the  champion  of  man.  He 
fought,  not  in  the  forum  or  legislative  hall,  but  before  the 
tribunal  of  public  opinion.  No  people  chose  him  for  their 
representative.  His  ideas  of  right  and  liberty  were  not  lim- 
ited by  artificial  lines.  His  was  the  spirit  of  true  democracv. 
His  career  is 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


119 


Let  us  point  hirn  out  to  the  youth,  of  the  land  as  one  of  the 
type  of  men  who  make  offices  and  officers,  political  parties 
and  governments.  Let  us  point  to  the  position  he  held  as 
the  highest  that  may  be  attained  by  a  free  citizen.  This  we 
may  do  by  honoring  his  memory. 

Much  preparation  has  been  made  for  the  exercises  to  be 
held  on  Friday,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  people 
will  heartily  co-operate.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  be  able  to 
announce  that  his  excellency,  Governor  Roosevelt,  has  con- 
sented to  come  here  and  deliver  an  address. 

Therefore,  I  would  respectfully  request  that  on  that  day, 
after  12  o'clock  noon,  in  order  to  fittingly  celebrate  the 
event,  business  will  be  suspended  as  much  as  possible,  and 
that  all  the  people  assist  in  honoring  the  memory  of  our  dis- 
tinguished fellow  citizen  and  join  in  showing  respect  to  our 
distinguished  visitor. 

I  would  also  request  that  the  same  order  and  good  judg- 
ment be  exercised  by  the  spectators  along  the  line  of  march 
then  that  contributed  to  the  enjoyment  of  all  on  a  similar  oc- 
casion a  short  time  ago. 

GEORGE  E.  WARNER, 

Mayor. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    UNVEILING    CEREMONIES    AT    DOUGLASS 
PABK 

To  live — that  freedom,  truth,  and  life 

Might  never  know  eclipse — 
To  die,  with  woman's  work  and  works 

Aglow  upon  his  lips — 
To  face  the  foes  of  human  kind 

Through  years  of  wounds  and  scars — 
It  is  enough;  lead  on — to  find 

Thy  place  and  the  stars. 

MRS.  CRITTENDEN. 

February  20,  1895. 


With  the  laurel  wreath  of  fame,  Rochester,  June  9th, 
crowned  the  memory  of  the  great  orator,  statesman  and 
apostle  of  enfranchisement — Frederick  Douglass,  her  adopt- 
ed son.  Amid  elaborate  and  impressive  ceremonies,  in  the 
presence  of  a  mighty  throng,  honored  by  the  presence  of  the 
chief  executive  of  the  state,  the  shroud  was  lifted  from  the 
bronze  shaft  cast  to  the  image  of  the  great  apostle  of  liberty. 
Eulogy  of  his  life  principle,  his  noble  characteristics  and  his 
supernatural  efforts  to  uplift  his  race  which  groveled  in  the 
mire  of  ignorance,  was  spoken  in  glowing  terms  of  eloquence. 

Judged  not  from  the  heights  he  had  attained  but  from  the 
depths  out  of  which  he  had  risen,  the  citizens  of  Rochester 
paid  homage  to  the  memory  of  the  dead  statesman  in  fitting 
manner. 

Beneath  a  sunless  sky,  hidden  by  clouds,  the  commemora- 
tive and  dedicatory  exercises  were  conducted.  Color  was  lent 
to  the  general  ensemble,  for  citizens  had  decorated  their 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


121 


buildings  in  flags,  buntings  and  rosettes  of  Stars  and  Stripes. 
Old  Glory  floated  from  all  the  public  buildings,  schools  and 
many  residences.  The  proclamation  of  the  mayor  caused 
many  factories  and  business  houses  to  close  at  noon  and  the 
laborers  augmented  the  throng. 

Things  so  shaped  themselves  that  there  were  four  distinct 
features  of  the  occasion.  Chiefly  the  memorial  exercises 
stood  out  in  bold  relief,  then  there  was  the  big  parade. 
Aside  from  these  was  the  presence  of  Governor  Theodore 
Roosevelt  of  New  York  state  and  lieutenant  colonel  of  the 
Rough  Riders.  Lastly  came  the  receptions  to  and  by  him. 
Three  aides  designated  by  Grand  Marshal  N".  P.  Pond,  Hon. 
A.  J.  Rodenbeck,  Charles  Van  Voorhis  and  William  H.  Dris- 
coll;  left  the  city  at  9:05  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  bound  for 
Syracuse,  to  act  as  an  escort  of  the  Governor  to  the  city. 
They  met  the  distinguished  party  about  1  o'clock  and  board- 
ed the  Empire  State  Express,  where  they  were  warmly  greet- 
ed by  the  Governor. 

The  fast  train  from  Albany  arrived  two  minutes  ahead  of 
time,  just  as  though  the  engineer  appreciated  the  impatience 
of  the  people  and  wanted  to  show  his  appreciation  of  the  oc- 
casion. 

At  2:18  o'clock  Governor  Theodore  Roosevelt  stepped 
from  the  parlor  car  Tioga  with  the  aides,  Bishop  A.  Walters, 
Rev.  James  E.  Mason  and  Rev.  J.  J.  Adams.  They  were 
warmly  greeted  by  Senator  W.  W.  Armstrong,  L.  P.  Ross, 
Edward  Brown  and  Mr.  Mitchell  of  the  reception  committee. 
The  Governor  was  dressed  in  a  dark  gray  suit  and  wore  a 
light  colored  soft  hat.  After  a  few  moment's  consultation  the 
party  moved  through  the  trainhouse  amid  the  deafening 
cheers  of  the  people  assembled,  to  a  carriage  at  the  station 
entrance,  drawn  by  four  magnificent  iron  gray  horses, 
and  they  were  quickly  driven  direct  to  the  reviewing  stand  in 
front  of  the  Court  House.     Along  the  way  the  Governor  wa3 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE 

given  a  continual  ovation.  Upon  his  arrival  at  the  stand  he 
was  met  by  the  executive  committee,  composed  of  Charles  J. 
Brown,  Hon.  W.  W.  Armstrong,  Mayor  George  E.  Warner, 
James  Fee,  Charles  U.  Bastable,  Charles  H.  Babcock,  Valen- 
tine Fleckenstein,  Hon.  George  W.  Aldridge,  Colonel  James 
S.  Graham  and  E.  N.  Walbridge.  Seated  on  the  platform 
were:  Mayor  George  E.  Warner,  Presiding  Justice  Hardin 
and  Associate  Justices  Spring,  Nash  and  McLennan  of  the 
Appellate  "Division,  Justices  W.  E.  Werner  and  John  M. 
Davy  of  the  Supreme  Court,  County  Judge  A.  E.  Sutherland, 
Hon.  W.  A.  Sutherland,  Commissioners  Knebel,  Whalen  and 
Johnston  of  the  executive  board,  Judge  Adams,  Bishop  A. 
Walters,  Bev.  J.  E.  Mason,  John  W.  Thompson,  Senator  His- 
cock,  of  Syracuse,  Judge  Haight,  L.  P.  Boss,  Alderman  Cali- 
han,  Hon.  C.  L.  Baker,  George  C.  Treadwell,  military  secre- 
tary to  the  Governor,  Lewis  H.  Douglass,  Mrs.  Rosetta  D. 
Sprague,  Charles  B.  Douglass,  and  Mrs.  Helen  Douglass, 
widow  of  Frederick  Douglass;  Bev.  M.  Carruthers,  Bosa 
Sprague,  granddaughter  of  Frederick  Douglass,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Blackall,  Mrs.  Mary  Seymour  Howell  and  Miss  G.  Page. 

In  addition  to  the  above  the  following  were  invited  to 
seats  on  the  grand  stand  at  the  monument: 

L.  P.  Boss,  Francis  B.  Mitchell,  Edward  S.  Brown,  A.  G. 
Yates,  George  Eastman,  T.  J.  Nicholl,  Walter  B.  Duffy,  J. 
L.  Judson,  George  A.  Benton,  Hon.  John  M.  Dunwell,  Hon. 
William  E.  Werner,  Hon.  John  M.  Davy,  Hon  A.  E.  Suther- 
land, Hon.  J.  M.  E.  O'Grady,  Hon.  George  A.  Carnahan,  Dr. 
E.  M.  Moore,  John  M.  Ives,  B.  A.  Sibley,  George  Ellwanger, 
C.  B.  Woodworth,  Frank  Fritzsche,  George  B.  Watkins,  Max 
Lowenthal,  Louis  Greisheimer,  L.  M.  Moore,  J.  Miller  Kelly, 
Oscar  Knebel,  Milton  Noyes,  William  H.  Tracy,  Arthur 
Luetchford,  William  R.  Peters,  T.  J.  Swanton,  E.  A.  Kalb- 
fieisch,  S.  B.  Williams,  Albrecht  Vogt,  Horace  McGuire, 
Joseph  T.  Ailing,  George  H.  Perkins,  J.  P.  Henry,  T.  Bick- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  123 

ford,  P.  H.  Yawman,  J.  L.  Whalen,  Grift'  D.  Palmer,  L.  L. 
Williams,  James  Johnston,  Frank  Stecher,  Nathaniel  Foote, 
James  Palmer,  John  U.  Schroth,  A.  J.  Reibling,  Dr.  Ogden 
Backus,  Dr.  E.  B.  Angell,  A.  T.  Hagen,  M.  B.  Schantz,  B.  B. 
Odell,  Granger  A.  Hollister,  L.  A.  Jeffries,  William  H. 
Jones,  J.  F.  Wilber,  George  A.  Redmond,  George  Roth, 
Charles  T.  Chapin,  William  Beard,  H.  F.  Remington,  George 
W.  Archer,  Hon.  H.  C.  Brewster,  Rev.  J.  W.  A.  Stewart, 
Rev.  Thomas  A.  Hendriek,  Frank  J.  Defendorf,  E.  M.  Up- 
ton, W.  W.  Parce,  J.  H.  Snow,  H.  F.  Atwood,  E.  S.  Etten- 
heimer,  F.  G.  Beach,  G.  E.  McGonegal,  C.  C.  Meyer,  F.  A. 
Defendorf,  Fairport;  Carl  F.  Lomb,  Charles  Smith,  R.  M. 
Myers,  G.  B.  Miller,  James  H.  Boucher,  John  Connell,  S.  A. 
Servis,  Henry  Hebing,  H.  B.  Hathaway,  Lyman  M.  Otis, 
Anson  C.  Allen,  Sol  Wile,  Rev.  F.  Defendorf,  Hon.  John 
Van  Voorhis,  George  Everest,  Captain  H.  T.  Lomb,  C.  M. 
Everest,  H.  W.  Sibley,  T.  B.  Dunn,  James  R.  Davy,  Dr.  J. 
M.  Lee,  J.  G.  Kalber,  A.  B.  Hendrix,  William  Bartholomay, 
Matthias  Kondolf,  Selden  S.  Brown,  William  Eastwood,  John 
Fahy,  Hon.  Charles  S.  Baker,  Rev.  C.  A.  Barbour,  Hon.  A. 
J.  Rodenbeck,  Scott  K  Newcomb,  W.  M.  Jones,  W.  M.  Mal- 
lett,  Willis  K.  Gillette,  Dr.  T.  F.  O'Hare,  Charles  L.  Hunt, 
G.  H.  Kingsbury,  Brockport-;  Hon.  B.  F.  Gleason,  Brockport; 
Hon.  John  W.  Hannan,  Chris  Merlau,  Fred  R.  Hixson, 
Clarkson;  George  G.  Mason,  Webster;  George  Weldon, 
Louis  Ernst,  A.  Greenberg,  Bernard  Dunn,  M.  M.  Meyer,  B. 
K  Jacobson,  F.  T.  Church,  James  Gillis,  Thomas  Doud, 
John  Owens,  Brockport:  James  H.  Redman,  William  C. 
Barry,  Thomas  Devine,  A.  M.  Lindsay,  V.  T.  Whitmore, 
Captain  E.  C.  Parkinson,  Fred  Will,  F.  A.  Brownell,  Samuel 
Wilder,  Samuel  Sloan,  E.  K  Curtice,  F.  P.  Allen,  Hon. 
Merton  E.  Lewis,  D.  C.  Becker,  William  H.  Driscoll,  H.  B. 
Graves,  Hon.  J.  Breck  Perkins,  Charles  E.  Angle,  Julius  M. 
Wile,  John  B.  Hamilton,  Colonel  H.  S.  Greenleaf,  George 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE 

W.  Percy,  S.  R.  Mott,  jr.,  Dr.  C.  R.  Sumner,  Josepli 
Michaels,  L.  G.  Wetmore,  Levi  Hey,  George  W.  Thayer, 
Frank  Ritter,  James  D.  Casey,  Hon.  George  A.  Hardin, 
Hon.  William  H,  Adams,  Hon.  Peter  B.  McLennan,  Hon. 
Alfred  Spring,  Hon.  Edwin  A.  Nash,  Hiram  Shaw,  John  M. 
Steele,  W.  A.  Williamson,  John  A.  P.  Walter,  Dr.  A.  R. 
Gumberts,  Hon.  M.  J.  Calihan,  Dr.  D.  H.  Waugh,  Dr.  James 
Buckley,  John  M.  Louden,  Albert  Hondorf,  David  R.  Sin- 
gleton, E.  A.  Cross,  Adam  N.  Finucane,  Charles  H.  Sage, 
Henry  F.  Marks,  Henry  L.  White,  Ansel  E.  Wright,  Web- 
ster; John  R.  Bourne,  Frank  G.  Newell,  George  J.  Wunder, 
Frank  Wilber,  Joseph  Keller,  Edward  Englehardt,  John 
Barnett,  John  M.  Cashman,  Dr.  Wooden,  Martin  F.  Bristol, 
Frederick  Michel,  William  Gleason,  Daniel  Leary,  0.  B. 
Webber,  Herman  A.  Howard,  Dr.  Leroy  Webber,  John 
Mitchell,  Dr.  B.  I.  Preston,  Rev.  J.  P.  Kiernan,  F.  L. 
Dutcher,  Dr.  T.  O.  Tait,  Edward  Shaffer,  James  W.  Clark, 
William  Thompson,  Edward  F.  Wellington,  Henry  J. 
Thompson,  James  Briggs,  Edward  F.  Ellsworth,  William  J. 
Quinlan,  Joseph  M.  Schlesinger,  Edgar  Parkman,  Charles  L. 
Yates,  George  J.  Knapp,  George  W.  Clark,  Henry  Oberlies, 
George  H.  Smith,  John  E.  Howard,  Michael  J.  Ragan, 
George  M.  Schwartz,  Henry  Bareham,  Christian  H.  Tron- 
son,  William  J.  Schmitt,  A.  Emerson  Babcock,  Arthur  A. 
Sickles,  Albert  J.  Gallup,  Alphonso  Collins,  Edward  E.  Fris- 
bee,  James  H.  Redman,  Marshall  Todd,  Rudolph  Dubelbeiss, 
George  Webster,  Oscar  E.  Nichols,  Albert  P.  Beebe,  Joseph 
Hubbard  Gaston,  Dewitt  C.  Becker,  Charles  G.  Schoen, 
James  L.  Sackett,  Joseph  H.  Sherman,  John  Sutphin,  Frank 
F.  Jones,  Philip  Garbutt. 

Along  the  line  of  march,  which  was  South  Washington  to 
Main,  to  State,  to  Central  avenue,  countermarch  to  Main,  to 
Franklin  street  and  to  the  monument,  throngs  lined  each  side 
of  the  street.  Superintendent  of  Streets,  Barnard,  had  roped 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  125 

oft'  the  streets  and  perfect  order  resulted.  From  every  point 
one  could  see  the  marching  companies  without  any  obstruc- 
tion breaking  the  evenness. 

Thousands  viewed  the  marching  bodies  from  the  front  win- 
dows of  the  tall  buildings  or  from  wagons  drawn  up  at  the 
street  crossings.  Expressions  of  admiration  were  heard  on 
all  sides,  and  it  seemed  to  be  the  consensus  of  opinion  that 
the  parade  was  the  prettiest  that  Rochester  has  ever  had. 

The  most  imposing  scene  of  the  day  was  around  the  spot 
where  stood  the  bronze  figure  of  Frederick  Douglass,  stand- 
ing erect  and  portraying  the  colored  statesman  in  his  favorite 
and  most  effective  pose.  Here,  and  occupying  every  inch  of 
the  street  and  every  foot  of  the  grounds  of  the  New  York 
Central  station,  were  gathered  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
citizens.  Tn  front  of  the  large  wholesale  house  of  Garson  & 
Meyer,  where  the  stand  for  the  speakers  was  erected,  the 
crowd  jammed  and  pushed,  leaving  scarcely  room  enough  for 
the  parade  to  move  when  it  reached  the  scene  of  the  unveil- 
ing, while  from  a  hundred  windows  of  that  and  adjoining 
buildings,  more  people  hung  out  in  enthusiastic  eagerness  to 
view  the  scene  and  hear  the  exercises.  Upon  the  roof  of  the 
Central  station,  and  from  a  train  of  passenger  cars  drawn  up 
on  the  west  end,  spectators  found  room  to  stand  or  sit  and 
cheer.  From  the  roofs  of  the  other  buildings  men  with 
rifles  fired  volley  upon  volley  of  salutes  as  section  after  sec- 
tion of  the  parade  passed  by  the  monument  in  line. 

The  spectators  and  distinguished  citizens  in  the  stand 
looked  down  upon  a  sea  of  faces,  presenting  a  scene  of  bright- 
ness with  summer  gowns  and  gaudy  ribbons  fluttering  in 
the  fresh  breeze.  There  was  a  crush  and  jam,  a  pulling-  and 
tugging  to  obtain  best  positions,  and  the  police  found  their 
efforts  useless  to  keep  the  crowd  within  the  limits  prescribed 
by  the  ropes.  It  was  not  a  disorderly  crowd,  but  an  animat- 
ed one,  and  fed  by  the  streams  of  people  filing  in  from  all 


126 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


portions  of  the  city,  it  grew  to  immense  proportions.  Prob- 
ably 10,000  people  saw  the  bronze  statue  of  Frederick  Doug- 
lass revealed  as  the  folds  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  drawn 
aside. 


THE  ORDER  OF  PARADE. 


Following  was  the  order  of  parade: 

Platoon  of  police,  Captain  McDerniott  commanding,  as- 
sisted by  Lieutenants  Schwartz,  Zimmerman,  Sherman, 
Eyan,  Puss  and  Stetson. 

Colonel  K  P.  Pond,  grand  marshal,  and  aides:  H.  S. 
Kedman,  personal  aide;  Joseph  P.  Cleary,  Maurice  Leyden, 
W.  G.  Kicker,  E.  W.  Merrill,  S.  McAuliffe,  Kobert  Patter- 
son, William  Shelmire,  Henry  Ansell,  B.  F.  Franklin, 
George  A.  Benton,  George  S.  Burke,  J.  A.  P.  Walter,  James 
Douglass,  George  Cripps,  James  R  Chamberlain,  F.  D. 
Mathews,  Berry  Jackson,  Thomas  Sprague,  Walter  Jones, 
Thomas  E.  Shaw,  Louis  Wilson,  Louis  Sprague,  C.  V.  Lodge, 
George  W.  Thomas,  1ST.  Huntington,  John  Galen,  Frank  Ells 
worth,  William  A.  Mblack,  William  Driscoll,  W.  Martin 
Jones,  Henry  J.  Simmelink,  William  S.  Beard,  C.  L.  Yates, 
John  Ashton,  Francis  S.  Macomber,  William  K  Cogswell, 
Herbert  Ward,  W.  H.  McMath,  Charles  P.  Lee,  B.  F.  Glea- 
son,  H.  C.  Brewster,  Ira  J.  Wile,  Frank  Fritzsche,  Ogden 
Backus,  F.  A.  Brownell,  J.  P.  Henry,  T.  B.  Dunn,  Percival 
Oviatt,  Frank  Wurtz,  Jacob  Spahn,  Charles  L.  Hunt,  J. 
Frank  Wilber;  Ernest  Miller,  bugler. 

The  various  divisions  of  the  parade  followed  as  given  be- 
low: 


FIRST  DIVISION. 


Commanded  by  Colonel  James  S.  Graham,  assited  by  the 
following  staff:  Arthur  Luetchford,  Horace  McGuire, 
Thomas  W.  Ford,  James  Plunkett,  C.  C.  Brownell,  Dr.  B.  I. 
Preston,  Julius  Armbruster,  Fred  P.  Stallman,  George  J. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^27 

Oaks,  George  Weldon,  William  Richards,  Porter  Farley, 
James  E.  Chamberlain,  W.  K.  Barlow,  C.  F.  Wilson,  Chris 
Heilbronn,  Ed.  B.  Chapin,  Dr.  Richard  Curran,  Thomas 
Burchill,  James  Gosnell,  James  F.  O'Neil,  Milton  Race,  Ben- 
jamin Jackson,  J.  J.  Augustine,  Alfred  Elwood,  James  H. 
Splaine,  John  Parks,  Arthur  S.  Bostwick,  John  P.  Hammill, 
Selden  Page,  W.  M.  Kenyon,  William  Sheldon,  Maurice 
Leyden.  James  Douglass,  Henry  Norden,  Anthony  Wolters, 
Fred  Bach,  W.  R.  Foster. 

Fifty-fourth  Regiment  Band. 

Eighth  Separate  Company,  N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.,  Captain  Hen- 
derson in  command;  90  men. 

First  Separate  Company,  N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.,  Captain  Smith  in 
command;  104  men. 

Naval  Reserves,  Lieutenant  Walbridge  in  command;  75 
men. 

Walsh's  Brigade  Band. 

Survivors  of  the  Old  Thirteenth  Regiment,  Colonel  Frank 
Schoeffel  commanding;  30  men. 

O'Rorke  Post,  No.  1,  G.  A.  R. ;  80  men. 

Peissner  Post,  No.  106,  G.  A.  R,;  50  men. 

George  H.  Thomas  Post,  No.  4,  G.  A.  R. ;  50  men. 

C.  J.  Powers  Post,  No.  391,  G.  A.  R.;  60  men. 

E.  G.  Marshall  Post,  No.  397,  G.  A.  R,;  45  men. 

T.  F.  Quinby  Post,  No.  640,  G.  A.  R.;  35  men. 

Myron  Adams  Post,  No.  84,  G.  A.  R.;  40  men  in  carriages. 

Regular  Army  and  Navy  Union  Veterans;  25  men. 

Veterans  of  the  Spanish  War,  comprising  members  of  the 
Seventh  Battery  and  202d  Regiment.  Captain  William 
Scanlan;  40  men. 

Sons  of  Veterans'  Martial  Band;  30  pieces. 

C.  A.  Glidden  Camp,  No.  6,  S.  O.  V.;  60  men. 

O'Rorke  Camp,  No.  60,  S.  O.  V.;  50  men. 

T.  F.  Quinby  Camp,  No.  13,  S.  O.  V. ;  40  men. 


128 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


J.  P.  Cleary  Camp,  S.  O.  V.;  60  men. 

Beynolds  Battery,  Captain  Gilbert  Reynolds;  25  men. 

Independent  Martial  Band  of  20  pieces. 


SECOND  DIVISION. 

Colonel  S.  C.  Pierce,  commanding. 
First  Battalion. 

Principal  Julius  L.  Townsend,  commanding,  headed  by 
Minges'  Band  of  25  pieces. 

Xo.  3  School,  55  boys.  Captain  Stephen  Lyons,  First 
Lieutenant  Sidney  Todd,  Second  Lieutenant  Bay  Simmons. 

Xo.  4  School,  60  boys.  Captain  Clarence  Bobinson,  First 
Lieutenant  Sidney  Todd,  Second  Lieutenant  William  Gor- 
man. 

Xo.  6  School,  60  boys.  Captain  William  Johnson,  First 
Lieutenant  Hawley  Handy,  Second  Lieutenant  William 
Walker. 

Xo.  10  School,  46  boys.  Captain  David  Landau,  First 
Lieutenant  Harry  Simmons,  Second  Lieutenant  Edward 
Stahlbrodt. 

Xo.  11  School,  30  boys.  Captain  Charles  U.  Bastable,  jr., 
First  Lieutenant  Arthur  Lowenthal,  Second  Lieutenant 
Balph  Clarke. 

Xo.  1 2  School,  48  boys.  Captain  Lucius  Irons,  First  Lieu- 
tenant George  Clark,  Second  Lieutenant  Boy  Qualtrough. 

Xo.  14  School,  60  boys.  Captain  Clair  Saile,  First  Lieu- 
tenant Xorman  Davis,  Second  Lieutenant  Fred  Meyer. 

Xo.  17  School,  44  boys.  Captain  E.  J.  Wright,  First 
Lieutenant  James  Covill. 

Xo.  18  School,  55  boys.  Captain  F.  Herdle.  First  Lieu- 
tenant E.  H.  Burns,  Second  Lieutenant  E.  W.  Locks. 

Xo.  19  School,  40  boys.  Captain  Ola  Tefff,  First  Lieu- 
tenant Forbes  Ridley,  Second  Lientenant  George  Try. 


HON.   THEODORE   ROOSEVELT. 


THE 
NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY' 
Astor,  Leno> 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  129 

JSfo.  20  School,  60  boys.  Captain  George  Kogler,  First 
Lieutenant  James  Hotchkiss,  Second  Lieutenant  Warren 
Smith. 

No.  15  School,  SO  boys.  Captain  Ronald  Lehman,  First 
Lieutenant  Carlyle  Hattleman,  Second  Lieutenant  William 
Hall. 

Xo.  23  School,  26  boys.  Captain  William  Barrows,  First 
Lieutenant  Edward  Sickle,  Second  Lieutenant  Glen  Page. 

Xo.  24  School,  42  boys.  Captain  John  Mosher,  First 
Lieutenant  Harry  Gordon,  Second  Lieutenant  John  Parks. 

Xo.  30  School,  25  boys.  Captain  Burton  Harness,  First 
Lieutenant  George  Cannon. 

No.  31  School,  32  boys.  Captain  C.  Piatt,  First  Lieuten- 
ant W.  Horr,  Second  Lieutenant  W.  Clark. 

Second  Battalion. 

Principal  Richard  R.  Searing,  commanding. 

Xos.  7  and  34  Schools,  110  boys.  Major  J.  H.  Patricks; 
Captains  Walter  McCauley  and  Harry  Johns. 

Xo.  1  School,  30  boys.     Captain  James  Mungovan. 

No.  13  School,  36  boys.  Captain  Milton  Ingalls,  First 
Lieutenant  Alonzo  Murray. 

Xo.  21  School,  32  boys.  Captain  Albert  Boyce,  First 
Lieutenant  Fred  Macherlein,  Second  Lieutenant  Earl  Ken- 
gal. 

Xo.  22  School,  56  boys.  Captain  Fred  Van  Grafeiland, 
First  Lieutenant  Charles  Kingsley,  Second  Lieutenant 
George  Eberwein. 

Xo.  25  School,  24  boys.  Captain  Frank  Demmer,  First 
Lieutenant  Sidney  Hall. 

Xo.  27  School,  36  boys.  Captain  John  Harris,  First  Lieu- 
tenant Gustave  Swader. 

Xo.  28  School,  40  boys.  Captain  Albert  Wilson,  First 
Lieutenant  Henry  Freisch,  Second  Lieutenant  Walter  Smith. 


130 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


No.  29  School,  80  boys.  Captain  Kalph  Head,  First  Lieu- 
tenant Harry  Brightman,  Second  Lieutenant  Alexander 
Stewart. 

No.  5  School,  42  boys.  Captain  William  Crowley,  First 
Lieutenant  W.  Torkinton. 

No.  32  School,  42  boys.  Captain  George  Pierce,  First 
Lieutenant  Floyd  Brown,  Second  Lieutenant  Albert  Sutter. 

No.  33  School,  36  boys.  Captain  Oscar  Gulick,  First 
Lieutenant  William  Brown,  Second  Lieutenant  Harry  Glen. 

No.  26  School,  150  boys.  Captain  John  Horn,  First  Lieu- 
tenant William  Bracket!,  Second  Lieutenant  Harlon  Ray- 


THIRD  DIVISION. 


Third  division,  under  command  of  Colonel  John  J.  Pow- 
ers, with  the  following  staff:  Jefferson  Young,  L.  C.  Piper, 
John  Zellweger,  George  W.  Powers,  A.  H.  Babcock,  William 
A.  Niblack,  E.  W.  Budd,  Fred  Freund,  A.  S.  Angel,  Charles 
U.  Bastable,  J.  M.  Wheeler,  William  S.  Beard,  William 
Barr,  W.  W.  Barnard,  Joseph  Weinberg,  John  J.  Moynihan, 
C.  G.  Galliger,  F.  B.  Pierce,  Henry  Loewer,  Dr.  M.  F. 
Rutherford,  William  Boyd,  E.  H.  Damon,  C.  L.  Ball,  F.  W. 
Sangster,  P.  A.  White,  E.  G.  Hartel. 

Hebing's  Band. 

Anson  Division,  TL  R.  Knights  of  Pythias,  Captain  Stie- 
fel;  40  men. 

Imperial  Division  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  No.  1,  Cap- 
tain D.  J.  Coakley;  40  men. 

Knights  of  Calvin,  Captain  George  Schmitt;  40  men. 

Knights  of  Malta,  Captain  F.  B.  Pierce;  47  men. 

City  Newsboys,  under  command  of  Captain  Isaac  Lazarus, 
75  men  in  uniform. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  131 

FOURTH  DIVISION. 

The  fourth  division  consisted  of  the  State  Industrial 
School  hoys,  headed  by  the  following  members  of  the  board 
of  managers  in  a  tally-ho:  Dr.  G.  G.  Carroll,  Captain 
Henry  Lomb,  Mrs.  F.  H.  Kuichling,  Judge  Thomas  Raines, 
Dr.  G.  W.  Goler,  Charles  Van  Voorhis,  Miss  Lura  E.  Ald- 
ridge,  Dr.  C.  H.  Losey. 

Colonel  E.  P.  Kelly  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  A.  I.  Howard, 
regimental  adjutant;  Eugene  Johnsberger,  trumpeter. 

First  Battalion — James  Robertson,  commanding;  25  men. 

Second  Battalion — L.  A.  Reilly,  commanding;  200  men. 

Third  Battalion — Thomas  Murphy,  commanding;  200 
men. 

State  Industrial  School  Band. 


FIFTH  DIVISION. 

Fifth  division  under  command  of  Major  F.  S.  Cunning- 
ham, with  the  following  staff:  Jack  Alexander,  Scottsville; 
Thomas  Sprague,  Walter  Jones,  John  Mines,  James  Holland, 
John  Dinkle,  Scottsville;  Frank  Simms,  Scottsville;  Frank 
Whiting.  Buffalo:  Thomas  Payne,  Buffalo;  John  Spears. 

Lake  View  Band,  20  pieces. 

City  Cadets,  under  command  of  Captain  Chatfield,  50  men. 

Douglass  Club,  under  command  of  Captain  Henry  Wil- 
liams, 150  men. 

Citizens  in  tally-hos  and  carriages. 

Douglass  Club  and  band  of  Albion,  !N\  Y. ;  25  men. 


SIXTH  DD7ISION. 

James  W.  Casey,  commanding. 

Ono  hundred  citizens  and  ladies  in  carriages. 


Superintendent  of  Streets  W.  W.  Barnard  roped  the 
streets  along  the  line  of  march  and  requested  all  persons  to 
keep  on  the  walk. 


132 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Additional  general  orders  for  the  parade  were  issued  as 
follows : 

O'Rorke  Camp,  No.  60,  S.  0.  V. 

The  officers  and  members  of  O'Rorke  Camp,  No.  60,  S. 
O.  V.,  are  hereby  ordered  to  report  at  the  camp  rooms,  Citv 
Building,  Front  street,  Friday,  June  9th,  at  1  o'clock,  P.  M., 
promptly,  for  the  purpose  of  participating  in  the  parade  in 
honor  of  the  unveiling  of  the  Frederick  Douglass  monument, 

Members  will  report  in  regular  street  uniform  and  white 
gloves. 

By  order  of  G.  E.  SNYDER, 

Captain. 

GEORGE  M.  FLEMING,  First  Sergeant. 


Headquarters  Third  Division  Douglass  Day  Parade, 
Rochester,  K  Y.,  June  7,  1899. 

Having  been  elected  commander  of  the  civic  organizations 
in  the  city,  and  by  order  from  the  chief  marshal,  the  same 
will  comprise  the  third  division.  And  in  assuming  command, 
will  request  that  all  uniformed  companies  or  detachments 
participating  will  form  promptly  at  1:30  o'clock  on  Clinton 
street,  between  Main  and  Court,  right  resting  on  Court.  All 
lodges  and  organizations  appearing  for  parade,  not  in  uni- 
form, will  form  on  the  left  of  the  uniformed  companies. 
Twelve  or  more  members  appearing  for  parade  from  any 
lodge  will  be  given  a  place  in  line.  From  place  of  formation 
of  line  the  division  will  proceed  at  1 :45  o'clock  sharp  through 
Court,  Exchange  and  Troup  streets  to  place  of  formation  on 
Plymouth  avenue,  with  the  main  line,  for  parade.  As  this 
is  to  be  a  secret  society  division,  it  is  hoped  all  will  be  out 
with  full  ranks  and  on  time. 

The  following  aides  are  hereby  appointed  and  will  be 
obeyed  and  respected  accordingly:  Jefferson  Young,  L.  C. 
Piper,  John  Zellweger,  George  W.  Powers,  A.  H.  Babcock, 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  I33 

E.  W.  Budd,  Fred  Freund,  A.  S.  Angell,  Charles  U.  Bas- 
table,  J.  M.  Wheeler,  William  S.  Beard,  William  Barr,  W. 
W.  Barnard,  Joseph  Weinberg,  John  J.  Moynihan,  C.  D. 
Galliger,  F.  B.  Pierce,  Henry  Loewer,  Dr.  M.  E.  Rutherford, 
William  Boyd,  E.  H.  Damon,  C.  L.  Ball,  F.  W.  Sangster,  P. 
A.  White,  E.  G.  Hartel. 

They  will  report  for  duty  mounted  and  in  uniform  of  the 
organization  of  which  they  are  a  member  (if  possible),  at  1 
o'clock  P.  M.,  to  chief  of  staff,  corner  of  Clinton  and  Court 
streets.  JOHN  J.  POWERS, 

Commanding  Third  Division. 

E.  K.  WORRALL,  Chief  of  Staff, 


Headquarters  Gerard  Commandery,  No.  254, 
Knights  of  Malta. 
Sir  Knights:     Yon   are  hereby  ordered  to  assemble   at 
Commandery  Hall,  South  Clinton  street,  Friday,   at   1:30 
o'clock  P.  M.j  sharp,  in  full  uniform,  to  take  part  in  parade 
and  reception  of  Governor  Roosevelt. 

By  order,  F.  B.  PIERCE, 

Commanding. 
E.  K.  WORRALL,  Recorder. 


Headquarters  Anson  Company,  No.  16, 
Uniformed  Rank,  K.  of  P. 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  June  7, 1899. 
The  officers  and  members  of  this  command  are  hereby  or- 
dered to  appear  at  their  armory  in  full  uniform  for  parade 
and  reception  of  Governor  Roosevelt,  Friday,  June  9,  1899, 
at  1  o'clock  sharp. 

By  order,  JOHN  J.  POWERS, 

Captain  Commanding. 
C.  L.  HOFFERBERT,  Recorder. 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE 

General  Order  No.  3 : 

The  officers  and  members  of  Charles  J.  Powers  Post  will 
meet  at  their  rooms,  at  Odd  Fellows'  Building,  North  Clin- 
ton, near  East  Main  street,  at  1  o'clock  P.  M.,  Friday,  9th 
instant,  to  participate  in  the  celebration  attending  the  un- 
veiling of  the  Douglass  monument  and  the  reception  of  the 
Goveror  of  the  State  of  New  York.  All  veterans  not  con- 
nected with  participating  organizations  are  invited  to  join  the 
command.  SHERMAN  D.  RICHARDSON, 

G.  A.  NICHOLETT,  Adjutant.  Commander. 


Commander  Graham  issued  the  following  order: 
Headquarters  First  Division 

Douglass  Monument  Parade, 
General  Order  No.  1:  June  7,  1899. 

Having  been  assigned  to  command  the  first  division  of  the 
parade  at  the  unveiling  of  the  Douglass  monument,  all  vet- 
erans of  the  Civil  and  Spanish  wars  and  Sons  of  Veterans  are 
cordially  invited  to  parade  in  honor  of  an  occasion  proving 
that  in  this  republic  the  lowliest  may  rise  to  a  high  place  in 
the  hearts  of  his  countrymen,  and  also  to  give  fitting  welcome 
to  the  Governor  of  our  Empire  State,  and  as  an  expression  of 
our  esteem  for  him  as  a  citizen  soldier. 

The  several  organizations  will  form  promptly  at  1:45 
P.  M.,  Friday,  the  9th  instant,  on  Spring  street,  facing  west, 
the  right  resting  on  South  Washington  street  as  follows: 
Escorting  the  veteran  division,  the  Eighth  Separate  Com- 
pany, N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.;  First  Separate  Company,  N.  G.  S. 
N.  Y.;  Naval  Reserves,  S.  N.  Y.;  O'Rorke  Post,  No.  1,  G. 
A.  R.;  Peissner  Post,  No.  106,  G.  A.  R.;  George  H.  Thomas 
Post,  No.  4,  G.  A.  R.;  C.  J.  Powers  Post,  No.  391,  G.  A.  R.; 
E.  G.  Marshall  Post,  No.  397,  G.  A.  R.;  Myron  Adams  Post, 
No.  84,  G.  A.  R.;  I.  F.  Quinby  Post,  No.  409,  G.  A.  R.;  vet- 
erans of  the  Spanish  war,  Sons  of  Veterans. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^35 

Other  veteran  commands  and  unattached  members  wishing 
to  parade,  on  application  will  be  assigned  places  in  the  line. 

The  following  aides  are  hereby  appointed  and  will  be 
obeyed  and  respected  accordingly: 

Thomas  C.  Hodgson,  special  aide;  Arthur  Luetchford, 
James  Gosnell,  Horace  McGuire,  James  F.  O'Neil,  Thomas 
W.  Ford,  Milton  Race,  James  Plunkett,  Benjamin  Jackson, 
C.  C.  Brownell,  J.  J.  Augustine,  D.  B.  I.  Preston,  Alfred  El- 
wood,  Julius  Armbruster,  James  H.  Splaine,  Fred  P.  Stall- 
man,  John  Parks,  George  J.  Oaks,  Arthur  S.  Bostwick, 
George  Weldon,  John  P.  Hammill,  William  Richards,  Selden 
Page,  Porter  Farley,  W.  M.  Kenyon,  James  R.  Chamberlain, 
William  Sheldon,  W.  K.  Balon,  Maurice  Leyden,  0.  F.  Wil- 
son, James  Douglass,  Chris  Heilbron,  Henry  Norden,  Ed- 
ward B.  Chapin,  Anthony  Wolters,  Dr.  Richard  Curran, 
Fred  Bach,  Thomas  Burchill,  W.  R.  Foster. 

They  will  report  mounted,  wearing  the  uniform  of  their 
organizations,  or  in  dark  clothes,  to  Thomas  C.  Hodgson,  spe- 
cial aide,  at  the  corner  of  Spring  street  and  Plymouth  ave- 
nue, at  1:45  P.  M. 

The  attention  of  the  commanders  of  organizations  is  called 
to  general  order  No.  1,  by  Colonel  N.  P.  Pond,  chief  mar- 
shal, published  in  the  journals  of  the  7th  instant. 

By  command,  J.  S.  GRAHAM, 

Marshal  First  Division. 

Official: 

THOMAS  C.  HODGSON,  Special  Aide. 


Headquarters  Monroe  County 
Spanish-American  War  Association. 
Special  Order  No.  2 : 

All  members  of  this  association  are  requested  to  assemble 
at  the  New  York  State  Armory  at  1:30  P.  M.,  June  9,  1899, 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE 

to  participate  in  the  parade  and  ceremony  of  unveiling  the 
Douglass  monument.  All  regulars  and  volunteers  residing 
in  this  county,  who  enlisted  for  the  Spanish-American  war 
are  respectfully  invited  to  join  with  us,  wearing  fatigue  uni- 
form and  campaign  hat. 

By  order  of  F.  J.  HESS, 

Senior  Vice-Commander. 


COMMENCING  OF  THE  EXERCISES. 

It  was  but  a  few  minutes  after  3  o'clock  when  Governor 
Eoosevelt  was  driven  up  Central  avenue,  and  entered  the 
building  of  Garson,  Meyer  &  Company,  in  front  of  which  the 
stand  had  been  erected.  Five  minutes  later  the  advance 
guard  of  the  procession,  headed  by  Marshal  N".  P.  Pond  and 
staff,  swung  into  the  square  from  Franklin  street,  and  made 
an  attempt  to  lead  the  marching  column  in  front  of  the  stand. 
For  a  time  pandemonium  reigned,  as  the  square  was  jammed 
with  people,  who  had  to  move,  and  move  quickly,  to  escape 
the  iron  of  the  horses'  feet.  The  policemen  got  out  their 
clubs  and  Colonel  Graham  issued  his  orders  at  the  top  of  his 
voice,  but  the  swaying  mass  of  humanity  soon  pushed  itself 
up  against  another  solid  mass  of  humanity  in  the  rear,  and 
the  horsemen  were  forced  to  halt,  until  the  jammed  mass 
could  be  relieved  from  its  outer  edges. 

As  soon  as  the  pavement  in  front  of  the  stand  had  been 
cleared  to  a  small  extent,  the  various  companies  were 
marched  in  front,  a  portion  of  them  countermarching,  and  re: 
turning  up  St.  Paul  street,  and  others  continuing  to  Central 
avenue,  and  thus  out  to  State  street.  In  the  meantime  the 
State  Industrial  School  Band  had  gathered  about  the  stand, 
and  as  Governor  Roosevelt  took  his  place  on  the  speakers' 
platform  they  played  the  patriotic  selection,  "The  Star 
Spangled  Banner."    The  crowd  were  not  to  be  outdone,  how- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  137 

ever,  and  joined  their  cheers  with  the  enlivening  strains  of 
the  music.  As  soon  as  quiet  had  been  restored  the  regular 
order  of  exercises  began. 

Arrangements  had  been  made  to  accommodate  about  200 
people  on  the  stand,  which  was  filled  with  the  members  of  the 
reception  committee,  and  other  prominent  citizens.  Among 
those  to  occupy  seats  near  the  Governor's  table,  were  Mayor 
George  E.  Warner,  Senator  W.  W.  Armstrong,  J.  W. 
Thompson,  Rev.  T.  A.  Hendrick,  Rev.  J.  E.  Mason,  Hon. 
William  A.  Sutherland,  Charles  J.  Brown,  Rev.  J.  J.  Adams, 
Dr.  Waugh  and  the  Governor's  military  secretary,  George  C. 
Treadwell.  Grouped  to  the  left  of  the  speakers  were  the 
Douglass  family  who  were  present  in  the  city  during  the  cele- 
bration. The  party  was  composed  of  Mrs.  Helen  Douglass, 
the  widow  of  Frederick  Douglass,  Mrs.  R.  Douglass  Sprague, 
and  her  brothers,  Charles  R.  and  Lewis  H.  Douglass,  and 
Miss  Rosita  Sprague. 

Rt.  Rev.  Alexander  Walters,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  the  Afri- 
can Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  offered  the  following 
prayer: 

O,  Eternal  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  we  thank  Thee  for 
what  Thou  art  within  Thyself,  the  Great  and  Mighty  One; 
the  Creator  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible;  the  Giver  of 
all  good  and  perfect  gifts;  the  Author  of  everlasting  life. 
Truly  Thou  art  worthy  of  the  adoration  of  men  and  angels. 

We  thank  Thee  for  the  gift  of  Jesus,  Thine  only  begotten 
Son,  and  for  the  great  salvation  wrought  out  by  His  sacrifi- 
cial death,  for  its  extent  and  sufficiency,  and  for  eternal  life, 
which  comes  to  us  through  the  Holy  Ghost. 

We  thank  Thee  for  this  beautiful  world  which  Thou  hast 
given  us  to  enjoy.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  Christian  church 
with  all  its  uplifting  influences.  We  praise  Thee  for  the 
many  auxiliaries  of  the  church  and  the  great  work  they  are 
doing  for  the  uplifting  of  humanity. 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE 

We  thank  Thee  for  our  great  nation  and  her  splendid  insti- 
tutions. We  thank  Thee  for  the  love  of  liberty  possessed  by 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  which  culminated  in  the  independence 
of  our  country,  and  later  in  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves. 

AYe  thank  Thee  for  the  human  agencies  which  Thou  hast 
employed  in  bringing  about  reforms  in  all  ages  of  the  world, 
and  especially  for  the  life,  character,  talent  and  work  of  him 
whom  we  have  this  day  assembled  to  honor.  May  this  monu- 
ment which  has  been  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  foremost 
negro  of  America  be  the  harbinger  of  the  banishment  of 
prejudice  from  our  land,  and  the  dawn  of  the  day  when  char- 
acter and  intelligence  shall  be  fully  recognized,  regardless 
of  color. 

We  invoke  Thy  blessing  upon  the  promoters  of  this  enter- 
prise, Mr.  Thompson  and  the  committee  associated  with  him, 
the  Mayor  and  other  officials,  and  the  generous  citizens  of 
Rochester.  We  beseech  Thee  to  continue  with  Governor 
Roosevelt,  whom  Thou  hast  so  signally  blessed  -in  the  past. 
Guide,  counsel  and  direct  him  in  affairs  of  state.  Wre  pray 
a  blessing  on  all  in  authority  with  him.  Grant  to  his  Excel- 
lency the  President  of  these  United  States,  his  cabinet,  con- ' 
gressmen  and  all  rulers,  Thy  special  favor.  Give  them  wis- 
dom and  courage  to  perform  their  duty  faithfully,  and  espe- 
cially to  put  a  stop  to  the  lawlessness  which  is  disgracing  us 
as  a  nation.  May  they  be  directed  and  guided  by  Thee  in 
all  their  councils. 

Bless  our  foreign  possessions;  grant  us  sufficient  wisdom 
and  grace  to  do  whatever  is  best  for  their  greatest  develop- 
ment, happiness  and  peace. 

Continue  Thy  blessings  upon  our  army  and  navy,  our  insti- 
tutions of  learning,  and  upon  all  hospitals  and  homes  for  the 
poor  and  friendless. 

Grant  that  truth,  righteousness  and  fair  play  may  prevail 
everywhere.      Give  to  every  home  in  this  land  peace  and 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^39 

prosperity;  save  up  from  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  dark- 
ness and  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noonday. 

Forgive  us  of  all  sins  as  individuals  and  as  a  nation.  Give 
us  the  Holy  Spirit  to  strengthen  us  in  the  inner  man,  to  coun- 
sel, guide  and  protect  us,  and  finally  bring  us  to  the  haven  of 
eternal  rest. 

And  unto  Thy  name  shall  be  all  the  praise,  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 

MAYOR  GEORGE  E.  WARNER'S    WELCOME  ADDRESS. 

Chairman  Thompson  introduced  Mayor  Warner,  who 
made  the  address  of  welcome.     The  Mayor  said,  in  part: 

"Soon  after  the  death  of  Frederick  Douglass,  a  representa- 
tive of  his  race,  John  W.  Thompson,  said  to  me  that  a  monu- 
ment should  be  erected  to  the  memory  of  Frederick  Doug- 
lass, and  in  honor  of  the  deeds  which  he  performed  and  the 
heroic  work  he  accomplished.  He  said  he  also  believed  it 
should  be  erected  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  where  Mr.  Doug- 
lass lived  for  so  many  years  and  formed  so  many  ties  of  per- 
sonal friendship. 

"What  he  said  at  that  time  to-day  is  transformed  into  solid 
truth,  and  you  see  before  you  this  elegant  monument,  erected 
by  the  enthusiasm  and  zeal  of  our  people.  It  affords  me 
great  pleasure  to  add  that,  owing  to  the  indefatigable  zeal  of 
some  of  our  citizens  who  have  been  prominent  in  this  work, 
that  it  is  entirely  free  from  debt;  the  sum  to  secure  such  a 
consummation  having  been  completed  within  the  last  few 
hours. 

"The  Governor  of  this  state  has  consented  to  come  to 
our  city  for  this  day  and  event,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  so  many 
of  our  people,  regardless  of  politics,  who  have  come  here  to 
see  him  and  to  greet  the  chief  representative  of  our  great 
state.  I  am  glad  to  extend  to  you  the  hearty  welcome  of  this 
city,  and  may  you  take  away  with  you  a  happy  remembrance 
of  the  city  of  Rochester." 


^40  HISTORY  OF  THE 

MONUMENT     UNVEILED. 

As  soon  as  the  Mayor  had  finished,  Miss  Gertrude  Aleath 
Thompson  pulled  the  Stars  and  Stripes  from  the  monument, 
and  the  large,  bronze  figure  of  Douglass  stood  forth  to  the 
view  of  the  assembled  crowd,  and  the  people  applauded. 
Immediately  a  chorus  of  thirty  voices,  under  the  direction  of 
Mrs.  E.  Jerome  Jeffrey,  sang  a  song  entitled,  "His  Name 
Shall  Live  Forever."  It  was  very  effectively  rendered.  The 
words  are  as  follows: 

Unveil  the  statue !  let  us  see 

That  noble  face  once  more, 
Which  nations  honor  everywhere, 

And  we,  his  race,  adore. 

His  history,  his  life,  his  death, 

Are  fresh  before  us  yet; 
His  words  of  wisdom,  and  his  work 

We  never  can  forget. 

He  came  of  lowly  birth  'tis  true — 

A  negro  and  a  slave; 
He  proved  what  negro  men  can  do, 

When  noble,  true  and  brave. 

Then  we  will  follow  in  the  steps, 

And  let  the  nations  see, 
That  there  are  others  in  our  race 

As  truly  great  as  he. 

Chorus. 

And  his  name  shall  live  forever, 

For  honor  wrote  it  high ; 
The  memory  of  his  greatness 

Shall  never,  never  die. 
His  name  shall  live, 

His  name  shall  never  die. 

The  above  was  composed  for  the  occasion  by  Alonzo  Scott. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  141 

SPEECH  BY  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 

The  chairman  made  a  brief  speech  in  presenting  the  Gov- 
ernor, in  which  he  said  that  it  was  not  long  ago  when  the  call 
came  to  protect  the  honor  of  the  American  flag  and  Gov- 
ernor Roosevelt  went  to  the  front  as  the  commander  of  the 
Rough  Riders.  He  achieved  fame  and  won  honor,  and  the 
people  called  him  to  the  chief  office  of  the  state.  It  will  not 
be  very  long  before  the  people  will  call  upon  this  brilliant 
young  statesman  to  be  president  of  the  United  States. 

"I  now  take  pleasure,"  h  said,  "in  introducing  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  state,  Hon.  Theodore  Roosevelt." 

As  the  Governor  arose  the  crowd  set  up  a  hearty  cheer, 
and  it  was  some  moments  before  he  could  begin.  But  when 
he  did  get  started  he  succeeded  in  gaining  the  attention  of 
the  multitude  as  none  of  the  other  speakers  had.  Of  course 
he  was  the  Governor,  and  that  counted  for  a  good  deal;  but 
he  looked  sturdy  and  determined,  and  did  his  own  good  share 
in  keeping  the  close  attention  that  he  held.  He  was  some- 
times interrupted  with  applause,  but  it  could  never  be  very 
vociferous,  for  he  immediately  exclaimed,  in  a  quick,  decisive 
way,  "Just  a  minute;  just  a  minute,"  and  by  that  time  the 
cheering  was  stopped.  He  spoke  entirely  without  notes,  and 
held  his  audience  under  his  control  with  remarkable  skill. 
He  said: 

"Mr.  Thompson,  Mr.  Mayor  and  Gentlemen:  I  now  ask 
you  to  be  as  quiet  as  possible.  Avoid  pushing  for  the  sake  of 
the  women  in  the  crowd.  I  am  glad  to  be  here.  I  am  proud 
to  do  my  part  in  honoring  the  memory  of  a  man  who  was 
worthy  of  his  race,  because  he  was  a  worthy  representative  of 
the  American  nation. 

"Doubly  proud  I  am  to  take  part  in  a  representative  way  in 
a  demonstration  in  which  so  prominent  a  part  is  played  by 
the  old  soldiers,  who  fought  for  four  years  for  that  race  to 
which    Frederick    Douglass    belonged,  in  order  that  there 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE 

might  be  an  undivided  and  indissoluble  union.  Doubly  proud 
am  I,  comrades  of  the  last  war,  that  you  and  I  had  the  chance 
last  summer  to  show  that  we  were  at  least  anxious  to  be  not 
unworthy  sons  of  you  who  fought  in  the  great  war. 

"Here  to-day,  in  sight  of  the  monument  of  the  great  col- 
ored American,  let  us  all  strive  to  pay  the  respect  due  his 
memory  by  living  in  such  a  manner  as  to  determine  that  a 
man  shall  be  judged  for  what  a  man  is;  without  regard  to  his 
color,  race  or  creed,  or  aught  else,  but  his  worth  as  a  man. 
That  lesson  has  a  double  side  and  I  would  dwell  upon  one  side 
just  as  I  would  on  the  other  side. 

"The  worst  enemy  of  the  colored  race  is  not  the  white  man 
who  abuses  the  colored  man,  but  the  colored  man  who  fails  in 
his  duty  as  a  citizen.  The  worst  enemy  of  the  white  race  is 
not  some  worthless  wretch,  some  colored  man  who  does  an 
infamous  act  against  the  white  race;  it  is  the  white  wretch 
who  acts  so  as  to  make  us  ashamed  of  our  people. 

"I  would  I  could  preach  that  doctrine,  that  it  is  best  for 
each  to  know  and  realize,  that  all  over  this  country,  not 
merely  in  the  South,  but  in  the  North  as  well,  shameless 
deeds  of  infamous  hideousness  shall  be  punished  speedily;  by 
the  act  of  law  let  shameful  crime  be  punished,  not  avenging 
it  by  another  crime.  I  would  preach  to  the  colored  man  that 
the  vicious  and  disorderly  elements  in  his  own  race  are  the 
worst  enemies  of  his  race.  I  would  preach  to  the  white  man 
that  he  who  takes  part  in  lawless  acts,  in  such  lynchings  as 
we  have  recently  known,  is  guilty  not  only  of  a  crime  against 
the  colored  race,  but  guilty  of  a  crime  against  his  own  race 
and  guilty  of  crime  against  the  whole  nation.  Men  who  took 
part  in  the  present  lvnchings  were  guilty  of  such  hideous 
atrocity  as  should  forbid  them  forever  to  hold  up  their  heads 
as  American  citizens. 

"If  it  were  in  my  power,  I  would  feel  that  I  could  render 
service  to  mv  country  such  as  I  would  render  in  no  other,  by 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^43 

preaching  that  doctrine  in  its  two  sides  to  all  who  are  any 
degree  responsible  for  the  crimes  by  which  our  country  has 
been  disgraced  in  the  past.  It  is  for  the  interest  of  every 
man,  black  and  white,  to  see  that  every  criminal  black  and 
white,  is  punished  at  once,  and  only  under  the  law.  Every 
body  of  men  who  usurp  the  province  of  the  law,  who  usurp 
it  by  committing  deeds  which  would  make  a  red  Indian  blush 
with  shame,  prove  that  they  are  not  only  unworthy  of  citizen- 
ship in  this  country,  but  that  they  are  the  worst  enemies  this 
country  contains. 

"There  is  a  great  lesson  taught  by  the  life  of  Frederick 
Douglass,  a  lesson  we  can  all  of  us  learn;  not  merely  from  the 
standpoint  of  his  relations  with  his  colored  race,  but  his  re- 
lations with  the  state.  The  lesson  that  was  taught  by  the 
colored  statesman  was  the  lesson  of  truth,  of  honesty,  of  fear- 
less courage,  of  striving  for  the  right ;  the  lesson  of  disinter- 
ested and  fearless  performance  of  civic  duty. 

"I  would  appeal  to  every  man  in  this  great  audience  to  take 
to  heart  the  lesson  taught  by  this  life;  to  realize  that  he  must 
strive  to  fulfill  his  duty  as  an  individual  citizen,  if  he  wishes 
to  see  the  state  do  its  duty.  The  state  is  only  the  aggregate 
of  the  individual  citizens. 

"There  is  another  thought  that  I  want  to  preach  to  you,  a 
lesson  to  be  learned  from  the  life  of  the  colored  statesman, 
Frederick  Douglass;  strive  to  do  justice  to  all  men,  exact  it 
for  yourselves  and  do  it  to  others. 

"I  am  glad  of  the  chance  to  speak  to  you  here  to-day  on 
ihis  subject.  I  am  glad  to  have  the  chance  of  being  here 
to  speak  in  honor  of  the  distinguished  services  of  an  Ameri- 
can, of  a  race  that  has  been  treated  infamously  in  the  past, 
a  race  that  is  still  treated  unfairly  and  that  it  will  require 
years  of  toil  before  it  can  assume  its  proper  place  with  the 
other  races  in  this  country. 

"I  am  glad  Frederick  Douglass  has  left  behind  him  men  of 


144 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


his  race  who  can  take  up  his  mantle:  that  he  has  left  such  a 
man  as  Booker  T.  Washington,  a  man  who  is  striving  to 
teach  his  people  to  raise  by  toil  to  be  better  citizens,  by  reso- 
lute determination  to  make  themselves  worthy  of  American 
citizenship,  until  the  whole  country  is  forced  to  recognize 
their  good  citizenship. 

"I  am  glad  to  have  the  chance  to  come  here  because  I  feel 
that  all  Americans  should  pay  honor  to  Frederick  Douglass. 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  speak  to  so  many  men  of  his  race  and 
to  impress  on  them,  too,  the  lesson  to  be  drawn  from  the  life 
of  such  a  man.  I  am  more  than  glad  to  speak  to  an  audience 
of  Americans  in  the  presence  of  a  monument  to  the  memory 
of  Frederick  Douglass;  a  man  who  possessed  eminent  quali- 
ties of  courage  and  disinterestedness  in  the  service  of  his 
country.  To  appeal  to  you  to  demand  those  qualities  in  your 
public  men  that  made  Douglass  great;  qualities  that  resulted 
in  the  courageous  performance  of  every  duty,  private  and 
public. 

"I  wish  to  call  your  minds  to  a  little  application  of  these 
principles  of  immense  consequence  at  this  time.  During  the 
last  session  of  the  Legislature  the  members  put  upon  the 
statute  books  one  of  the  most  important  laws  ever  recorded 
there,  which  is  that  the  corporation  which  benefits  so  much 
from  the  powers  given  it  by  the  people  should  bear  a  share  of 
the  expense  of  government.  We  acted,  not  against  any  cor- 
poration, nor  as  the  friend  or  enemy  of  men  of  means,  simply 
as  the  friend  of  the  state,  by  insisting  that  all  men  do  their 
duty.  (Voice — "That's  right.")  I  have  seen  in  the  public 
press  lately  notices  of  more  than  one  attempt  that  is  to  be 
made  by  corporations  in  the  courts  to  defeat,  through  some 
technicalities,  a  law  that  was  designed  for  their  own  protec- 
tion. As  a  man  to  others  and  as  one  who  deprecates  class  or 
social  hostility,  I  wish  to  emphasize  the  danger  to  which  these 
men  by  such  an  attitude  expose  not  only  the  state  but  the  cor- 


MISS    GKRTRUDE    A.    THOMPSON. 


THE 

NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

As tor,  I 

Foundations. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


145 


porations  as  well.  They  may  make  up  their  minds  abso- 
lutely that  the  franchise  tax  law  has  come  to  stay.  (Ap- 
plause.) I  am  as  sure  as  I  can  be  that  any  successful  at- 
tempt made  to  overturn  this  tax  will  result  in  putting  upon 
the  statute  books  a  more  drastic  law  than  the  one  at  present 
there." 

PRESENTATION  TO  MISS  GERTRUDE  A.  THOMPSON. 

A-  soon  as  the  Governor  had  finished  speaking  he  pre- 
sented a  $20  gold  piece  and  a  handsomely  engraved  testi- 
monial to  Miss  Thompson,  in  behalf  of  a  number  of  citizens. 
The  testimonial  read  and  was  signed  as  follows: 

Rochester,  K  Y.,  June  9,  1899. 
We,  the  undersigned,  friends  and  acquaintances  of  Ger- 
trude Aleath  Thompson,  highly  appreciate  her  appearance 
on  this  memorable  occasion,  in  unveiling  the  monument  of 
Frederick  Douglass,  statesman,  and  leader  of  his  race,  who 
has  fallen  by  the  will  of  Almighty  God.  We  therefore  re- 
quest the  Hon.  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Governor  of  the  State 
of  !STew  York,  to  present  to  her  this  gift  of  gold,  asking  the 
divine  blessing  of  the  Almighty  to  rest  upon  her,  now  and 
forever. 


John  Besinger, 
Lewis  Pigeon, 
Andy  Walsh, 
Jane  Morehouse, 
Kate  Fowler, 
George  Knobles, 
William  Raitz, 
M.  Roth, 
Mary  Moore, 
Eugene  Keefe, 
H.  Vandyke, 
Albert  Britt, 


Emile  Maurer, 
H.  Arnold, 
Charles  Yoshall, 
O.  J.  Tassell, 
J.  A.  Lautis, 
E.  R.  Carscaden, 
C.  II.  Johnson, 
( reorge  Miller, 
T.  Mullen, 
William  Salmon, 
James  Morgan, 
Harry  Purdy, 


Walter  Lewis, 
H.  Santee, 
L.  O'Brien, 
Ella  Jj.  Jennings, 
R.  L.  Kent. 
Leon  J.  Du  Bois, 
Charles  Colman, 
Ernest  Miller, 
James  Glasko, 
Goehry, 

George  Driscoll, 
Charles  Lane:, 


146 

S.  Millnian. 
J.  Reidy, 
Tom  Wilson, 
H.  Maxwell, 
A.  Klem, 
Floyd  Manning, 
William  J.  Smith, 
John  Cooper, 
Henry  Tabb, 
Charles  Bleasi, 
Henry  Johnson, 
George  G.  Gates, 
John  ^Noonan, 
Howard  Weller, 


HISTORY  OF  THE 

Lizzie  Parker, 
H.  Jones, 
S.  Parker, 
W.  Ahearns, 
George  Copp. 
M.  McCarthy, 
Charles  Majett. 
H.  Stuimarch, 
Mrs.  O.  W.  Moore. 
J.  W.  Hall, 
Frank  Pierce, 
E.  Bogner, 
Eva  Franc, 
W.  Santee, 


Fred  Cole, 
P.  Reidy, 
Peter  Young. 
D.  Deavenport, 
Whipple, 
Albert  Moir, 
Johana  Heaney. 
Mortimer  Crouch, 
Ft.  G.  Salter, 
Delia  Gorman, 
John  Roziskev. 
John  McCarthy, 
Henry  Wilson. 


PRESENTATION  TO  GOVERNOR  ROOSEVELT. 

Then  followed  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  effective 
scenes  of  the  day.  Chairman  Thompson  raised  his  hands 
for  the  people  to  become  quiet,  followed  with  the  statement 
that  there  was  a  delegation  of  the  Rochester  newsboys  pres- 
ent, and  they  would  present  the  (Governor  with  a  testimonial. 
A-  soon  as  the  chairman  had  made  the  announcement,  Enian- 
uel  Jacobwitz,  representing  the  boys,  stepped  smilingly  t<> 
the  front  of  the  platform  and  presented  the  Governor  with 
a  badge,  saying: 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  Perhaps  it  is  astonishing  to 
you  for  me  to  address  the  honorable  people  of  Rochester.  I 
could  not  express  in  words  the  greatness  Douglass  has  done. 
We,  as  a  rising  generation,  look  upon  his  monument  not  as 
i he  past  but  as  an  encouragement  of  great  deeds  for  the 
future. 

"We  read  that  about  forty  years  ago  the  South  fought 
against  the  freedom  of  the  negroes,  but  in  this  late  war  the 
negroes  proved  not  only  one  of  the  best  fighting  regiments, 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  147 

but  fought  to  uphold  the  honor  of  North,  South,  East  and 
West  and  all  of  this  vast  country  under  our  flag  of  Old  Glory. 

"This  monument  should  be  a  pride  for  the  city  of  Roches- 
ter, not  only  as  a  memento  for  the  past  statesman  but  also 
to  encourage  the  people  to  follow  the  steps  of  such  illustri- 
ous men  as  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Frederick  Douglass. 
Even  now  in  our  presence  stands  a  great  man  who  proved 
himself  one  of  the  heroes  of  this  last  war. 

"Our  Governor,  Mr.  Theodore  Roosevelt,  we,  the  Roches- 
ter newsboys,  do  hereby  present  to  you  this  medal  for  a  re- 
membrance of  us  and  of  our  appreciation  of  you  for  your 
courage  and  ability  and  of  our  respect  for  you  as  a  man." 

The  Governor  accepted  the  gift  and  was  much  pleased, 
thanking  the  newsboys  and  giving  them  at  the  same  time 
some  good  advice. 

EULOGY  BY  HON.  WM.  A.  SUTHERLAND. 

Hon.  William  A.  Sutherland  was  then  introduced  and  de- 
livered the  following  eulogy  on  Frederick  Douglass: 

"He  was  born  a  slave.  He  first  looked  out  upon  life  from 
behind  the  bars  of  a  prison,  unseen  though  not  unfelt.  His 
first  reflective  thought  was  to  comprehend  that  he  was  a 
chattel,  possessed  of  no  right  which  a  white  man  was  bound 
to  respect.  He  was  a  mere  piece  of  valuable  property — 
simply  and  only  a  thing! 

"And  yet,  life  was  as  dear  to  him,  and  liberty  as  sweet,  as 
to  any  of  us.  When  therefore  he  was  grown  to  the  full  sta- 
ture of  manhood  as  measured  by  years,  though  still  of  infan- 
tile attainments,  the  soul  within  him  so  moved  his  strong 
right  arm  that  with  one  blow  he  burst  the  chains  that  held 
him,  and  escaping  to  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  earned,  by  shovel- 
ing coal,  his  own  first  free  dollar.  Then  he  was  a  criminal 
in  the  eyes  of  the  law  of  the  land  of  his  birth — a  fugitive 
from  what  was  called  justice  in  Maryland.  Forty  year^ 
afterward  a  marble  bust  of  Frederick  Douglass  was  placed 


148  HISTORY  OP  THE 

in  our  University  of  Rochester.  To-day,  twenty  years  later, 
the  city  of  Rochester  attends  upon  the  Governor  of  the  Em- 
pire State  as  he  unveils  and  dedicates  the  statue  of  Douglass. 
Decreed  at  birth  to  live  and  die  in  chains,  doomed  by  the 
law  of  the  land  to  mental,  moral  and  spiritual  darkness,  flee- 
ing from  the  land  of  his  unknown  father,  laboring  with 
hands  hardened  with  plantation  toil  to  support  his  wife  and 
family,  a  requisition  for  his  arrest  issued  by  the  Governor  of 
Virginia,  chased  from  Rochester  to  Canada  by  United  States 
marshals,  he  lived  to  be  welcomed  as  a  friend  by  the  nobility 
of  Europe,  to  be  a  guest  at  the  tables  of  the  titled  ones  of 
earth,  and  to  carry  his  black  face,  and  his  back  scarred  by  the 
lash  of  the  slave-driver's  whip,  into  the  electoral  college  of 
the  state  of  ]S7ew  York,  there  to  drop  into  the  urn  one  of  the 
thirty-six  votes  which  this  imperial  state  contributed  to  tin; 
re-election  of  President  Ulysses  S.  Grant.  What  a  mighty 
span  is  measured  by  these  events!  From  serfdom  to  sov- 
ereignty; from  barbarism  to  nobility;  from  a  voice  quivering 
with  fear  !of  his  master  to  organ  tones  of  one  of  the  world's 
orators;  from  a  mere  piece  of  merchandise  on  the  shores  of 
the  Chesapeake  to  a  seat  among  the  honored  ones  of  earth — 
Avhat  a  magnificent  sweep ! 

"Except  he  was  called  of  God  he  could  not  have  been  what 
he  became.  His  it  was  to  fulfill  a  mission  as  divinely  or- 
dained as  that  given  to  Moses  of  old,  or  to  Abraham  Lincoln 
of  his  own  day.  Frederick  Douglass  was  sent  to  the  white 
people  of  the  North,  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  emancipa- 
tion of  his  race.  He  spoke  as  no  other  did  of  the  barbarism 
of  slavery,  painting  the  picture  with  a  brush  dipped  in  his 
own  personal  experience.  With  voice  and  pen  he  awoke 
the  slumbering  conscience  of  the  North.  He  aroused  the 
sluggish  giant,  public  opinion,  and  the  people,  unconsciously 
to  themselves,  were  prepared  for  the  settlement  of  a  ques- 
tion whose  arbitrament  was  to  be  the  sword. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  149 

"At  an  anti-slavery  convention  held  at  Salem,  Ohio,  in 
1847,  Douglass  toils  us  that  when  giving  expression  to  his 
belief  that  the  abolition  of  slavery  would  only  be  accom- 
plished by  a  blood  atonement,  he  was  interrupted  by  that 
quaint  old  negress,  Sojourner  Truth,  with  the  question: 
'Frederick,  is  God  dead?'  'ISky  said  Douglass,  'because 
Cod  is  not  dead  slavery  can  only  end  in  blood.'  With  pro- 
phetic eye  he  foresaw  I  he  sanguinary  contest  which  must 
wage  before  the  grip  of  the  slave  holder  would  relax,  tight- 
ened as  it  had  been  by  three  centuries  of  self- feeding  avarice 
and  petrifying  cruelty. 

"What  would  his  prophetic  eye  see  to-day,  and  what 
would  be  his  message  could  the  bosom  of  the  statue  heave 
and  the  chiseled  lips  niter  speech? 

"Would  he  warn  the  nation  against  a  day  of  wrath  on 
account  of  outrages  inflicted  in  these  days  upon  the  people 
of  his  race? 

"In  the  early  days  of  his  campaigning  through  the  North 
il  was  not  fashionable  to  speak  slightingly  of  slavery.  There 
were  timid  ones  who  said  'Hush !'  when  he  decried  the  hor- 
ribleness  of  human  bondage.  But  God  reigned  and  His 
prophets  thundered  His  message  until  the  day  dawned  when 
Douglass  could  triumphant  sing,  'Mine  eyes  have  seen  the 
glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord.' 

"In  these  days  it  is  thought  by  some  not  to  be  quite  in 
good  taste  to  publicly  disapprove  of  burning  negroes  to 
death,  lest  it  might  wound  the  sensitive  natures  of  those 
who  do  the  burning.  But  on  such  an  occasion  as  this,  when 
we  have  unveiled  Douglass'  statue,  and  by  that  act  have  in- 
voked the  presence  of  his  spirit  upon  this  platform,  surely 
here  it  may  be  permitted  to  consider  those  evils  which  fol- 
low the  trail  of  slavery  and  did  not  perish  with  its  extinc- 
tion. 

"The  demoralization  of  the  slave  holder  was  part  of  the 


^50  HISTORY  OF  THE 

curse  entailed  by  slavery.  He  who  practices  brutality  upon 
others  becomes  himself  a  brute.  Cruelty  is  a  demon,  which, 
finding  entrance  to  men's  souls,  displaces  the  better  nature, 
waxing  fat  to  expansion  by  feeding  upon  atrocities.  Three 
centuries  of  slavery  brought  the  master,  as  well  as  the  slave, 
down  from  manhood  towards  the  brute,  and  upward  they 
must  climb  together.  Historians  have  pointed  out  the  hell- 
ish effect  of  the  gladiatorial  games  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
ancient  Rome;  and  those  of  our  day  who  could  delight  in 
Spanish  bull  fighting  were  well  fitted  to  be  the  oppressors  of 
Cuba.  We  may  not  marvel  then  that  the  seeds  sown  in 
the  days  of  slavery  spring  up  and  bear  fruit  in  the  second 
and  third  generation.  To  torture  negroes  to  death  is  not 
a  new  amusement  in  the  South.  I  was  told  once  by  a  gen- 
tleman born  and  reared  in  a  Southern  state  that  in  his  vicin- 
ity two  young  men  out  for  a  lark  sought  out,  bound  and 
burned  up  a  negro  slave  just  for  the  fun  of  it,  and  that  the 
only  human  punishment  inflicted  upon  them  was  the  recov- 
erv  and  collection  of  a  judgment  in  favor  of  the  master  for 
the  value  of  his  slave.  The  moral  sentiment  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  this  occurrence  took  place  seems  to  have 
been  fully  appeased  by  the  payment  of  $1,000,  not  to  the 
widow  or  orphans  of  the  deceased,  but  to  the  white  man  who 
owned  him. 

"jNTo  denial  has  been  made  of  the  recent  publication  in  our 
newspapers  of  a  negro  dying  with  smallpox,  whose  passage 
into  the  next  world  was  expedited  by  a  gang  of  white  men, 
who  set  a  torch  to  his  little  cabin  and  sent  him  to  heaven  in 
a  chariot  of  fire.  There  was  no  master  to  claim  $1,000  in 
this  case,  and  of  course  the  widow  and  orphans  did  not  count 
for  they  wore  negroes  also. 

"A  few  months  ago  a  negro  accepted  the  appointment  of 
postmaster  at  Lake  City,  North  Carolina,  and  no  one  has  de- 
nied that  this  was  the  reason  why  he  was  expeditiously  mur- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMEXT.  J5| 

dered,  one  of  his  children  burned  up,  and  other  members  of 
his  family  severely  injured. 

"A  single  justification  is  offered  in  the  claim  that  these 
things  must,  needs  be  in  order  to  prevent  the  ravishment  of 
Southern  white  women,  just  as  though  every  mulatto  walk- 
ing the  streets  of  a  Southern  city  does  not  in  his  own  person 
make  significant  reply  to  that  allegation. 

"But  to  the  murderers'  plea  there  is  another  answer.  For 
tour  long  years,  from  1861  to  1865,  all  the  white  men  in 
the  seceding  states  who  could  hear  arms  were  at  the  front, 
with  their  attention  fully  occupied  by  the  boys  in  blue. 
They  left  their  wives,  and.  sisters  and  daughters  to  the  mercy 
of  the  black  slaves,  but  the  result  was  not  mulattoes  born  of 
white  mothers,  and  the  honor  of  the  white  women  of  the 
South  did  not  in  those  days  need  the  guardianship  of  out- 
rages inflicted  upon  black  men. 

"To  the  inhabitants  of  Rochester  there  is  another  answer. 
Familiar  with  the  active  operations  of  the  societies  for  the 
prevention  of  cruelty  to  animals,  we  would  not  endure  pub- 
lic exhibitions  previously  advertised  of  cruel  conduct  even 
to  the  beasts  of  the  field.  ]STo  one  would  be  permitted  in  the 
community  which  has  erected  and  unveiled  Douglass'  nion 
ument  to  burn  to  his  death  even  a  mad  dog,  though  he  had 
lacerated  and  poisoned  the  fairest  and  the  best  in  Rochester. 

"Whoever  be  the  criminal,  whatever  be  the  crime,  no 
matter  how  great  the  horror  of  the  community  at  the  of- 
fence, whoever  is  charged  with  crime,  be  he  ever  so  guilty, 
and  especially  if,  peradventure,  he  be  innocent,  is  entitled 
10  receive  from  any  people  claiming  to  be  civilized,  a  full, 
fair,  just  trial,  and  punishment,  if  guilty,  only  at  the  hands 
of  the  law.  ISTo  lover  of  his  country,  then,  can  contemplate 
these  unpunished  outrages  without  deepest  apprehension  for 
the  future  of  the  country  which  tolerates  them.  It  is  im- 
possible to  read  accounts  of  excursion  trains  jammed  with 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE 

white  men,  rushing  to  sniff  the  odors  of  burning  human 
flesh  and  to  feast  their  eyes  upon  the  agonizing  death  con- 
tortions of  a  human  face,  without  ;an  unbounded  sense  of 
amazement  and  horror  at  the  display  of  brutishness  nor 
without  shuddering  at  the  fearful  punishment  which  must 
some  day  follow  close  upon  such  brutality. 

"Doubtless  many  good  men  and  women  in  the  South  de- 
plore as  deeply  as  do  the  good  men  and  women  in  the  North 
these  frightful  occurrences,  but  they  and  we  alike  are  guilty 
unless  their  efforts  and  ours  be  united  to  put  an  end  to  these 
inhumanities.  Because  the  nation  shut  its  eyes  and  folded 
its  arms  in  presence  of  slavery,  God  sent  civil  war.  What 
punishment  shall  be  ours  if  we  shut  our  eyes  and  fold  our 
arms  in  presence  of  these  later  days  atrocities,  only  he 
may  know  who  saith  'Vengeance  is  mine.     I  will  repay.' 

"It  is  not  so  much  for  the  colored  man  as  the  white  that 
1  raise  my  voice  to-day.  Because  we  suffered  human  slav- 
ery in  our  midst  the  hand  of  God  was  laid  upon  the  entire 
country,  and  the  North  as  well  as  the  South  felt  the  rod  of 
His  chastisement.  Expiation  for  the  crime  of  slavery  came 
upon  the  Avhite  man  and  white  woman  of  the  North  as  well 
as  of  the  South.  If,  therefore,  these  atrocities  be  un- 
checked and  their  perpetrators  go  unwhipped  of  justice, 
even  as  cruelty  feeds  upon  cruelty,  so  will  brutality  unre- 
strained and  murder  unchecked,  feeding  upon  themselves, 
breed  an  awful  progeny  of  demoralizing  passions  among  the 
whites,  until,  as  the  fire  and  the  brimstone  were  rained  from 
above  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  even  so  will  the  lightning 
wrath  of  heaven  be  sent  to  lick  up  the  people  given  over  to 
this  festering  abomination. 

"It  is  not  so  much  for  the  negroes,  then,  that  I  plead  to- 
day. They  display  a  marvelous  patience  and  self-command. 
The  words  of  advice  which  have  fallen  from  the  lips  of  their 
bishops  and  their  leading  public  men  are  words  of  God-like 


HON.    WILLIAM    A.    Sl'THERLAND 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  J 53 

counsel;  and  the  meekness  and  humility  with  which  this  suf- 
fering people  accept  whatever  fate  is  in  store  for  them  surely 
indicate  the  nearness  of  these,  His  black  children,  to  our 
Father  which  is  in  heaven. 

"That  they  have  not  turned  with  terrible  anger  and  awful 
vengeance  upon  their  persecutors  is  due  neither  to  lack  of 
bravery  nor  of  aptitude  or  skill  in  the  use  of  arms.  The 
heroism  of  the  colored  troops  in  our  Civil  war  is  now  un- 
hesitatingly praised  by  those  who  wore  the  gray,  as  well  as 
bj  those  who  wore  the  blue.  The  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cav- 
alry of  our  regular  army,  composed  of  colored  men,  recruit- 
ed from  the  South  as  well  as  from  the  North,  fought  by  the 
side  of  the  Rough  Riders  at  the  storming  of  San  Juan  Hill, 
winning  undying  fame  by  their  steadfast  courage  and  their 
indomitable  pluck.  ISTo  man  in  this  presence  and  in  the 
hearing  of  the  Governor  of  our  state,  then  colonel  of  the 
Rough  Riders,  can  dispute  the  bravery,  the  manliness,  the 
patience  or  the  discipline  of  these  black  soldiers  of  our  reg- 
ular army.  The  war  for  the  deliverance  of  Cuba  uncovered 
additional  foundation  for  the  song  of  Paul  Lawrence  Dunbar: 

So,  all  honor  and  all  glory, 
To  those  noble  sons  of  Ham, 

The  gallant  colored  soldiers, 
Who  fought  for  Uncle  Sam. 

"But  the  persecuted  will  not  turn  upon  the  persecutors, 
and  the  oppressed  will  not  become  the  oppressors,  for  the 
Ethiopian  has  exhibited  the  noblest  qualities  of  manhood. 
Patient  ,and  well  nigh  uncomplaining  under  suffering,  his 
faith  in  the  future  righting  of  his  wrongs  by  the  guiding- 
hand  of  an  overruling  Providence  may  well  be  studied  to  the 
profit  of  his  proud  Caucasian  brother. 

"Perchance  in  these  new  days  of  expansion,  when  Avell 
nigh  against  our  will  we  are  compelled  to  succor  and  develop 
the  mixed  and  inferior  races  of  Cuba  and  the  Philippine 


154 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Islands,  the  way  may  just  now  be  opening  up  to  lift  this 
black  man's  burden  from  his  back  by  leading  the  white  man 
of  all  parts  of  this  land  away  from  the  paths  of  cruelty  and 
into  the  paths  of  mercy. 

"In  Douglass'  presence,  whose  .mission  was  To  the  white 
people  of  the  earth,  let  us,  their  descendants,  take  heed  of  the 
Lessons  so  painfully  learned  from  '01  to  '65,  and  for  the  sake 
of  our  white  population,  no  less  than  for  the  black,  give  ear 
to  the  cries  of  the  oppressed. 

Oh,  Douglass,  thou  hast  passed  beyond  the  shore, 

Hut  still  thy  voice  is  ringing  o'er  the  gale! 
Thou'st  taught  thy  race  how  high  her  hopes  may  soar, 

And  bade  her  seek  the  heights,  nor  faint  nor  fail. 
She  will  not  fail,  she  heeds  thy  stirring  cry, 
She  knows  thy  guardian  spirit  will  be  nigh, 
And  rising  from  beneath  the  chast'ning  rod, 
She  stretches  out  her  bleeding  hands  to  God ! 

POEM  BY  SHERMAN  D.  RICHARDSOX. 

Sherman  D.  Richardson  read  a  poem  written  in  honor 
of  the  dedication  of  the  monument,  entitled  "A  Tribute 
From  the  G.  A.  R."     The  poem  is  here  reproduced: 

Beneath  the  Eastern  skies  amid  old  Egypt's  sands 
A  godhead,  hewn  from  out  a  rough  rock  mountain,  stands; 
A  fossiled  thought  of  man  conceived  when  time  was  young 
To  wait  until  creatoion's  final  knell  is  rung. 
Beneath  Columbia's  sky  that  arches  Freedom's  lands 
A  Sphinx  of  Liberty  in  solemn  grandeur  stands; 
With  gaze  that  seems  to  penetrate  eternity 
When  man  in  God  from  earth  and  time  is  free. 
That  face  was  once  the  humblest  form  of  potters  clay 
That  scarcely  knew  the  light  or  felt  the  warmth  of  day; 
Imprisoned  'neath  the  rocks  of  sin  so  long- 
That  it  had  taken  on  the  imagery  of  wrong. 
But  God  was  fash'ning  out  a  likeness,  ever  planned, 
With  square  and  compass  and  the  chisel  in  his  hand, 
And  as  the  days  of  greatness  rolled  their  torrents  into  years, 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^55 

A  masterpiece  of  glory  from  chaotic  shade  appears. 

Hear  the  chisel  slowly  working  in  the  clank  of  slavery"? 
chain, 

In  the  lashings  deep  of  bondage,  in  a  life  of  care  and  pain; 

In  the  triumphs  of  a  spirit,  that  was  born  to  do  and  dare; 

In  the  courage  of  a  hero  driving  mammon  to  his  lair; 

In  the  thunder  of  the  battle  'mid  the  carnage  and  the  smoke, 

Carving  out  the  lines  of  glory  with  a  never  faltering  stroke. 

Ihil  at  last  tht-  work  was  finished,  and  the  world  with  bated 
breath 

Saw  unveiled  the  form  majestic,  by  the  royal  hand  of  death; 

Saw  the  look  of  solemn  grandeur  gazing  up  the  steps  of 
time ; 

Saw  the  sign  of  man's  Jehovah  on  that  likeness  hewn  sub- 
lime. 

The  chorus  of  forty  voices,  under  the  direction  of  Mrs. 
R.  Jerome  Jeffrey,  sang  "Old  Glory,"  and  Rev.  J.  J.  Adams, 
of  Rochester,  pronounced  the  benediction,  thus  bringing 
the  exercises  to  a  close. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

DESCRIPTIVE  AND  INTERESTING  FACTS  AND 
LETTERS. 

The  monument  was  made  by  the  Smith  Granite  Company, 
Westerly,  R.  I.  The  model  for  the  bronze  statue  was  made 
in  Washington,  during  the  spring  of  1898;  Sidney  W.  Ed 
wards,  sculptor.  Charles  R.  Douglass  jxised  for  the  hand- 
some bronze  statue  that  so  gracefully  portrays  his  illustrious 
father  in  life,  as  he  stood  before  an  audience  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  soon  after  the  adoption  of  the  fourteenth  and  fif- 
teenth amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  uttered  these  words: 

"Eellow  citizens:  I  appear  before  you  to-night  for  the 
first  time  in  the  more  elevated  position  of  an  American  cit- 
izen." 

The  pedestal  is  made  of  the  best  Westerly  gray  granite, 
is  nine  feet  high,  and  the  bronze  statue  eight  feet  high;  total 
height,  seventeen  feet.  There  are  also  four  bronze  tablets 
containing  these  words,  from  some  of  his  famous  speeches: 

On  the  east  side  of  the  shaft  is  the  following,  taken  from 
a  speech  made  by  Douglass  on  the  famous  Dred  Scott  de- 
cision in  1857: 

"1  know  no  soil  better  adapted  to  the  growth  of  reform 
than  American  soil.  I  known  no  country  where  the  condi- 
tions for  effecting  great  changes  in  the  settled  order  of 
things,  for  the  development  of  right  ideas  of  liberty  and 
humanity,  are  more  favorable  than  here  in  the  United 
States." 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.     '  257 

West  side  is  the  following  extract  from  a  speech  on  West 
Indian  emancipation,  delivered  at  Canandaigua,  August  4, 
1857: 

"Men  do  not  live  by  bread  alone;  so  with  nations,  they 
are  not  saved  by  art,  but  by  honesty;  not  by  the  gilded 
splendors  of  wealth,  but,  [by  the  hidden  treasure  of  manly 
virtue;  not  by  the  multitudinous  gratifications  of  the  flesh, 
but  by  the  celestial  guidance  of  the  spirit." 

North  side  are  these  quotations  from  the  speeches  of 
Douglass: 

"The  best  defense  of  free  American  institutions  is  in  the 
hearts  of  the  American  people  themselves." 

"One  with  God  is  a.  majority." 

"I  know  of  no  rights  of  race  superior  to  the  rights  of  hu- 
manity." 

South  side: 

"FREDERICK  DOUGLASS." 

Between  each  tablet  are  handsomely  carved  palm  leaves. 


CHARLES  REMOND  DOUGLASS. 

Charles  Remoud  Douglass,  who  posed  for  the  Douglass 
bronze  statue,  youngest  son  of  the  late  Frederick  Douglass, 
was  born  October  21,  1844,  in  Lynn,  Mass.  At  the  age  of 
four  years  his  father's  family  removed  to  Rochester,  N.  V., 
where  at  the  age  of  six  years  young  Douglass  entered  the 
public  schools  of  that  city.  He  first  attended  No.  15  school 
on  Alexander  street.  While  at  tending  school  young  Doug- 
lass also  assisted  once  a  week  in  bis  father's  office,  folding 
and  carrying  to  the  city  subscribers  the  "North  Star,"  pub- 
lished in  the  interests  of  the  anti-slavery  movement.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  he  left  school  and  went  to  Lockport,  N". 
Y.,  to  learn  something  of  farming,  and  worked  on  the  farm 
of  Thomas  Pierson  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Rebellion.  Just  prior  to  this  time,  however,  and  a  few 
months  before  John  Brown  made  his  appearance  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  he  acted  as  messenger  for  Brown,  while  he  was  in 
seclusion  at  Rochester,  having  for  a  time  full  charge  of  the 
carrying  and  delivery  of  his  mail. 

When  it  was  announced  that  colored  men  would  be  ac- 
cepted as  soldiers,  young  Douglass  was  the  first  of  his  race  t<> 
enroll  his  name  in  the  state  of  New  York.  He  enlisted 
February  9,  1863,  with  Major  George  L.  Stearns,  of  Boston, 
for  the  Fifty-fourth  Massachusetts  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
served  thirteen  months  with  this  regiment  as  acting  first 
sergeant,  Company  F,  and  was  afterwards  promoted  to  first 
sergeant  in  Company  I,  Fifth  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  with 
which  regiment  he  served  during  the  siege  of  Petersburg, 
Va.,  and  in  the  Army  of  the  James  until  near  the  close  of 
the  war. 

After  the  war  he  was  employed  as  hospital  steward  in  the 
Freedmen's  Hospital  at  Washington,  during  the  year  of 
1865.  Tn  the  fall  of  that,  year  he  resigned  and  returned  to 
his  home  in  Rochester,  where,  in  September,  1866,  he  mar- 
ried Mary  Flizabeth  Murphy,  who  died  some  thirteen  years 
later. 

Tn  1^67  young  Douglass  was  appointed  to  a  first  class 
eWkship  in  the  War  Department,  being  the  second  colored 
man  to  receive  sneh  an  appointment  in  the  executive  depart- 
ments of  the  government  since  its  foundation.  Shortly 
after  said  appointment,  Senator  Roscoe  Conkling  secured 
him  a  similar  appointment  in  the  United  States  Treasury 
Department,  where  he  served  for  over  seven  years.  Dur- 
ing his  service  in  the  Treasury  Department  he  was  detailed 
to  accompany  the  Santo  Domingo  commission  in  1871  to 
that  country,  and  served  as  clerk  to  the  commission  for 
three  months.  Tn  1875  he  was  appointed  United  States 
consul  to  Santo  Domingo,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  three 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  1^59 

years  and  until  the  serious  illness  of  his  wife  compelled  him 
to  return  home,  when  he  resigned. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife  he  again  took  up  his  residence 
in  Washington,  where  he  niow  resides.  He  jhas  served  for 
a  number  of  years  on  the  school  board  of  the  District  of 
Columbia,  was  for  several  years  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  county  schools  of  the  district,  was  adjutant,  captain  and 
major  of  the  famous  Capital  City  Guards,  and  also  held 
commissions  from  Presidents  Cleveland  and  Harrison  in  the 
District  of  Columbia  militia.  Besides  these  duties,  he  has 
been  a  pretty  active  correspondent  for  several  papers,  and 
has  also  been  engaged  in  newspaper  work  together  with  lus 
brothers,  Lewis  H.  and  the  late  Frederick  Douglass,  jr.  His 
second  wife  is  the  daughter  of  the  late  Alfred  Haley,  of 
Canandaigua.  N".  Y.  He  has  two  sons,  Joseph,  the  violinist, 
and  Haley  G.,  who  is  about  entering  one  of  the  Eastern  col- 
leges. He  graduated  from  Harvard  University  in  May. 
(1900). 

MRS.  R.  JEROME  JEFFREY. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  from  Boston,  Mass.,  and 
made  her  home  in  "Rochester,  1ST.  Y.,  during  the  winter  of 
1891.  Mrs.  Jeffrey  at  once  became  very  popular  among  the 
citizens,  taking  an  active  part  in  every  progressive  movement 
of  the  Afro-American  citizens.  She  had  always  been  a  club 
woman,  and  commenced  at  once  attending  the  meetings  of 
white  club  women,  and  then  organizing  clubs  among  her  own 
race.  She  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Douglass  Monu- 
ment Committee  by  J.  W.  Thompson,  in  1897.  Mrs.  Jef- 
frey did  all  within  her  power,  and  acted  with  the  committee 
until  the  work  was  completed.  But  she  is  at  her  best  in  or- 
ganizing woman's  clubs  and  working  for  the  upbuilding  of 
the  race  as  will  be  seen  by  the  work  accomplished  by  organi- 
zations in  Rochester. 


IQQ  HISTORY  OF  THE 

One  of  the  best  organizations  is  the  Susan  B.  Anthony 
Club,  in  honor  of  the  reformer  who  has  always  been  so 
friendly  to  the  Afro- American  race.  One  department  of  this 
club  is  the  Mothers'  Council,  whose  object  is  to  help  mothers 
of  little  children.  Mrs.  R.  J.  Jeffrey  is  the  president  of  the 
above  named  club,  the  Climbers,  and  also  the  Hester  C.  Jef- 
frey ( In)),  that  has  taken  her  name.  The  motto  of  the  Climb- 
ers is  "Lifting  as  We  Climb."  The  motto  of  the  Hester  C. 
Jeffrey  Club  is  "Higher,  Still  Higher."  The  last  two  organi- 
zations are  for  young  girls  and  young  women.  Mrs.  R.  J. 
Jeffrey  was  the  National  Organizer  of  Colored  Women's 
Clubs,  New  York  State  President  of  the  Federation  of  Cob 
ored  Women's  Clubs,  and  was  also  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the 
state  convent  ion  at  Albany,  by  a  white  club  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Jeffrey  held  for  some  time  the  position  of  County  Su- 
perintendent of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  Secretary  of  the  Third 
Ward  W.  C.  T.  IT.  and  Section  President  of  the  Needlework 
Guild  of  America. 

TRIBUTE  TO  FREDERICK  DOUGLASS. 

On  the  morning  of  February  26  the  body  of  Frederick 
Douglass  was  brought  to  Rochester  from  Washington  and 
borne  to  City  Hall,  where  it  lay  in  state  till  the  hour  for  the 
funeral  in  the  afternoon.  It  is  eminently  appropriate  that 
Frederick  Douglass  should  be  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Hope.  As 
the  older  generation  of  "Rochester  men  remember,  and  as  has 
been  repeatedly  recalled  within  the  past  few  days,  it  was 
here  that  the  "North  Star"  rose.  In  this  city  its  first  feeble 
rays  were  turned  on  the  darkness  to  the  South.  In  Rochester 
the  foundations  of  its  editor's  fame  were  laid.  It  is  fit  then 
that  in  Rochester  the  last  wreath  of  praise  should  be  laid 
upon  his  coffin. 

The  wealth  of  a  nation  is  its  glorious  names  and  the  story 
of  their  patriotic  deeds.  A  city's  great  dead  is  a  treasure  that 


CHARLES   R.    Dn I  'GLASS. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  1(51 

is  incorruptible  and  continually  active  for  good.  The  tomb 
of  Frederick  Douglass  in  time  to  come  will  bear  mute  witness 
to  the  reward  of  uprightness  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the 
cause  of  right.  To  future  generations  it  will  evidence  the 
honor  paid  to  the  courage  and  honesty  which  not  only  over- 
came the  crudest  handicap  of  birth,  but  was  instrumental  in 
remolding  the  fate  of  a.  wronged  people.  If  the  public  sense 
of  justice  should  ever  grow  dim;  if  wrong  should  ever  gain 
the  advantage,  the  grave  of  Frederick  Douglass  will  be  an  in- 
spiration for  true  men  to  rise  again.  This  is  why  it  is  well 
for  this  city  that  Frederick  Douglass  is  buried  here. 

LETTERS   OF   REGRET. 

Chairman  Thompson,  of  the  Douglass  Monument  Com- 
mittee received  many  letters  of  regret  from  conspicuous 
citizens  of  the  republic,  who  were  unable  to  be  present,  but 
who  desired  to  place  themselves  on  record,  as  admirers  of  the 
great  man. 

THE  PRESIDENT'S  LETTER. 

Executive  Mansion, 
Washington,  April  3,  1899. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  30th  ultimo,  with  re- 
gard to  the  unveiling  0f  the  Douglass  monument  at  Roches- 
ter, X.  V..  has  been  called  lo  my  attention,  and  I  very  much 
regret  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  be  present  on 
this  occasion. 

The  life  of  Frederick  Douglass  presents  many  features 
worthy  of  the  closest  emulation.  His  great  work,  first  for 
the  emancipation  of  his  race,  and  when  that  was  accom- 
plished, for  its  industrial,  intellectual  and  moral  upbuilding, 
will  cause  his  memory  to  be  forever  cherished  in  the  hearts 
of  his  people.  As  editor,  author  and  lecturer  he  labored 
zealously  for  their  advancement,  and  it  is  altogether  fitting 
that  permanent  expression  be  given,  in  a  monument  raised 


162  HISTORY  OF  THE 

in  his  honor,  of  the  admiration  and  respect  with  which  his 
life  and  character  are  regarded  by  his  countrymen. 

With  hest  wishes  for  the  complete  success  of  the  unveil- 
ing ceremonies,  believe  me, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

WILLIAM  McKINLEY. 


New  York,  June  6,  1899. 
Mr.  J.  AY.  Thompson,  Rochester,  N.  Y.: 

Dear  Mr.  Thompson:  1  sincerely  regret  that  I  shall  be 
unable  to  attend  the  unveiling  ceremonies.  We  are  all 
grateful  to  you  for  the  splendid  heroic  work  you  have  done 
in  raising  this  monument  to  our  greatest  and  mosl  beloved 
man.  Yours  truly, 

T.  THOMAS  FORTUNE, 
Editor  New  York  Ase. 


1433  Bacon  Street, 
Washington,  D.  C,  June  5,  1899. 
Mr.  John  W.  Thompson,  Chairman,  Rochester,  N.  Y.: 

My  Dear  Sir:  Many,  many  thanks  for  your  kind  invita- 
tion to  be  present  at  the  unveiling  of  the  Douglass  monu- 
ment on  the  9th  instant.  It  will  be  an  historic  occasion, 
and  I  deeply  regret  my  inability  to  attend.  The  citizens  of 
Rochester  are  entitled  to,  and  will  have  the  thanks  of  the 
entire  race,  for  the  patriotic  and  creditable  manner  in  which 
they  have  seen  fit  to  honor  and  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
the  race's  world  wide  champion. 

Yours  very  truly, 

P.  B.  S.  PINCHBACK, 

Ex-Governor. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  103 

Tuskegee,  Ala.,  June  5,  1899. 
Mr.   John   W.    Thompson,   Chairman   Douglass   Monument 

Committee,  Kochester,  N".  Y.: 

My  Dear  Sir:  T  very  sincerely  regret  that  it  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  accept  the  very  kind  invitation  which  you 
have  extended  me  to  he  present  at  the  unveiling  of  the  mon- 
ument erected  to  the  memory  of  Frederick  Douglass.  It  is 
a  very  fitting  circumstance  that,  in  Rochester,  the  scene  of 
his  early  trials  and  struggles,  a  monument  should  rear  its 
head  heavenward  to  commemorate  the  worth  and  works  of 
one  whose  sincere  service  was  ever  in  behalf  of  humanity. 
Mr.  Douglass  is  still  our  hero.  His  life  will  ever  be  an  in- 
spiration and  a  hope;  and  up  from  the  depths  from  which  he 
sprang  others  of  his  race  have  come,  and  are  coming,  to 
show,  and  to  prove,  that  his  great  life  in  their  behalf  was 
not  lived  in  vain.  Great,  as  was  his  life,  and  great  as  it  now 
appears,  its  influence  will  still  grow  upon  us  with  increasing 
years.  But.  of  this,  I  need  not  write.  Others  to  be  pres- 
ent will  tell  in  story  and  in  poetic  song  of  the  achievements 
of  the  great  American  patriot,  whose  life  was  lived  in  be- 
half of  justice  and  for  the  well-being  of  all  mankind. 

Again  expressing  regrets  that  I  am  not  permitted  to  share 
in  the  exercises  attendant  upon  the  formal  unveiling  of  the 
monument  erected  to  Mr.  Douglass'  memory,  I  am, 
Yours  very  truly, 

BOOKER  T.  WASHINGTON. 


The  Hon.  John  Dancy,  collector  of  the  port  of  Wilming- 
ton, 1ST.  C,  who  was  one  of  the  orators  September  14,  1898, 
expressed  his  appreciation  of  the  character  of  Mr.  Douglass 
in  the  following  letter: 


]  64  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Office  of  the  Collector  of  Customs, 
Port  of  Wilmington,  K  C,  June  6,  1899. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Thompson,  Chairman  Douglass  Monument  Com- 
mittee. Rochester,  N.  Y. : 

My  Dear  Sir:  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  kind  invitation  to 
be  present  at  the  unveiling  of  the  Douglass  monument,  the 
9th  instant,  and  to  contribute  to  the  programme  as  one  of 
the  speakers. 

I  feel  more  than  honored  by  the  latter  invitation,  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  I  enjoyed  the  rare  distinction  of  delivering 
an  address  in  September  last,  in  eulogy  of  the  great  race 
leader  and  patriot.  A  second  invitation  lends  to  the  belief 
that  I  must  have  said  something  on  the  former  occasion  which 
favorably  impressed  you  at  least. 

I  never  tire  of  doing  honor  to  Mr.  Douglass,  because  he 
never  tired  of  defending  my  cause,  when  I  was  powerless  to 
defend  nryself.  And  yet,  withal,  he  was  filled  with  that 
spirit  of  conservatism  which  made  him  wise  and  safe  in 
leadership,  and  prepared  him  for  every  exigency  in  life, 
which  constantly  changing  conditions  would  suggest.  I 
heard  him  speak  at  a  great  colored  industrial  fair  at  Raleigh 
in  this  state,  in  1879.  I  enjoyed  the  rare  distinction  of  in- 
troducing him.  But  Governor  Thomas  J.  Jarvis,  then  at 
the  head  of  the  state  government,  preceded  him  in  an  ad- 
dress of  greath  breadth,  and  full  of  kindly  admonition  to  my 
race.  Mr.  Douglass  was  momentarily  overcome  by  so  con- 
servative and  patriotic  a  speech  from  the  Governor  of  a 
Southern  state.  Tears  of  joy  trickled  down  his  cheeks.  His 
pencil  rapidly  ran  through  some  of  the  more  caustic  of  his 
prepared  utterances,  until  his  speech  harmonized  in  tone 
and  friendliness  with  the  liberal  sentiments  of  the  Governor. 
The  Governor,  who  was  quite  a  friend  to  our  race,  extended 
the  olive  branch  and  our  great  champion  was  diplomatic 
enough  to  accept  it  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  was  offered.     He 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


165 


began  his  speech  by  remarking  that  he  had  hardly  expected 
in  his  own  lifetime  to  see  his  race  present  so  grand  a  spec- 
tacle to  the  world  as  that  exhibit  of  the  handiwork  then  be- 
fore his  gaze;  and  especially  the  Democratic  governor  of  a 
great  Southern  state  commending  our  efforts  and  encourag- 
ing ns  in  such  a  speech  as  that  to  which  he  had  just  listened. 

Overcoming  his  emotion,  he  for  the  next  two  hours,  de- 
livered one  of  the  greatest  and  most  comprehensive  ad- 
dresses of  his  lifetime.  The  influence  of  that  speech  still 
remains  with  many  of  the  white  and  colored  people  of  the 
state,  as  the  harbinger  of  the  day  that  will  yet  dawn  upon 
us  all. 

Let  the  lesson  of  the  grand  and  magnificent  life  be  with 
us  all,  a  joy  and  an  inspiration  forever.  As  long  as  we  can 
study  and  think  of  it,  we  have  no  just  reason  to  lose  heart  or 
to  cease  struggling  for  that  which  lives  beyond,  if  it  is  pos- 
sible of  attainment.  JSTo  dark  cloud  failed  to  discover  its 
silver  lining  to  him.  A  halo  of  glory  in  personal  achieve- 
ment and  triumph  encircled  his  brow  long  'ere  the  noon  of 
our  hopes  had  stranded  its  crescent  on  the  early  breakers  of 
the  morning.  The  monument  that  you  erect  to  his  memory, 
magnificent  and  uniform  in  its  symmetry  and  proportion, 
is  excelled  only  by  the  grander  one  he  erected  for  himself, 
by  the  splendid  and  eternal  lessons  of  his  wonderful  life. 

"For  out  of  the  gloom  future  brightness  is  born, 
As  out  of  the  night  looms  the  sunrise  of  morn." 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

JOHN  C.  DANCY. 


THE  DOUGLASS  MONUMENT  COMMITTEE. 


John  W.  Thompson,  chairman. 

Mrs.  R.  J.  Jeffrey. 

Henry  A.  Spencer,  secretary. 

R.  L.  Kent,  assistant  secretary. 

Hon.  George  A.  Benton,  treasurer. 

Ex-Congressman  H.  S.  Greenleaf. 

Hon.  Charles  S.  Baker. 

Bishop  Alexander  Walters,  D.  D.,  N.  J 

T.  Thomas  Fortune,  New  York  City. 

Benjamin  N.  Simms. 

F.  S.  Cunningham. 

Thomas  E.  Platner. 

E.  R.  Spaulding,  Owego,  N.  Y. 

Thomas  H.  Barnes,  Olean,  N.  Y. 

Rev.  James  E.  Mason,"  D.  D. 

Benjamin  F.  Cleggett,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

Theodore  Duffin,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

HOW  DOUGLASS  WAS  REGARDED  BY  THE  ROCH- 
ESTER PRESS. 

FROM  THE  ROCHESTER  UNION  AND  ADVERTISER. 

The  morning  of  February  26,  1895,  the  body  of  Frederick 
Douglass  was  brought  to  Rochester  from  Washington  and 
borne  to  the  City  Hall,  where  it  lay  in  state  till  the  hour 
lor  the  funeral  in  the  afternoon.  It  is  eminently  appropri- 
ate that  Frederick  Douglass  should  be  laid  to  rest  in  Mount 
Hope.  As  the  older  generation  of  Rochester  men  remem- 
ber, and  as  has  been  repeatedly  recalled  within  the  past  few 
days,  it  was  here  that  the  "North  Star"  rose.  In  this  city  its 
first  feeble  rays  were  turned  on  the  darkness  to  the  south. 
In  Rochester  the  foundations  of  its  editor's  fame  were  laid. 
It  is  fit  then  that  in  Rochester  the  last  wreath  of  praise 
should  be  laid  upon  liis  coffin. 

The  wealth  of  a  nation  is  its  glorious  names  and  the  story 
of  their  patriotic  deeds.  A  city's  great  dead  is  a  treasure 
that  is  incorruptible  and  continually  active  for  good.  The 
tomb  of  Frederick  Douglass  in  time  to  come  will  bear  mute 
witness  to  the  reward  of  uprightness  and  unselfish  devotion 
to  the  cause  of  right.  To  future  generations  it  will  evi- 
dence the  honor  paid  to  the  courage  and  honesty  which  not 
only  overcame  the  crudest  handicap  of  birth,  but  was  in- 
strumental in  remolding  the  fate  of  a  wronged  people.  If 
the  public  sense  of  justice  should  ever  grow  dim;  if  wrong 
should  ever  gain  t  lie  advantage,  the  grave  of  Frederick  Doug- 
lass will  be  an  inspiration  for  true  men  to  rise  again.  This 
is  why  it  is  well  for  this  city  that  Frederick  Douglass  is 
buried  here. 


1(38  HISTORY  OF  THE 

FROM  THE  ROCHESTER  DEMOCRAT  AND  CHRONICLE. 

The  unveiling  of  the  Douglass  monument  June  9,  1899, 
was  an  event  of  more  than  local  significance.  It  is  not  sim- 
ply the  figure  of  one  who  was  formerly  a  distinguished  resi- 
dent of  Rochester  which  is  to  be  uncovered  in  the  presence 
of  a  great  multitude,  but  that  of  a  man  who  in  intellectual 
stature  and  gifts,  as  well  as  in  the  services  he  rendered  to 
the  cause  of  Freedom,  was  the  supreme  representative  of  his 
race. 

Frederick  Douglass  was  a  princely  man;  princely  in  form 
and  bearing,  and  princely  in  the  qualities  of  his  mind  and 
heart.  Born  under  the  most  disabling  conditions  which 
could  encompass  a  human  being  in  this  land  of  ours,  he 
broke,  one  after  another,  the  fetters  that  bound  him  and 
rose  to  an  altitude  of  moral  and  intellectual  influence  hardly 
equaled  by  that  of  any  other  man  in  the  country.  He  owed 
nothing  to  adventitious  fortune  or  aid.  Always,  from  the 
hour  when,  as  a  slave  boy,  he  asserted  his  right  to  liberty  by 
leaving  his  master  and  home,  down  to  the  days  of  dignity 
and  honor  in  old  age,  surrounded  by  the  comforts  as  well  as 
the  luxuries  of  life  won  by  his  own  efforts,  he  maintained 
unsullied  the  independence  of  his  manhood.  He  was  never 
the  man  to 

— bend  the  supple  hinges  of  the  knee, 
That  thrift  might  follow  fawning. 

Often  subjected  to  slurs  and  insults  on  account  of  his  race 
and  color,  he  maintained  the  simple  dignity  of  his  character, 
standing  erect  but  not  defiant,  looking  unabashed  upon  the 
liliputians  whose  sneers  were  of  no  more  account  to  him  than 
the  humming  of  gnats  in  the  air  of  a  summer  evening. 

God  endowed  him  with  the  gift  of  eloquent  speech,  speech 
that  came  from  a  heart  large  and  tropical  in  its  warmth,  but 
not  volcanic  in  its  outbursts  except  against  wrongs  embodied 
in  institutions  and  laws;  speech  that  flowed  in  rounded  sen- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


169 


tences,  in  vivid  metaphors,  in  swordlike  thrusts  of  wit 
around  which  always  played  the  lambent  light  of  a  sunny 
humor.  He  had  a  broad,  generous  nature.  He  could  make 
allowance  for  weakness,  and  pitied,  as  the  Man  of  Galilee 
did,  the  unfortunate  and  the  suffering.  He  loved  the 
bright  and  happy  phases  of  life.  The  bitter  and  acidulated 
spirit  of  cynicism  met  with  no  responsiveness  from  him. 
From  first  to  last  he  was  true  to  the  cause  of  oppressed  hu- 
manity whether  it  was  found  under  the  dark  skin  of  his  own 
race  or  among  those  who  had  formerly  been  his  oppressors. 

It  is  in  honor  of  such  a  man  that  the  monument  provided 
for  by  the  colored  people  of  Rochester  is  to  be  unveiled  to- 
morrow. The  name  and  fame  of  Douglass  have  filled  the 
world.  In  I  he  days  when  his  powers  were  at  their  zenith 
his  eloquent  voice  was  heard  pleading  for  the  rights  of  hu- 
manity, not  only  in  the  presence  of  great  audiences  and, 
sometimes,  of  hostile  mobs  in  his  own  country,  but  before 
the  great  and  the  titled  in  foreign  lands.  It  is  therefore  an 
honor  to  Rochester  that  a  monument  to  his  memory,  sym- 
bolizing his  personal  presence,  shall  stand  in  one  of  our  pub- 
lic places  to  remind  citizen  and  stranger  that  Frederick 
Douglass  always  esteemed  this  as  his  home  city.  His  dust 
lies  embalmed  in  the  sacred  soil  of  Mount  Hope,  and  his 
image  will  henceforth  greet  the  eyes  of  our  people,  the 
token  of  a  noble  manhood  which  should  prove  an  inspiration 
to  future  generations. 

The  event  of  June  9,  1899,  will  bring  to  Rochester  the 
distinguished  Governor  of  this  commonwealth  and  other 
visitors  of  note.  There  will  be  a  parade  worthy  of  the  oc- 
casion, and  the  citizens  will  have  an  opportunity  to  show 
that  in  this  land  of  ours  high  merit,  though  it  may  have  to 
fight  many  a  battle  against  bigotry  and  prejudice,  may  in 
the  end  receive  cordial  recognition  and  sincere  acknowledg- 
ment from  all  the  people. 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE 

PROM  THE  ROCHESTER  TIMES. 

"What  though  on  namely  fare  ye  dine, 

Wear  hodden  grey  an'  a'  that; 
Clic  fouls  their  silks  an'  knaves  their  wine; 

A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that." 

To  the  memory  of  a  man  who  dressed  in  plain  clothes, 
who  wore  the  garb  of  a  slave,  whose  environments  taught 
him  that  his  color  placed  him  in  bondage;  whose  future,  had 
he  not  hewn  it  out  for  himself,  would  have  been  cast  in  long 
days  of  unrequited  toil;  who  saw  dimly  the  light  of  liberty 
and  being,  like  Samuel,  called  of  Grod  to  speak  I'm-  his  race, 
faced  prejudice  and  politics  and  made  the  way  plain  to  that 
end  that  the  curse  was  removed  from  the  land, — to  his  mem- 
ory The  city  of  Rochester,  regardless  of  color,  uniting  with 
the  people  of  the  state,  arc  paying  tribute  to-day. 

There  was  no  reason,  as  men  reason  things,  why  Frederick 
Douglass  should  not,  have  remained  a  slave  all  his  life  ami 
died  a  slave,  unknown,  unsung,  forgotten.  Because  he  did 
not,  because  he  climbed  the  Hill  Difficulty  ami  met  and  con- 
quered every  obstacle,  we  remember  him  to-day. 

It  is  indeed  the  purest  tribute  of  a  grateful  people  when 
one  who  held  no  high  civic  place  is  remembered,  as  is  Doug- 
lass. Republics  are  not  always  ungrateful,  as  monuments  to 
heroism  and  worth  the  country  over  attest. 

To-da\  in  Rochester  we  renew  our  faith  in  the  republic 
at  the  foot  of  the  slat  ue  of  a  man  horn  a  slave.  Again  we 
declare  that  liberty  shall  he  proclaimed  throughout  all  the 
land  "and  unto  the  people  thereof,"  as  we  speak  of  the 
struggles  of  the  black  man  whose  figure  towers  in  metal  at 
St.  Paul  street  and  Central  avenue. 

PROM  THE  ROCHESTER  MORNING  HERALD. 

In  Rochester  yesterday  was  celebrated  an  event  unique 
in  the  history  of  the  American  nation — the  unveiling  of  a 
statue  immortalizing  in  imperishable  bronze  the  form  and 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  171 

features  of  a  negro.  It  was  not  a  celebration  restricted  to 
the  representatives  of  the  negro  race,  but  an  event  gladly 
participated  in  by  the  entire  population  of  the  city,  for  Fred- 
erick Douglass  belonged  nol  to  his  race  alone,  bu1  to  the 
American  people.  He  represented  nol  only  the  highesl 
achievement  and  development  of  his  race,  he  was  equally  a 
type  of  superior  manhood  and  representative  citizenship. 
Frederick  Douglass  established  a  precedent,  fulfilled  an  ideal, 
that  should  serve  -will  serve  -as  an  inspiration  to  the  negro 
nice  in  America  for  all  time  to  come. 

Against  the  black  scroll  of  race  hatred  and  race  prejudice, 
now  happily  fading  from  a  clear  national  sky,  this  bronze 
statue  of  Frederick  Douglass  stand-  as  a  memorial  in  gold, 
a  lasting  tribute  to  a  greatness  of  character  and  nobility  of 
life  thai  even  the  shackles  of  a  slave  could  not  bind  down 
nor  the  black  skin  of  a  slave  cloak  from  public  view  and 
recognition.  By  the  sheer  impetus  of  his  own  force  of 
character,  Frederick  Douglass  rose  from  a  Southern  slave 
pen  to  be  the  associate  of  presidents  and  the  confrere  of 
statesmen.  The  silver  tongue  of  his  oratory  thrilled  the 
ear  of  the  English  speaking  world;  and  among  the  most  po 
tent  agencies  for  the  abolition  of  slavery  must  be  included 
the  voice  and  heart  and  brain  and  soul  of  Frederick  Doug- 
lass. 

Ko  words  can  picture  the  boundless  possibilities  of  influ- 
ence of  such  a  life  upon  the  people  Frederick  Douglass  rep- 
resented. In  that  life  the  Afro-American  will  find  never 
failing  inspiration.  If  Frederick  Douglass  could  accomplish 
what  he  did  when  he  did,  what  may  not  the  negro  of  to-day 
and  to-morrow  hope  to  attain?  No  goal  is  closed  to  him; 
no  avenue  of  honorable  endeavor  is  barred;  he  has  at  his  dis- 
posal every  legitimate  means  for  his  advancement  as  an  in- 
dividual, his  betterment  as  a  race.  The  future  of  the  negro 
in  America  rests  largely  in  his  own  hands.     Beside  him,  at 


272  HISTORY  OF  THE 

once  an  inspiration  and  a  benediction,  stands  the  gigantic 
figure  of  Frederick  Douglass,  shedding  the  shining  light  of 
an  illustrious  example  upon  the  future  pathway  of  the  race. 
From  the  executive  mansion  in  the  capital,  the  Governor 
of  the  Empire  State  came  to  do  honor  to  the  name  and  mem- 
ory of  Frederick  Douglass;  in  the  parade  were  the  veterans 
of  the  war  waged  to  emancipate  his  race;  the  public  schools 
turned  out  their  miniature  companies;  the  uniformed  socie- 
ties were  represented;  the  business  and  traffic  of  an  entire 
city  were  stopped  while  its  citizens  turned  their  steps  toward 
the  statue  of  Douglass.  This  was  but  the  tribute  of  a  day, 
however,  the  appropriate  accompaniment  of  the  ceremony 
of  unveiling.  In  the  years  to  come  the  real  tribute  of  his 
race  to  the  memory  of  Frederick  Douglass  will  be  found  in 
their  high  standard  of  citizenship,  their  loyalty  to  the  in- 
spiring ideal  he  established,  their  progress  along  the  lines  of 
right  living  and  honorable  endeavor.  And  as  their  fellow 
citizens  of  another  cplor  marched  with  them  side  by  side  to 
the  unveiling  of  the  Douglass  monument,  so  should  they 
stand  with  them  and  stand  by  them  in  their  every  future 
effort  to  be  worthy  of  their  illustrious  prototype,  Frederick 
Douglass.  As  Rochester  was  honored  by  his  life  among  us, 
so  is  she  honored  by  his  grave  and  by  his  monument,  two 
visible  memorials  of  a  great  man  and  an  honorable  life. 

FROM  THE  ROCHESTER  POST  EXPRESS. 

The  9th  of  June  the  monument  to  Frederick  Douglass  was 
unveiled.  The  city  was  thronged  with  visitors  to  witness 
the  ceremony.  Eloquent  tributes  to  the  memory  of  the 
great  anti-slavery  agitator  were  pronounced.  But  nothing 
was  said  or  done  that  will  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  man 
or  of  the  work  that  he  did.  Much  less  was  anything  said  or 
done  that  gave  an  adequate  idea  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived 
and  labored.  It  is  only  glimpses  of  him  and  of  his  times 
that  can  be  had  on  such  an  occasion.     Even  if  full  knowl- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^^3 

edge  of  both  were  available,  time  would  be  lacking  to  set  it 
forth.  But  these  glimpses  will  serve  a  useful  purpose.  They 
will  suggest  to  the  generation  that  has  grown  up  since  the 
anti-slavery  agitation  and  the  great  struggle  that  followed 
it  that  their  country  has  a  history — has  heroes  worthy  of 
their  study  and  admiration. 

It  is  not  easy  to  overestimate  the  part  that  Douglass 
played  in  the  abolition  of  slavery.  At  the  time  he  first  be- 
gan to  appear  on  the  anti-slavery  platform  and  to  deliver  his 
powerful  phillipics  against  the  curse  of  American  civiliza- 
tion, it  was  by  no  means  generally  conceded  that  the  negro 
was  a  human  being.  While  it  was  admitted  that  he  had  a 
certain  mental  and  moral  capacity,  he  was  regarded  by  most 
of  the  advocates  of  slavery  only  as  a  superior  kind  of  animal. 
While  he  could  laugh  and  talk,  learn  a  trade  and  do  some 
other  things  common  to  Avhite  people,  he  did  not  possess 
those  higher  traits  that  no  animal  ever  exhibited.  He  did 
not  have  a  soul:  he  could  not  reason;  he  felt  none  of  the 
lofty  emotions  of  the  Caucasian.  When,  therefore,  Doug- 
lass appeared  before  vast  audiences,  and  thrilled  them  with 
an  eloquence  that  rivaled  the  eloquence  of  Beecher  and  Phil- 
lips, he  gave  a  blow  to  slavery  from  which  it  never  recov- 
ered. He  proved  that  the  negro  was  something  more  than 
an  animal,  and  that  he  was  fitted  to  be  something  more  than 
a  slave;  he  was  a  human  being,  capable  of  all  the  emotions, 
thoughts,  and  achievements  of  any  other  human  being. 

Tt  may  be  said,  as  it  has  often  been  said,  that  Douglass 
was  not  a  pure  blooded  negro,  and  was  not,  therefore,  a  fair 
example  of  the  capacity  of  his  race.  Tt  has  been  claimed, 
and  it  is  still  claimed,  that  whatever  genius  he  exhibited 
was  due  to  the  white  blood  that  flowed  in  his  veins.  But 
the  argument  never  counted  for  much.  He  did  not  have 
white  blood  enough  to  blanch  his  skin,  or  to  convert  his  fea- 
tures into  those  of  a  Caucasian,  or  to  deliver  him  from  the 


I  74  HISTORY  OF  THE 

cruel  lash  of  the  slave  driver  the  moment  he  became  old  and 
large  enough  to  add  to  the  wealth  of  his  master.  He  was 
regarded  as  a  negro.  He  was  oftem  subjected  to  the  dig 
criminations  against  his  race  Even  if  it  were  to  be  admit- 
ted that  his  white  blood  was  a  priceless  advantage,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  his  African  blood  did  not  prevent  him  from  rising 
from  the  lowesl  depths  of  degradation  and  obscurity  to  a 
fame  that  filled  the  whole  civilized  world.  Such  a  fact,  im- 
mutable and  unanswerable,  swepl  away  the  mass  of  sophisms 
based  upon  the  theory  that  the  negrO  was  aol  really  a  man — 
that  he  was  destined  by  his  creator  to  be  a  slave.  It  was 
more  potent  with  doubting  minds  than  all  the  logic  and  elo- 
quence of  the  whole  army  of  abolitionists. 

Bui  the  work  of  Douglass  was  not  confined  to  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  moral  and  intellectual  capacities  of  his  race.  It 
included  energetic,  aggn  ssive  and  tireless  warfare  on  the  in- 
stitution thai  he'd  his  race  in  bondage.  From  the  time  ho 
gained  his  freedom  until  every  right  enjoyed  by  a  white  man 
under  the  Constitution  was  guaranteed  to  the  negro,  he  de- 
voted his  gianl  strength  and  splendid  powers  as  an  orator  to 
its  overthrow.  The  iron  of  slavery  had  pierced  his  own 
heart,  and  he  knew  no  other  duty  night  or  day  but  its  imme- 
diate and  complete  destruction,  lie  could  not  rest  as  long 
as  he  knew  thai  one  man  was  the  master  of  another  and  had 
over  him  the  power  of  life1  or  death.  But  the  abolition  of 
slavery  did  not  contenl  him.  ITe  felt  that  unless  the  blacks 
had  the  same  rights  of  citizenship  as  the  whites,  their  free- 
dom could  not  be  guaranteed.  As  soon  as  the  war  was 
over,  he  worked  unceasingly  to  give  them  the  ballot.  But 
he  knew  that  the  ballol  was  not  enough  to  insure  them 
against  oppression,  lie  felt  that  they  must  be  educated, 
and  become  the  possessors  of. property.  As  soon  as  right  of 
suffrage  had  been  gained,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  work 
of  fitting  the  emancipated  race  for  the  exercise  of  that  right. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  1^5 

He  encouraged  all  educational  and  industrial  enterprises. 
At  tlic  time  of  his  death,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
negroes  enjoy  educational  advantages  not  inferior  to  those 
of  whites.  He  saw  them  increasi  in  wealth  almost  beyond 
the  dreams  of  the  most  ardent  friends  of  the  race. 

We  have  spoken  of  Douglass'  ability  and  achievements.  A 
word  remains  to  be  said  about  hi-  character.  Beset  on  every 
hand  as  he  was  for  many  years  by  the  most  pitiless  enemies, 
they  were  never  aide  l<>  point  to  an  ael  unworthy  of  an  hon- 
est and  pure-minded  man.  Il  was  believed  at  one  lime  that 
he  was  implicated  with  the  treason  of  John  Brown,  and  at 
the  urgent  solicitation  of  friends,  he  lied  to  England.  But 
if  lie  were  guilty  of  complicity  against  the  government  of  his 
country,  il  was  no  sidti^h  motive  that  inspired  him.  His 
only  aim  was  I  he  deliverance  of  his  country  from  an  evil  that 
he  believed  to  be  greater  than  an  insurrection.  Enemies 
have  licensed  him  of  selfishness.  Bui  a  man  that  could  suc- 
cor  a  victim  of  age  ami  penury  thai  had  howled  for  his  own 
life,  or  thai  could  devote  fifty  years  to  the  betterment  of  his 
own  race  and  at  the  same  time  suffer  all  the  obloquy  attached 
t<>  a  despised  cause,  was  hardly  guilty  of  thai  infirmity.  Al- 
though if  may  be  said  that  he  felt  toward  the  South  after  the 
war  as  he  did  before  the  war,  it  should  not  he  forgotten  that 
his  sufferings  at  tin1  hands  of  the  slave  power  were  not  like- 
ly to  soften  any  heart.  But  after  all  just  criticism  has  In  en 
made  upon  his  attitude  toward  that  section,  il  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  his  work  in  behalf  of  humanity  entitles  him  to 
the  everlasting  remembrance  of  every  friend  of  freedom  and 
of  every  enemy  of  wrong. 

FROM   THE   ROCHESTER   UNION   AND   ADVERTISER. 

Several  years  ago  prominent  colored  citizens  of  Rochester 
organized  a  movement  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  colored  soldiers  who  died  in  the  war  for 
the  Union  and  invited  co-operation  by  their  white  fellow 


176  HISTORY  OF  THE 

citizen*,  which  was  given,  and  initial  steps  had  been  taken 
for  accomplishing  the  object  when,  on  the  20th  of  February, 
1895,  Frederick  Douglass  died  al  Washington.  This  oc- 
currence induced  the  committee  to  decide  that  a  me- 
morial to  him  would  embody  what  they  had  designed,  and  at 
the  same  time  pay  broader  tribute  to  the  achievements  of 
representative  men  of  their  race,  and  so  the  work  went  on  to 
the  eud  of  the  presentation  made  to-day  in  the  unveiling  of 
the  Douglass  statue  in  this  city. 

Back  in  the  centuries,  when  England,  Spain  and  Portugal, 
other  countries  contributing,  and  the  American  colonies 
themselves  taking  a  hand  as  soon  as  they  were  able,  planted 
the  curse  of  African  slavery  on  this  continent,  they  little 
dreamt  of  the  evolution  that  was  to  occur  ere  the  dawn  of 
1900.  At  what  period  it  is  impossible  to  determine,  but  cer- 
tain that  at  some  time  in  the  distant  past  the  maternal  an- 
cestors of  Frederick  Douglass  were  taken  from  the  wilds  of 
Africa,  either  bv  stealth  or  purchase,  and  sold  into  slavery 
upon  the  Atlantic  coast  of  this  country.  In  1817  there  was 
born  to  a  slave  mother  of  this  African  descent  upon  the  plan- 
tation of  Colonel  Edward  Lloyd,  in  Talbot  county,  Maryland, 
on  the  east  shore  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  putatively  to  him, 
a  son  who  took  on  the  name  of  Lloyd,  but  subsequently 
changed  it  to  Frederick  Douglass.  After  escape  from  his 
master,  purchase  of  his  freedom  with  money  contributed  by 
friends  in  England,  which  country  he  had  visited,  and  pass- 
ing through  the  many  vicissitudes  incident  to  such  a  life  as 
circumstances  compelled  him  to  follow  and  which  embraced 
a  fair  self-education,  Mr.  Douglass  made  his  advent  in  Roch- 
ester at  the  age  of  30,  in  1847,  and  established  the  "North 
Star,"  a  weekly  journal  devoted  to  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
of  which  he  was  editor.  He  was  modest  and  unassuming  in 
demeanor,  was  warmly  received  and  substantially  encouraged 
by  many  citizens,  especially  of  the  Quaker  element,  and  was 


MRS.    R.    JEROME   JEFFREY. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  tf->7 

respected  by  all.  If  lie  was  bitter  and  severe,  as  lie  some- 
times was,  in  handling  the  subject  of  slavery  without  gloves, 
the  "Hardshells"  and  "Silver  Greys"  of  the  old  political  par- 
ties "who  were  classed  as  pro-slavery  sympathizers  becau-e 
upholding  the  Constitution  and  the  laws  enacted  thereunder, 
took  no  exception.  They  said  he  had  a.  right  to  be  bitter 
and  severe,  and  even  unreasonable  and  unpatriotic,  while 
they  had  no  patience  with  his  white  associates  of  the  Garri- 
son school  who,  on  the  2d  day  of  February,  1859,  in  conven- 
tion at  the  capital  of  this  state,  declared  in  a  resolution  writ- 
ten by  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  "that  in  advocating  a  disso- 
lution of  the  Union  the  Abolitionists  are  justified  by  every 
precept  of  the  Gospel,  by  every  principle  of  morality,  by 
every  claim  of  humanity;  that  such  a  Union  is  a  covenant 
with  death,  which  ought  to  bo  annulled,  and  an  agreement 
with  hell  which  a  just  God  cannot  permit  to  stand;  and  that  it 
is  the  imperative  and  paramount  duty  of  all  who  would  keep 
their  souls  from  blood-guiltiness  to  deliver  the  oppressed  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  spoiler  and  usher  in  the  day  of  Jubilee; 
to  seek  its  immediate  overthrow  by  all  righteous  instrumen- 
talities." It  was  on  the  line  of  Garrisonjan  warfare  that 
Mr.  Douglass  conducted  his  agitation  against  the  institution 
of  slavery,  down  to  the  eve  of  the  slaveholders'  rebellion 
when  the  publication  of  his  paper  ceased  and  he,  although 
maintaining  a  nominal  residence  here,  lived  elsewhere,  and 
after  the  war  became  a  permanent  citizen  of  Washington, 
where  he  was  given  a  number  of  offices  of  honor  and  profit 
by  the  Republican  administration,  of  which  he  had  been  a 
hearty  supporter  from  the  foundation  of  the  Republican 
party  and  nomination  of  Fremont  and  Dayton  at  Philadel- 
phia in  June,  1856,  on  a  platform  that  declared  for  prohibi- 
tion by  Congress  in  the  territories  of  "these  twin  relics  of 
barbarism — Polygamy  and  Slavery."  Although  when,  in 
1871,  Mr.  Douglass  was  given  the  Republican  nomination 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


for  member  of  Assembly  from  the  district  then  composed  of 
the  city  of  Rochester,  against  George  D.  Lord,  Democrat, 
Iris  party  constituency  failed  to  support  him  as  it  should  have 
done.  The  city  was  at  that  election  Democratic  by  a  bare 
majority — 151  for  the  head  of  the  state  ticket,  "Willers,  over 
Scribner,  Rep.;  but  Lord's  majority  over  Douglass  was  1,186 
— the  aggregate  vote  of  both  parties  in  the  city  having  been 
less  than  10,000.  The  Assembly  would  have  furnished  a 
fine  field  for  display  of  Mr.  Douglass'  oratorical  powers,  and 
test  of  his  legislative  abilities.  It  is,  really,  in  sentiment,  a 
tribute  to  the  opportunities  of  evolution  in  American  life, 
despite  aparently  insurmountable  obstacles,  that  the  Doug- 
lass statue  stands  before  the  public  gaze,  rather  than  a  mon- 
ument to  an  individuality,  or  to  the  achievement  of  some 
great  object  of  local  or  general  public  concern.  Mr.  Doug- 
lass himself  expressed  the  idea  forcibly  in  a.  letter  to  his 
friend,  and  the  friend  of  the  lowly  and  oppressed  every- 
where, the  late  Samuel  D.  Porter,  of  this  city,  when  he  said: 
"It  is  not,  however,  the  height  to  which  I  have  risen,  but 
the  depth  from  which  I  have  come,  that  amazes  me."  This 
idea  is  emphasized  by  the  memorable  reference  of  Chief  Jus- 
tice Taney  of  the  Supreme  ( -ourl  of  the  United  States,  born 
in  Calvert  county,  Maryland,  on  the  oposite  shore  of  Chesa- 
peake Bay  from  Talbot  county,  in  the  Dred  Scott  case  to  the 
historical  fact  that  "for  more  than  a  century  previous  to  the 
adoption  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  negroes, 
whether  slave  or  free,  had  been  regarded  as  beings  of  an  in- 
ferior order  and  altogether  unfit  to  associate  with  the  white 
race,  either  in  social  or  political  relations,  and  so  far  inferior 
that  they  had  no  rights  which  the  white  man  was  bound  to 
respect."  And  the  Constitution  itself,  based  upon  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence,  provided  for  perpetuation  of  the 
slave  trade  with  Africa  for  a  period  of  twenty  years  after  its 
adoption,  and  for  the  return  of  slaves  escaping  from  their 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  279 

owners  in  one  state  and  seeking  freedom  in  another.  In  all 
this  there  has  been  wonderful  evolution,  of  which  the  statue 
of  Frederick  Douglass  is  the  personification.  And  it  is  in 
such  character  that  the  statue  is  to  be  looked  upon  and  con- 
sidered, as  imparting  the  lesson  of  Pope's  lines: 

"Honor  and  shame  from  no  condition  rise* 
Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

HOW    GOVERNOR    ROOSEVELT    WAS    ENTER- 
TAINED IN  ROCHESTER. 

After  the  exercises  at  the  monument  had  been  concluded, 
Governor  Roosevelt,  accompanied  by  Military  Secretary  G. 
C.  Treadwell  and  Senator  W.  W.  Armstrong,  James  S.  Wat- 
son, L.  P.  Ross  and  E.  S.  Brown,  members  of  the  reception 
committee,  visited  the  State  Industrial  School.  Amid  great 
cheering,  the  Governor  and  party  arrived  at  4:30  o'clock 
and  remained  at  the  school  until  6  o'clock.  The  Governor 
many  times  expressed  his  admiration  of  the  various  depart- 
ments, and  was  much  interested  in  the  way  the  school  was 
conducted. 

Eleven  military  companies,  drawn  up  outside  the  entrance 
to  the  school,  saluted  the  Governor,  and  as  he  alighted, 
he  was  greeted  by  ex-Judge  Thomas  Raines,  Charles 
Van  Voorhis,  Dr.  G.  W.  Goler,  Dr.  C.  H.  Losey,  Dr.  George 
Carroll,  Mrs.  Emil  Kuichling  and  Miss  Aldridge,  members 
of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  school,  Superintendent  F. 
H.  Briggs  and  the  assistant  superintendents  and  heads  of  de- 
partments. 

Light  refreshments  were  served  beneath  the  trees  in  front 
of  the  woman's  department.  The  luncheon  was  in  charge 
of  Miss  M.  E.  Craig,  matron  of  the  institution,  and  was  the 
handiwork  of  inmates  of  the  department.  The  school  band 
rendered  pleasing  music  during  the  luncheon. 

After  the  party  had  done  ample  justice  to  the  repast,  the 
Governor  was  conducted  to  the  chapel.  When  he  appeared 
he  was  greeted  with  tremendous  cheers  by  the  750  boys  and 
the  300  girl  inmates.      Under  the  leadership  of  the  musical 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  -j^ 

directress,  J\J iss  E.  Y.  Sharp,  the  boys  and  girls  sang 
"Anchored"  with  much  enthusiasm. 

In  introducing  Governor  Roosevelt,  ex- Judge  Thomas 
Raines  told  the  boys  they  might  well  derive  inspiration  from 
the  life  of  the  Governor,  who,  in  war  and  peace,  had  made  a 
record  of  which  his  countrymen  were  very  proud. 

Governor  Roosevell  spoke,  in  part,  as  follows,  to  the  as- 
sembled inmates: 

"I  was  very  much  pleased  with  the  way  you  conducted 
yourselves  when  1  arrived.  Your  officers  must  have  drilled 
you  well,  and  you  must  have  learned  that  the  duty  of  the 
line  soldier  is  to  obey  orders. 

"I  think  when  the  time  comes,  you  boys  will  make  good 
husbands  and  fathers.  And  I  sincerely  hope  you  will  not 
forget  your  duties  to  the  state,  and  that  you  will  use  your  in- 
fluence to  secure  the  election  of  good  men  to  office. 

"The  discipline  and  order  which  you  have  been  taught 
within  these  walls  will  be  of  much  use  to  you  in  after  years. 
Most  of  the  great  men  in  this  world  have  become  great  be- 
cause they  did  little  things  with  precision  and  faithfulness. 
The  men  in  my  regiment  who  did  brave  fighting  in  Cuba 
were  the  men  who  never  complained  if  they  were  told  to 
wash  dishes  or  do  the  other  disagreeable  things  of  camp  life. 

"I  feel  much  pride  when  I  look  into  your  smiling  faces, 
and  have  great  hopes  of  your  success  in  future  years.  All  I 
ask  of  you  is  that  you  shall  face  the  big  world  and  that  you 
will  remember  the  many  lessons  you  have  learned  here,  and 
be  an  honor  to  the  country  of  which  you  are  citizens." 

The  exercises  ended  with  the  singing  of  the  "Marseillaise 
Hymn"  in  a  manner  which  called  forth  favorable  comment 
from  all  present. 

After  the  exercises,  the  Governor  and  the  members  of  the 
reception  committee  visited  the  various  departments  of  the 
institution.     The  directors  pointed  out  the  interesting  fea- 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE 

tures  of  the  institution,  and  Superintendent  Briggs  explained 
the  workings  of  the  institution  in  detail  to  the  Governor. 

The  power  house,  laundry,  carpenter  shop  and  the  cloth- 
ing and  shoe  departments  were  first  visited.  The  Governor 
appeared  to  be  much  interested  in  the  caps  turned  out  by  the 
youths  in  charge  of  the  clothing  department. 

The  machine  and  printing  shops  were  next  visited.  The 
Governor  remarked  that  the  boys  who  erected  the  building- 
containing  these  departments  had  done  much  credit  to  them- 
selves. After  hurried  visits  to  the  pattern  and  blacksmith 
shops  and  the  armory,  the  •  Governor  visited  the  new  build- 
ing of  the  boys'  department.  He  was  much  interested  in 
the  supper  of  the  youngsters.  He  went  about  the  dining 
room  speaking  kindly  words  to  each  of  the  boys. 

He  was  next  shown  a  company  at  drill,  and  talked  to  sev- 
eral of  the  individual  members.  As  he  was  getting  inter- 
ested in  the  boys,  a  messenger  brought  word  from  Senator 
Armstrong  that  the  Governor  was  several  minutes  behind 
time.  On  the  way  to  his  carriage,  a  large  number  of  girls 
sitting  on  the  lawn,  greeted  the  Governor  with  cheers. 

When  the  Governor  arrived  at  the  carriage,  he  expressed 
much  surprise  at  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  and  reluctantly 
left  the  institution.  During  his  visit  the  Governor  walked 
about  the  grounds  with  a  stride  which  surprised  the  fastest 
walkers  in  the  party.  At  the  buildings,  however,  he  was 
frequently  told  he  could  not  tarry  longer  for  lack  of  time. 

Amid  cheers  from  the  teachers  and  pupils  of  the  institu- 
tion the  Governor  waved  his  good-byes  and  took  a  last  look 
at  the  school,  apparently  much  pleased  with  his  visit. 

DINNER  AT  GENESEE  VALLEY  CLUB. 

Dinner  was  served  at  the  Genesee  Valley  "Club  at  0 
o'clock.  In  the  yellow  room,  at  a  round  table,  decorated 
with  peonies  of  yellow  and  white,  the  club  colors,  were  seat- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


183 


ed  the  guest  of  honor  and  his  entertainers.  On  the  right  of 
Governor  Roosevelt  was  seated  Senator  Armstrong  and  next 
to  him  James  S.  Watson.  H.  G.  Danforth  was  seated  at  tha 
Governor's  left  and  Military  Secretary  Treadwell  occupied 
the  seat  next  to  Mr.  Danforth.  The  others  at  the  table  were 
L.  P.  Ross  and  Edward  S.  Brown.  Though  of  the  best  and 
elegantly  served,  the  dinner  was  a  very  simple  affair  and 
there  was  no  accompanying  music. 

Those  of  the  party  who  had  never  met  the  Governor  be- 
fore described  him  as  a  very  entertaining  talker  and  ex- 
pressed themselves  as  delighted  with  his  recitals  of  his 
Cuban  experiences,  which  occupied  the  greater  part  of  the 
dinner  hour.  It  was  a  Little  after  7  o'clock  when,  the  dinner 
being  over,  the  party  entered  carriages  and  were  driven  to 
the  Court  House  for  the  public  reception. 

RECEPTION  AT  THE  COURT  HOUSE. 

Monroe  county's  million  dollar  marble  Court  House  proved 
an  ideal  place  for  holding  such  a  reception.  -Festooned  in 
the  central  rotunda,  near  the  dome,  and  standing  out  from 
the  marbles  and  brasses  along  the  galleries,  were  draperies 
of  the  national  colors  and  at  intervals  Hags  at  full  length  re- 
lieved by  beautiful  palms  in  abundance.  Brilliant  with 
many  lights,  the  elegant  bronze  candelabra,  halls  and  open 
court  presented  a  dazzling  scene. 

On  the  right  and  just  past  the  staircase,  inclosed  with  vel- 
vet ropes,  stretched  between  the  two  great  marble  pillars, 
was  a  platform  raised  about  a  foot  above  the  floor.  On  this 
and  with  the  coal  of  arms  of  the  Empire  State  emblazoned 
on  a  banner  above,  the  Chief  Executive  of  the  common- 
wealth stood  for  nearly  an  hour  giving  hearty  handclasps  to 
the  citizens  of  the  Flower  City.  Rich  and  poor,  young  and 
old.  black  and  white  received  the  same  cordial  grasp  of  the 
hand  and  the  same  friendly  smile. 


184 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


All  day  long  the  decorators,  Bickford  Brothers,  were  at 
work  in  the  Court  House,  and  Charles  IT.  Bastable  of  the 
general  reception  committee  was  at  all  times  present  to  over- 
see and  direct  the  work.  The  plan  to  hold  the  reception  in 
the  Court  House  originated  with  Mr.  Bastable  and  its  un- 
qualified success  proved  the  value  of  the  suggestion  and  the 
necessary  executive  ability  to  carry  it  out.  Maurice  Moll's 
orchestra  of  fifteen  pieces  discoursed  music  from  the  gallery 
on  the  second  floor  during  the  progress  of  the  reception. 

Seven  o'clock  had  been  announced  as  the  hour  for  the 
opening  of  the  reception,  but  it  was  half  an  hour  later  be- 
fore the  Governor  and  his  party  arrived.  Nevertheless  all 
who  were  assigned  to  duty  were  promptly  on  hand.  Lieuten- 
ant Russ  with  twelve  of  the  handsomest  men  on  the  police 
force  arrived  early.  Xew  York's  Broadway  squad  in  its 
palmiest  days  never  presented  twelve  finer  looking  men  than 
Officers  Stein,  Heinlein,  Tindell,  William  O'Connor,  Eugene 
Sullivan.  Saunders,  Sharp,  Pearson,  Decker,  Schmucker, 
George  Sullivan  and  John  Lane;  every  man  of  them  over  six 
feet  tall.  Two  of.  the  Protective  police,  Officers  Simson  and 
Smith,  in  their  gray  uniforms,  were  stationed  at  the  stairways 
and  took  tickets  from  those  were  were  admitted  to  the  upper 
galleries. 

LOCAL,   MILITARY   STAFF. 

"Marching  Through  Georgia"  was  played  by  the  Fifty- 
fourth  Regiment  Band,  which  escorted  the  special  staff  of 
local  militia  officers  assigned  to  duty  on  the  platform  Avith 
i lie  distinguished  guest.  They  were  Captain  H.  B.  Hender- 
son, Captain  F.  G.  Smith,  First  Lieutenant  F.  "W.  Bailey, 
First  Lieutenant  A.  F.  Smith,  Junior  Lieutenant  F.  M.  Enos 
and  Second  Lieutenant  F.  T.  Eigabroadt.  In  their  elegant 
full  dress  uiforms  they  added  a  military  halo  to  the  scene. 

Then  arrived  in  full  dress  Chief  of  Police  Cleary,  Cap- 
tains  McDermott   and  Baird  and  Lieutenants  Zimmerman, 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  1£5 

Sherman,  Stetson.,  Schwartz  and  Ryan,  and  a  moment  later 
the  Eighth  Separate  Company,  Lieutenant  E.  N.  Walbridge 
commanding;,  marched  into  the  building. 

Fifty  members  of  the  Eighth  New  York  Cavalry,  veterans 
of  the  Civil  War,  under  General  William  H.  Benjamin, 
after  their  annual  reunion  at  Trondequoit  Bay,  marched  to 
Powers  Hotel  to  tender  their  services  as  escort  to  the 
Governor  and  his  party  to  the  Union  League  Club. 

RECEPTION  AT  THE  UNION  LEAGUE  CLUB. 

As  soon  as  the  reception  was  ended  at  the  Court  House 
the  party  was  driven  directly  to  the  Union  League  Club 
wigwam,  on  Grand  street,  where  the  members  tendered  a 
rousing  reception.  The  drive  was  a  lively  one,  for  all  along 
the  streets  approaching  the  wigwam  there  were  red  lights, 
fireworks  and  the  firing  of  guns.  The  street  in  front  of  the 
club's  headquarters  was  filled  with  people,  and  they  cheered 
lustily  as  the  Governor's  carriage  appeared,  headed  by  the 
drill  corps  of  the  club,  who  had  marched  down  South  avenue 
to  meet  the  party. 

The  wigwam  was  handsomely  decorated  with  flags  and 
bunting,  and  the  platform  was  arranged  as  an  alcove,  hand- 
somely festooned  with  flags.  On  the  rostrum  were  Assem- 
blyman A.  J.  Rodenbeck,  Hon.  John  Van  Voorhis,  Treas- 
urer Hamilton,  Postmaster  Graham,  Charles  J.  Brown  and 
others. 

WELCOMED    IN    POETRY. 

J.  Frank  Wilber  welcomed  the  guests  and  the  Governor, 
and  said  that  the  club  had  never  been  sorry  for  the  loyal 
support  it  had  given  to  the  honored  guest  of  the  evening  last 
fall.  He  introduced  D.  L.  Ainsworth,  who  welcomed  the 
Governor  with  the  following  poem: 


IgQ  HISTORY  OP  THE 

Soldier  boys  and  civilians  too 

Extend  their  thanks  for  this  interview. 

It  carries  ns  back  to  ninety-eight 

When  your  valor  honored  the  Empire  State. 

We  saw  you  leading  with  courage  and  skill, 

Cowboys  and  clerks  up  San  Juan  hill — 

We  saw  you  again  at  later  date 

Stumping  for  justice  the  Empire  State. 

You  conquered  the  Dons  and  the  Tammany  Scouts, 
And  American  manhood  won  both  bouts. 
With  Justice  the  watchword  in  each  strife 
You  battled  each  time  for  a  better  life. 
Alive  and  alert  you  have  not  slept, 
But  your  every  promise  faithfully  kept. 
Whether  in  field  or  halls  of  state. 
Your  service  was  worthy  to  emulate. 

A  classic  man  you  have  put  aside  caste 

And  merit  deferred  from  first  to  last. 

Labor  and  capital,  rich  and  poor, 

Enter  alike  at  Roosevelt's  door. 

AVhether  as  Governor,  civilian  or  scout. 

You  have  worked  your  way  from  the  inside  out. 

Inspired  by  justice  to  do  the  best 

Your  every  action  has  stood  the  test. 

The  Union  League  grateful  and  true 

Ardently,  earnestly  welcomes  you. 

Welcome  the  man  who  gave  his  youth 

In  defense  of  freedom,  justice  and  truth. 

Welcome  the  man  of  common  clay 

Whose  deeds  have  earned  him  the  right  of  way. 

Comrade,  brother,  patriot  true, 

We  honor,  admire  and  welcome  you. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^gf 

WELCOMED   IN   PROSE. 

The  poem  of  welcome  was  followed  by  a  speech  by  C.  A. 
Simmons,  the  captain  of  the  drill  corps.     He  said: 

Mr.  President:  T  am  called  upon  to  perform  an  excep- 
tionally agreeable  task  to-night.  The  Union  League  Club 
has  been  greatly  honored  by  the  presence  as  its  guest  of 
that  idol  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  the 
hero  of  this  broad  land  of  <»urs — that  man  of  men — Hon. 
Theodore  Roosevelt. 

In  a  time  of  the  country's  need  that  gentleman  resigned 
his  position  as  an  executive  officer  of  the  United  States  and 
recruited  that  famous  body  of  men — that  fearless,  awe-in- 
spiring, zealously  patriotic  regiment  of  lighters — the  Rough 
Riders.  Called  upon  to  finally  assume  full  control  of  the 
destinies  of  that  command  he  responded  in  a  manner  which 
history  will  still  repeat  when  all  that  lingers  of  the  present 
generation  is  but  a  memory. 

It  is  not  fitting  that  I  should  here  more  than  merely  men- 
tion that  famous  .charge  of  San  Juan  hill,  the  land  battle 
which  more  than  any  other  in  the  late  war  served  to  place 
the  nation  on  a  plane  higher  than  it  had  ever  before  attained. 

Last  fall  this  club  stood  heart  and  vote  for  Theodore 
Roosevelt  and  not  a  solitary  member  has  just  cause  for  regret. 
Proudly  conscious  of  the  great  trust  the  sovereign  people 
reposed  in  his  manhood  and  his  integrity,  he  has  borne  him- 
self such  that  they  have  come  to  realize  a  glowing  fulfillment 
of  their  innermost  desires — an  honest,  patriotic  executive. 

On  yonder  wall,  fondly  wrapped  in  the  flowing  folds  of 
the  American  flag,  that  emblem  for  which  he  fought  so 
nobly  and  so  well,  and  that  of  freed  Cuba,  in  whose  late  his- 
tory he  played  so  conspicuous  and  remarkable  a  part,  hangs 
a  picture  of  a  man  whom  the  members  of  this  club  and  the 
people  of  this  city,  this  state  and  this  country  love  to  honor 
— Colonel  Theodore   Roosevelt. 


188 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


That  picture  was  painted  by  Captain  Russell,  a  veteran 
of  the  Civil  War  and  a  member  of  this  club,  and  is  to  hang 
in  the  meeting  room  of  this  organization  a  mute  but  a  glow- 
ing testimonial  of  the  fidelity  of  the  man  and  the  devotion  of 
the  club.  It  is  the  earnest  and  sincere  wish  of  the  members 
of  the  Union  League  Club  that  time  may  still  further  heap 
bountiful  honors  on  the  name  and  the  fame  of  our  distin- 
guished guest. 

THE   GOVERNOR'S    SPEECH. 

President  Wilber  accepted  the  picture  in  behalf  of  the 
club  and  introduced  Governor  Roosevelt,  who  said  in  part: 

"I  very  deeply  appreciate  the  honor  you  have  conferred 
upon  me,  and  the  thoughtfulness  you  have  shown  in  present- 
ing this  club  with  my  picture,  painted  by  a  soldier  of  the 
great  war,  one  who  fought  years  where  we  fought  months. 
You  can  hardly  appreciate  the  way  I  'am  affected  by  the 
spirit  you  have  shown  in  receiving  me.  I  think  you  know 
I  generally  say  what  I  mean  and  mean  what  I  say.  I  assert 
that  no  political  honor  could  compensate  for  this  spirit  of  de- 
votion on  your  part. 

"I  think  every  man  should  be  honored  for  what  he  accom- 
plishes as  a  man,  and  for  the  fidelity  he  displays  in  keeping 
the  promises  he  has  made.  No  single  promise  I  made  or  im- 
plied, but  I  have  tried  to  the  best  of  my  ability  to  keep.  I 
will  make  mistakes,  we  all  make  them,  but  they  will  be  mis- 
takes made  trying  to  serve  my  party  by  trying  to  make  it 
stand  for  the  safety  and  progress  of  the  commonwealth. 

"Fundamentally  a  man  must  create  his  own  happiness  and 
welfare,  but  the  state  can  do  something  to  help  him  in  re- 
ceiving the  rights  and  liberties  which  we  all  inherit.  It  can 
equalize  the  burdens  he  must  bear,  and  make  the  difficulties 
of  government  as  light  as  possible.  In  matters  of  taxation 
and  labor  I  have  done  the  best  I  could  to  make  my  office  one 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  jgQ 

in  which  all  men  are  treated  equal,  showing  no  favor  to  race, 
origin  or  creed. 

"I  appreciate  the  honor  you  have  shown  me,  and  shall  en- 
deavor to  so  conduct  myself  in  the  year  and  a  half  which 
remains  to  me  in  office  that  I  shall  have  a  free  conscience 
when  I  front  you  again — for  after  all  a  man  must  be  true  to 
his  own  ideals.  Therein  lies  the  best  test  of  honest  govern- 
ment. I  again  thank  you  for  the  honor  you  have  conferred 
upon  me  in  hanging  my  picture  in  your  club  rooms  and  in 
giving  me  this  splendid  reception." 

DOUGLASS  DAY. 

With  flags  flying  from  every  masthead;  amid  the  acclaim 
of  the  largest  concourse  of  people  in  many  years;  a  parade 
that  included  nearly  all  the  military  and  civic  organizations 
of  the  city;  with  exercises  in  which  the  Governor  of  the 
Empire  State  participated;  with  the  booming  of  cannon  and 
the  cheering  of  the  populace;  the  statue  was  unveiled  that 
had  been  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  foremost  colored 
statesman  known  to  modern  history,  the  most  conspicuous 
historic  figure  ever  seen  in  Rochester. 

Frederick  Douglass  has  always  held  a  warm  place  in  the 
memory  of  Rochester.  During  many  of  the  most  active  years 
of  his  life,  when  he  was  fighting  his  hardest  battles  for  the 
freedom  of  his  race,  when  he  was  -winning  the  great  fame 
that  gave  him  the  high  place  he  holds  in  history,  he  was  a 
resident  of  this  city.  Here  he  had  a  wide  circle  of  friends 
and  was  known  to  most  of  the  older  inhabitants  of  the  city. 
Although  in  the  later  years  of  his  life  he  lived  in  Washing- 
ton, it  was  his  dying  wish  that  Rochester  be  his  final  resting 
place.  Here  his  body  was  brought  four  years  ago  and  here 
in  the  beautiful  Mt,  Hope  cemetery  his  remains  will  repose 
forever. 

It  was  most  fitting  that  the  statue  to  the  memory  of  Doug- 
lass should  be  erected  in  the  city  of  his  adoption;  that  Roch- 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ester  should  be  the  place  for  his  public  monument.  In  pay- 
ing this  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  distinguished  citizen  the 
city  honored  itself. 

June  9th  was  a  gala,  day  in  Rochester.  The  people  turned 
out  in  such  throngs  as  to  crowd  every  available  inch  of  space 
within  300  feet  of  the  monument,  standing  for  hours  during 
the  unveiling  ceremonies.  They  thronged  the  Central  sta- 
tion when  Governor  Roosevelt  arrived  and  they  lined  up  all 
along  the  streets  through  which  the  parade  passed. 

The  programme  began  at  2:20  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
when  the  Governor  reached  the  city,  and  did  not  end  until 
late  in  the  evening,  when  the  various  entertainments  that 
had  been  arranged  in  his  honor  were  concluded.  The  fea- 
tures of  the  day  were  the  big  parade  that  passed  through  the 
main  streets  of  the  city,  the  exercises  connected  with  the 
unveiling  of  the  monument  on  the  square  at  the  junction  of 
Central  avenue  and  St.  Paul  street,  the  public  reception  at 
the  Court  House,  and  the  entertainments  at  the  Union 
League  Club  and  at  Fitzhugh  Hall. 

While  there  was  homage  paid  to  the  memory  of  the  dead 
statesman,  there  was  mingled  a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  state,  wdio  played  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  cere- 
monies of  the  day.  Governor  Roosevelt  came  to  Rochester 
in  an  official  capacity,  as  the  head  of  the  state  government. 
As  such  he  was  welcomed  by  the  municipality;  the  guest  of 
the  city.  There  was  nothing,  of  course,  that  savored  of  par- 
tisanship or  politics  in  this  visit  of  His  Excellency  to  Roch- 
ester. Democrats  vied  with  Republicans  in  showing  him 
respect  and  in  helping  to  entertain  him. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

COMMENT  OK  DOUGLASS'  LIFE  BY  THE  AMERI- 
CAN PRESS. 

He  figured  in  a  revolutionary  time  and  will  be  set  down  in 
history  as  one  of  the  most  notable  men  of  a  fiery  epoch. — 
Elmira  Gazette. 

He  lived  in  the  stormiest  epoch  of  our  national  existence 
and  in  his  person  typified  the  woes  and  oppressions  of  the 
black  race. — Albany  Journal. 

He  was  an  eloquent  speaker,  a  good  debater,  a  man  of 
business  ideas,  a  devoted  friend  of  his  race  and  one  of  its 
most  honored  and  most  worthy  representatives. — Syracuse 
Post. 

Certainly  his  was  the  school  of  adversity,  and  that  he  tri- 
umphed over  obstacles  such  as  would  cause  the  bravest  to 
turn  back  shows  the  unshrinking  courage  of  the  man. — Troy 
Times. 

The  struggles  of  his  life  were  many  and  hard,  but  by  force 
of  character  he  surmounted  them  all  and  became  by  all  odds 
the  most  conspicuous  negro  America  has  ever  known. — Utica. 
Observer. 

As  orator,  editor  and  patriot  he  has  left  an  impress  upon 
history  which  will  be  ineffaceaMo.  What  a  commentary  is 
the  career  of  Frcdoriek  Douglass  upon  the  institution  of 
slavery  ! — New  York  Advertiser. 

If  a  list  were  to  be  made  of  the  Americans  who  have  done 
the  greatest  service  to  large  numbers  of  their  fellow  citizens, 
the  name  of  Frederick  Douglass  would  have  a  high  place 
upon  it. — Buffalo  Express. 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Born  a  negro  slave,  he  won  freedom,  distinction  and  wide- 
spread influence  by  his  OAvn  efforts  and  his  own  abilities. 
Author,  orator,  statesman  and  leader  of  his  race,  he  achieved 
a  position  and  wielded  an  influence  to  which  few  men  eau 
a  spire. — New  York  World. 

There  are  many  distinguished  and  honored  citizens  of 
African  lineage  in  the  United  States,  but  not  one  of  them, 
not  all  of  them,  has  done  so  much  to  advance  the  interests 
of  this  important  element  in  American  citizenship  as  the 
great  man  who  died  suddenly  February  20,  1895,  in  Wash- 
ington— Brooklyn  Times. 

The  slave-born  Fred.  Douglass  had  a  great  career.  He 
became  the  most  commanding  member  of  his  race  on  this 
continent.  Fraancipation  has  so  far  failed  to  evolve  a  rival. 
His  brethren  may  well  mourn  to-day.  They  have  lost  a 
sturdy  friend,  one  who  honored  his  kind  Peace  to  his  ashes ! 
— Troy  Press. 

To  the  last  Mr.  Douglass  showed  a  keen  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  colored  people  South  as  well  as  North.  But 
he  was  by  no  means  a  man  of  one  idea.  His  sympathy  with 
the  general  progressive  movements  of  the  time  was  often 
made  manifest.  His  presence  will  be  missed  in  many  a 
circle. — Boston  Globe. 

To  "New  England,  and  particularly  to  Massachusetts,  he- 
was  looked  upon  almost  as  an  adopted  son,  for  it  was  in  the 
Old  Bay  state  that  his  first  words  as  a  defender  of  his  race 
were  spoken,  and  during  the  anti-slavery  agitation  he  was  a 
prominent  and  welcome  figure  at  many  of  the  public  meet- 
ings held  in  this  section  to  protest  against  the  bondage  of  his 
race. — Rochester  Herald. 

Frederick  Douglass  is  not  much  more  than  a  name  to  the 
present  generation,  but  in  the  period  of  anti-slavery  agita- 
tion the  negro  orator  who  had  escaped  from  slavery  was  a 
conspicuous  figure.     He  had  a  natural  gift  of  eloquence  that 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  ^93 

had  been  well  cultivated,  and  that,  with  a  picturesque  ap- 
pearance and  considerable  earnestness,  enabled  him  to  plead 
for  his  race  with  uncommon  force. — Philadelphia  Times. 

ISTo  one  could  start  in  life  in  more  forbidding  and  discourag- 
ing circumstances  than  the  boy  who  was  destined  to  become 
celebrated  on  two  continents  as  Frederick  Douglass,  the 
anti-slavery  orator.  His  denunciations  of  slavery  had  not 
only  the  force  of  conviction,  but  the  irresistible  quality  de- 
rived from  personal  experience.  American  annals  furnish 
no  more  captivating  illustration  of  a  self-made  man. — New 
York  Tribune. 

Mr.  Douglass  was  one  of  the  closest  and  most  cogent 
debaters  of  the  slavery  question,  and  a  most  earnest  and  con- 
vincing advocate.  On  several  occasions,  in  Syracuse,  he  was 
threatened  with  mob  violence,  once  or  twice  was  rotten- 
egged  by  slavery  apologists  and  negro-haters;  but  he  in- 
variably preserved  his  temper,  and  was  never  provoked  to 
diversion  from  the  discussion  of  principle  to  personal  contro- 
versy.— Syracuse  Journal. 

Mr.  Douglass  was  a  symmetrical  character,  free  from  the 
hatred  and  bitterness  manifested  by  many  of  the  early  aboli- 
tionists, strong  in  argument  and  eloquent  in  speech.  The 
people  trusted  him  from  the  first,  and  those  who  were  nor. 
unfriendly  to  slavery  would  listen  to  him  when  they  would 
not  listen  to  white  men  expressing  the  same  sentiments.  His 
good  sen  so,  tact  and  judgment  made  his  aggressiveness  seem 
to  many  a  sort  of  pathetic  earnestness,  and  he  won  the  re- 
spect even  of  those  who  insisted  on  calling  themselves  his 
enemies. — Chicago  Tnter-Ocean. 

The  lesson  of  Douglass'  life  is  that  of  self  trust  and  ener- 
getic action.  He  was  a  grand  illustration  of  what  a  mar), 
may  do  for  himself,  his  people  and  his  country.  With  every- 
thing against  him  he  conquered  a  place  for  himself  where  he 
was  looked  up  to.  even  by  his  former  enemies.     He  was  not 


194 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


a  weak  pleader  or  petitioner,  but  a  man  of  iniative.  It 
was  not  because  lie  advanced  the  interests  of  the  negro  that 
men  will  honor  his  memory  to-day,  but  because,  by  advanc- 
ing the  interst  of  the  negro  he  raised  the  level  of  all  man- 
hood and  made  the  whole  world  better  by  living  in  it. — 
Brooklyn  Eagle. 

A  few  years  ago  Frederick  Douglass  remarked  to  a  friend 
that  he  had  often  thought  of  spending  his  remaining  days 
in  England  because  everywhere  in  the  United  States  he  wa3 
constantly  reminded  of  the  prejudice  against  his  race. — Buf- 
falo Courier. 

His  inspiration  was  in  his  experience,  and  his  impassioned 
denunciation  of  the  system  from  which  he  had  been  freed 
carried  with  it  a  convincing  force  against  which  the  cooler 
expounders  of  the  law  could  make  little  headway  with  those 
avIio  felt  rather  than  thought  of  the  legal  restraints  imposed 
upon  them.  The  great  representative  of  his  race  was  not  al- 
ways within  the  pale  of  the  law,  but  he  was  always  in  deadly 
earnest  and.  always  sincere. — Detroit  Free  Press. 

For  more  than  half  a  century  Mr.  Douglass  was  a  distin- 
guished leader  of  his  race  by  virtue  of  his  intellectual  gifts 
and  marked  oratorical  powers.  In  recent  years  he  had  fig 
ured  less  prominently  in  the  field  of  national  discussion,  but 
his  career,  which  began  in  slavery,  was  full  of  ripe  honors 
in  the  later  years — civil,  diplomatic  and  literary — and  fur- 
nishes a  lustrous  demonstration  of  the  possibilities  that  un- 
fold before  character  and  worth  in  this  republican  land  with- 
out regard  to  the  tint  of  a  man's  complexion. — Philadelphia 
Record. 

A  good  many  years  ago  he  was  on  a  lecture  jbour  &n  a 
Northern  state  where  the  railroad  companies  provided  sep- 
arate ("Jim  Crow")  cars  for  negroes,  as  is  still  the  custom, 
we  hear,  in  some  parts  of  the  Union,  and  required  the  ne- 
groes to  ride  in  them  if  they  rode  at  all.     The  rule  was  im- 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


19j 


perative.  Nevertheless  Douglass,  by  way  of  protest,  calm- 
ly took  a  seat  in  one  of  the  cars  reserved  for  white  folks.  A. 
friendly  conductor  came  along.  He  recognized  his  distin- 
guished looking  and  already  famous  passenger  at  a  glance, 
and  he  was  very  reluctant  to  disturb  him.  "Indian?"  he  in- 
quired, with  a  wink  and  smile.  "No,  nigger,"  said  Fred- 
erick Douglass.  There  was  character  in  the  answer.  The 
man  who  made  it  would  not  obtain  personal  consideration 
and  comfort  at  the  price  of  a  denial  of  his  race  and  blood. — 
Hartford  Courant. 

Frederick  Douglass  was  the  peculiar  product  of  peculiar 
conditions,  and  there  was  an  element  of  romance  in  his  life 
of  vicissitude  which  kept  him  clearly  in  the  public  eye  long 
after  his  real  work  was  clone.  He  would  hardly  have  at- 
tained to  so  prominent  a  position  as  he  did  in  the  abolitionist 
movement  had  he  been  forced  to  rely  solely  on  his  personal 
qualities;  it  was  the  fact  of  his  origin  and  his  bitter  experi- 
ence in  bondage  that  mainly  won  him  attention  and  made 
him  a  helpful  force  in  those  days.  Not  that  he  was  lacking 
in  strong  qualities  of  his  own ;  he  was  a  man  of  a  degree  of 
intelligence  that  would  put  to  shame  many  whose  ante- 
cedents and  early  opportunities  were  vastly  better  than  his, 
and  he  had  an  oratorical  ability  of  no  mean  order.  But  he 
did  not  find  in  later  life  any  work  to  which  he  could  apply 
himself  quite  so  successfully  as  in  earlier  years  to  the  libera- 
tion of  his  fellow  slaves,  and  there  was  no  topic  on  which  he 
could  think  so  clearly  and  talk  so  effectively  as  the  wrongs  of 
that  bondage  which  he  himself  had  suffered.  It  was  given 
to  him  to  perform  a  prominent  and  useful  part  in  the  toil- 
some work  of  arousing  the  public. — Providence  Journal. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

HOW  THE  NATIONAL  AFRO-AMERICAN  COUNCIL 
WAS  FORMED. 

August  23,  1898. 
Mr.  John  W.  Thompson,  Rochester,  N.  Y.: 

Esteemed  Friend:  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  communica- 
tion of  the  16th  instant.  It  found  me  in  moderate  health. 
Accept  my  congratulations  on  your  great  success;  you  have 
immortalized  yourself  by  this  wonderful  achievement.  Long 
may  you  live  to  perform  such  deeds  in  the  interest  of  your 
race.  You  may  expect  my  presence  on  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber. I  shall  issue  an  order  at  once  to  the  brethren  to  send 
in  their  subscriptions  to  me.  Rest  assured  I  will  leave  no 
stone  unturned  to  collect  every  dollar  subscribed.  I  had  a 
conference  with  Friend  Fortune,  Durham  and  others  about 
calling  the  proposed  meeting  at  Rochester  at  the  time  of  the 
unveiling.  Fortune  has  agreed  to  make  a  call  for  a  con 
ference  of  the  leaders  throughout  the  country,  to  meet  at 
Rochester  about  that  time;  he  does  not  care  to  have  a  great 
meeting  of  the  rabble,  but  simply  twenty-five  or  fifty  of  the 
leaders  of  the  race.  I  think  this  will  add  to  the  occasion. 
He  informed  me  that  you  had  requested  him  to  call  a  meet- 
ing there.  "Watch  the  "Age"  of  next  week  and  see  what  his 
decision  will  be  (his  final  decision).  If  a  call  is  made,  notify 
me  at  once,  at  the  general  postoffice,  Detroit,  Mich.,  as  I  will 
be  there  the  first  week  in  September.  I  will  notify  the  pas- 
tor at  Rochester,  so  he  can  assist  you  in  making  preparations 
for  the  convention.  You  can  depend  upon  me  for  any  aid 
or  encouragement  necessary.  Yours  very  truly, 

A.  WALTERS. 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  197 

This  book  would  not  be  complete  without  giving  the 
facts  connected  with  the  formation  of  the  Afro-American 
Council  in  Rochester,  September  15,  1898,  at  the  request  of 
many  leading  Afro- American  citizens  from  all  over  the  coun- 
try. 

T.  Thomas  Fortune,  president  of  the  Afro- American 
League,  called  a  conference  of  the  leaders  of  the  race  and 
selected  Rochester  as  the  place  of  meeting,  on  account  of 
the  unveiling  of  the  Douglass  monument,  which  was  to  have 
taken  place  at  Rochester,  X.  Y.,  September  14,  1898. 

Tn  the  following  letter  to  Bishop  A.  Walters,  President 
Fortune  selected  that  city  as  the  place  of  meeting: 
To  Bishop  A.  Walters,  Jersey  City,  N.  J.: 

Mv  Dear  Sir:  On  the  10th  of  March  last  you  did  me  the 
honor  to  suggest  that  T  issue,  as  president,  a  call  for  the  res- 
urrection and  rehabilitation  of  the  Afro- American  League, 
which  was  organized  at  Chicago,  January  15,  1890,  the  sec- 
mid  and  last  annual  meeting  of  which  was  held  at  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  in  1892.  Since  the  first  publication  of  your  request 
in  "The  Age,"  March  10th  last,  numerous  persons,  to  the 
number  of  one  hundred  and  fifty,  have  joined  in  the  request, 
and  their  names  have  been  published  from  time  to  time,  at- 
tached to  your  request,  and  have  therefore  become  a  part 
of  it,  attaching  national  importance  to  the  desire  for  some 
organized  expression  of  Afro-American  opinion  of  the  con- 
ditions which  confront  the  race,  and  which  differ  but  little 
from  those  stated  by  me  in  1890,  as  a  sufficient  provocation 
for  calling  the  Afro-American  League  at  Chicago. 

I  have  given  your  request  long  and  faithful  consideration, 
and  have  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  popular  sentiment 
behind  the  request  does  not  justify  me  in  acceding  to  it. 
There  is  just  as  much  need  of  the  Afro- American  League  to- 
day as  there  was  in  1890;  there  is  even  more  need  for  such 
an  organization;  but  1  do  not  believe  that  the  masses  of  the 


1Q8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

race  are  any  more  ready  and  willing  to  organize  local  and 
state  leagues  of  the  National  League  and  to  sustain  them  by 
moral  and  financial  support  than  they  were  in  1890  and 
1892.  I  am  therefore  not  willing  to  take  the  responsibility 
of  undertaking  the  resurrection  of  the  Afro-American 
League  when  the  chances  of  effecting  a  permanent  organiza- 
tion are  so  very  doubtful. 

But,  in  deference  to  the  desire  of  yourself  and  the  persons 
who  have  joined  you  in  the  request,  and  after  consultation 
with  responsible  men  and  women  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
who  feel  with  me  that  something  of  an  organized  nature 
should  be  done  to  stem  the  tide  of  wrong  and  injustice  of 
which  the  race  is  made  the  victims,  I  have  decided  to  call  a 
conference  at  Rochester,  N".  Y.,  September  15,  1898,  to  con- 
sider existing  conditions  and  to  take  such  action  as  may  be 
wise,  loyal  and  patriotic  for  the  future,  the  conference  to  be 
composed  of  those  who  have  joined  in  the  request  for  the 
resurrection  of  the  Afro-American  League,  and  who  shall 
determine  upon  the  admission  of  such  others  as  may  appear 
at  Rochester  and  desire  to  participate  in  the  work  of  the 
conference. 

My  excuse  for  calling  the  conference  at  Rochester  is  to 
take  advantage  of  the  race  sentiment  which  will  be  invoked 
by  the  unveiling  of  a  monument  to  Frederick  Douglass,  in 
Rochester,  September  14th,  a  city  in  which  Mr.  Douglass 
spent  some  of  the  best  and  happiest  and  most  fruitful  years 
of  his  life,  and  one  of  the  freest  and  most  tolerant  cities  in 
the  republic,  whose  hotels  and  homes  and  press  will  receive 
the  conferees  with  open  arms  and  generous  hospitality. 

Persons  desiring  to  attend  the  conference  should  write  to 
Mr.  John  W.  Thompson,  P.  O.  Box  493,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
for  railroad  rates  and  hotel  accommodations. 

Invoking  the  Divine  blessing  on  the  proposed  conference, 
and  thanking  you,  Bishop  Walters  and  your  co-signers,  for 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT. 


199 


the  honor  you  have  done  me  in  your  request,  I  am,  with  sen- 
timents of  high  regard,  yours  truly, 

T.  THOMAS  FORTUNE. 

September  15th,  at  10:45  o'clock  promptly,  Mr.  T. 
Thomas  Fortune  opened  the  meeting  and  called  upon  Rev. 
Mr.  Bowens,  of  Troy,  to  pronounce  an  invocation.  J.  W. 
Thompson  introduced  Mayor  Warner  in  the  following  words: 

"I  am  pleased  to  welcome  you  to  this  important  confer- 
ence. Many  of  you  are  strangers  here.  I  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  introducing  to  you  Mayor  George  E.  Warner,  who 
will  make  you  welcome  to  our  city." 

Hon.  George  E.  Warner  said: 

"Should  any  one  assert  to-day  that  the  colored  people  are 
not  capable  of  becoming  good  citizens  and  enjoying  the  lib- 
erties a  short  time  ago  presented  to  them,  you  may  answer 
by  referring  him  to  the  words  uttered  in  Fitzhugh  Hall  yes- 
terday, to  the  monument  then  dedicated,  and  to  the  life  of 
Frederick  Douglass.  Not  the  least  good  done  by  that  great 
man  for  his  race  was  his  demonstration  of  his  ability  to  pros- 
per under  good  lawrs. 

"It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  time  may  soon  arrive  when 
the  colored  people  will  be  able  to  cease  their  battle  against 
race  prejudice  and  concentrate  all  their  efforts  for  the  full 
development  of  all  the  abilities  of  the  race.  The  events  of 
recent  years  show  that  time  is  the  main  element  required  to 
make  a  good  citizen  of  every  colored  man  in  the  country. 
Steady  improvement  lias  been  made  in  recent  years  in  the 
condition  of  the  colored  people  of  this  country,  due  largely 
to  the  increased  educational  facilities  furnished  throughout 
the  United  States,  the  records  showing  that  there  has  been 
a  steady  increase  in  the  number  of  colored  people  attending 
our  schools  and  colleges. 

"Not  only  in  the  arts  of  peace  but  in  those  of  war  also, 
the  colored  citizen  has  proven  his  worth.     It  was  true  Amer- 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ican  honesty  which  gave  the  colored  troops  before  Santiago 
their  full  share  of  the  glory.  There  is  not  a  citizen  of  the 
country  who  is  not  proud  of  their  record. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  to  welcome  you  to  our  city.  We 
feel  honored  by  your  selecting  our  city  as  the  place  for  your 
conference.  There  are  thousands  of  your  race  all  over  the 
Union  who  grace  every  profession  and  calling,  and  I  am  sure 
that  a  body  of  men  more  capable  of  dealing  with  questions 
of  public  importance  it  would  be  difficult  to  find. 

"We  have  in  this  city  a  large  number  of  colored  inhabi- 
tants, whom  we  esteem  as  worthy  citizens.  Our  city  wa3 
friendly  to  the  colored  race  in  days  when  that  friendship  was 
criminal,  and  she  is  friendly  still. 

"I  trust  that  your  deliberations  here  will  be  profitable, 
and  result  in  increased  benefit  to  the  people  you  represent." 

C.  J.  Perry,  of  the  Philadelphia  "Tribune,"  said:  "There 
is  no  city  I  have  visited  where  I  have  noted  the  spirit  of  pa- 
triotism to  so  great  a  degree.  We  have  been  charmed  by 
your  commercial  prosperity  and  the  dignity  of  your  citizens. 
We  expected  to  find  these  things.  Kochester's  name  and 
fame  have  gone  out  because  of  her  business  and  literary  ad- 
vancements. Believe  us,  sir,  when  we  say  that  we  know  full 
well  something  of  the  spirit  of  freedom  prevailing  here,  the 
seed  of  which  was  sown  by  those  some  of  whom  are  sitting 
here  to-day.  How  proud  we  are  to  know  that  the  people  of 
this  city  do  whatever  they  can  to  diffuse  the  spirit  of  gener- 
osity over  .the  land. 

"It  was  because  of  this  generous  spirit,  the  president  of 
the  league  selected  Rochester  as  the  new  starting  place  for 
the  league.  Fortunately  for  your  city,  sir,  you  are  not  sat- 
isfied to  rest  upon  glories  of  the  past.  Yesterday's  dedica- 
tion added  only  one  more  link  in  the  chain  of  memories  which 
have  made  your  city  great,  grand  and  glorious.  We  appre- 
ciate your  words  of  welcome." 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  201 

Mr.  Fortune  then  said:  "As  I  am  responsible  for  the 
calling  of  this  conference,  it  is  fitting  that  I  should  say  some- 
thing of  the  object  of  the  meeting.  It  was  a  long  time  be- 
fore I  decided  to  call  the  meeting.  I  do  not  think  I  shall 
have  anything  further  to  do  with  an  organization  organized 
for  the  benefit  of  the  people  in  general  unless  the  women 
are  given  a  voice  in  its  affairs." 

Miss  Anthony  interrupted:  "I  wish  you  could  get  a 
white  man  to  say  that." 

"They  will  have  to  say  it  ere  long,  Miss  Anthony,"  replied 
Mr.  Fortune. 

"I  have  had  my  experience  in  trying  to  create  an  organi- 
zation out  of  an  incongruous  mass.  And  I  stand  here  to-day 
and  say  that  I  do  not  think  the  great  mass  of  the  colored 
people  of  this  countiy  is  prepared  for  a  national  organiza- 
tion. Just  as  the  Irish  people  were  not  prepared  for  organi- 
zation when  it  was  attempted. 

"The  poverty  and  ignorance  of  our  people  is  against  the 
plan  for  they  have  had  but  thirty  years  in  which  to  recover 
from  250  years  of  bondage.  We  may  not  be  able  at  once  to 
control  the  mass,  but  if  we  as  individuals  can  get  together 
and  devise  a  plan  we  may  move  the  masses.  Our  attendance 
here  to-day  is  affected  by  the  fact  that  the  monument  exer- 
cises were  postponed  and  then  again  taken  up. 

"The  race  as  a  whole  is  not  in  condition  yet  to  combat  the 
prejudice  against  the  race,  but  Bishop  A.  Walters,  Collector 
J.  C.  Dancy  and  others  here  think  that  even  a  handful  can 
sow  the  seed.  I  am  almost  persuaded  that  we  cannot  accom- 
plish our  object  any  more  than  we  could  the  abolition  of  slav- 
ery unless  the  white  men  and  the  black  men,  the  white 
women  and  the  black  women,  join  the  movement. 

"Three  states,  South  Carolina,  Mississippi  and  Louisiana, 
have  disfranchised  us  as  entirely  as  we  were  before  the  war. 
Alabama  is  to  do  the  same  thing.     Where  it  is  not  done  by 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE 

constitutional  enactment,  it  is  done  by  scheme  and  fraud. 
One  half  of  the  electoral  vote  of  the  South  is  disfranchised. 

"The  Southern  sentiment  that  has  been  carried  into  the 
new  possessions  will  result  in  a  revolution  in  ten  years,  un- 
less care  is  taken.  If  you  rule  the  black  and  yellow  people, 
in  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  and  the  Philippines  as  the  South  has 
been  and  is  being  ruled,  you  will  have  revolution  upon  revo- 
lution and  you  ought  to  have  it. 

"If  you  expect  to  lift  up  the  South  by  putting  only  the 
white  men  forward,  you  are  going  to  have  trouble  right 
along.  You  have  made  20,000  black  teachers  in  the  South 
and  have  taught  our  people  freedom,  but  in  'the  South  the 
people  are  teaching  out  of  text  books  fifty  years  old.  You 
cannot  put  the  two  classes  together  without  a  clash.  Mob 
law  prevails  in  the  South,  and  mob  law  leads  to  revolution. 
You  are  sure  to  have  it.     It  is  the  result  of  injustice. 

"Take  the  separate  car  law.  I  ride  in  a  Pullman  car 
when  I  want  to.  If  I  had  my  way  I  would  build  a  monu- 
ment to  George  M.  Pullman  so  high  you  could  not  see  the 
top  of  it.  If  I  ever  had  any  trouble  in  securing  a  seat  in  a 
Pullman  car,  all  I  needed  to  do  was  to  telegraph  headquar- 
ters and  my  seat  was  ready  at  the  next  station  and  the  con- 
ductor who  first  refused  me  lost  his  job.  Mr.  Pullman  died 
too  soon. 

"I\Tow  on  the  home  question.  I  am  opposed  to  having  dif- 
ferent marriage  and  divorce  laws  in  the  several  states.  While 
this  is  the  case  we  have  no  high  standard  of  morality." 

Taking  up  the  subject  of  the  Scotch  woman  who  was  re- 
cently detained  by  the  immigration  commissioners  at  New 
York  because  she  came  to  America  to  marry  a  black  man, 
Mr.  Fortune  said  he  demanded  to  know  the  facts  and  through 
his  persistent  efforts  the  woman  was  released  and  was  mar- 
ried to  the  black  man. 

"Revise  your  laws   regarding  the   intermarriage   of  the 


DOUGLASS  MONUMENT.  203 

races,"  continued  Mr.  Fortune/'if  you  wish  to  conduce  to 
morality.  If  a  white  woman  falls  in  love  with  a  black  man 
and  they  are  not  allowed  to  marry  they  will  live  together 
illegally.  The  trouble  is  in  your  laws.  Go  South  and  you 
will  see  the  yellow  color  of  the  people.  The  black  man  did 
not  make  the  yellow  color.  Whose  fault  is  it?  Twenty- 
four  states  in  this  union  have  laws  prohibiting  the  intermar- 
riage of  the  races.  These  laws  should  be  wiped  out.  Surely 
we  have  sufficient  provocation  to  have  an  association  for  the 
uplifting  of  the  race." 

Upon  the  motion  of  Bishop  Walters,  Mr.  T.  T.  Fortune 
was  made  temporary  chairman.  Mrs.  Ida  B.  Wells  Barnett 
was  made  secretary.  Upon  motion  of  Mr.  J.  C.  Dancy  a 
committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  ascertain  the  composi- 
tion of  the  conference.  This  committee  consisted  of  Messrs. 
Dancy  and  Walters  and  Mrs.  R.  J.  Jeffrey.  The  matter 
was  quickly  settled  by  asking  all  who  wished  to  participate  in 
the  conference  to  come  within  the  railing,  there  being  no  re- 
striction as  to  color  or  sex. 

Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony  made  interesting  remarks  in  behalf 
of  the  colored  people.  As  she  stepped  to  the  platform  where 
President  Ward  is  accustomed  to  view  the  deliberations 
of  the  Common  Council,  she  said: 

"I  would  like  to  stand  at  this  side  of  the  desk  but  I  can- 
not for  here  is  a  large  spittoon;  and  there  on  the  other  side 
is  another.  I  wonder  if  when  the  black  man  is  elected  to 
represent  his  ward  in  the  august  assemblage  of  the  city 
legislature,  he  will  need  a  washtub  at  the  side  of  his  desk?" 

The  chairman  appointed  the  following  committees: 

Organization — Bishop  A.  Walters,  Charles  R.  Douglass, 
John  W.  Thompson,  Mrs.  R.  J.  Jeffrey,  Rev.  W-  E.  Bowen. 

Resolutions — John  C.  Dancy,  Mrs.  Rosita  D.  Sprague, 
C.  J.  Perry,  Mrs.  Ida  Wells  Barnett,  F.  S.  Cunningham. 

At  the  afternoon  session  the  committee  on  permanent  or- 


204  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ganization  made  its  report,  which  was  adopted  and  Mr.  T. 
Thomas  Fortune,  of  New  York,  was  elected  president;  John 
C.  Dancy,  North  Carolina,  vice-president;  Mrs.  Ida  B.  W. 
Barnett,  Chicago,  Til.,  secretary;  John  W.  Thompson,  N.  Y., 
treasurer. 

For  some  reason  Mr.  Fortune  resigned  as  president,  and 
Bishop  Alexander  Walters  was  elected  president,  to  succeed 
Mr.  Fortune,  who  was  afterwards  elected  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee,  which  consisted  of  these  members:     J 

C.  Dancy,  Mrs.  Ida  B.  W.  Barnett,  B.  W.  Arnett,  J.  W. 
Parker,  C.  J.  Perry,  H.  T.  Keating  and  Bishop  A.  Walters, 
ex-officio. 

Prominent  among  those  present  were  Mrs.  Helen  Doug- 
lass, widow  of  the  late  Frederick  Douglass,  Mrs.  Emily  How- 
ard, Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Blaekall,  Mrs.  L.  C.  Smith,  Washington, 

D.  C,  and  Rev.  Joseph  Dixon,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Frederick  Douglass  addressed  the  newly  organized 
Afro-American  Council,  taking  for  her  subject  the  Frederick 
Douglass  Memorial  Home. 

The  conference  reassembled  at  2  P.  M.,  and  was  called  to 
order  by  Chairman  Fortune. 

John  H.  Smythe,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  addressed  the 
chair  and  said  he  could  not  become  a  member  if  the  confer- 
ence opposed  separate  schools  and  favored  mixed  marriages. 
He  asked  the  chair  to  rule  on  his  status.  Mr.  Fortune  de- 
clared that  if  Mr.  Smythe  favored  separate  schools  and  mar- 
riages he  could  not  be  a  member.  The  matter  was  put  to  a 
vote  and  the  chair  was  not  sustained,  whereupon  Mr.  Fortune 
left  the  chair.  The  question  was  reconsidered,  the  chair's 
decision  was  upheld  and  Mr.  Smythe  left  the  meeting. 

THE  END. 


JAN  2-  1931