on the hypocrisy of the nation. Here is a small excert from it. What to the American Slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all theother days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim... To him your celebrationis a sham... a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practes more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States. During the election of 1860, I gave my support to Abraham Lincoln, but was dissapointed with him becasue in his address, he promised to uphold the fugitive slave law. In 1861, the Civil war began. the south was fighting to secede, the north to uphold the union, but for me and other abolitionists the war was to end slavery. On December 31, 1826 the president issued the emancipation proclamation. This was such a great victory, because the end of slavery was in sightThe next struggle was to allow blacks to enlist in the army, and in 1863 we were granted that right. One story which I remember, is when black were refused teh right to attend president Lincoln's evening reception after his second inagural address, but when LIncoln heard of this, i was quicky ushered in and he greeted me with the words Here comes my friend, Douglas. On April 9, 1865 the civil war was over. When Lincoln, the man who I had grown to respect and admire was shot, I mourned his death for some time, but the sadness could not completely overshadeomy joy at this time, becasue the fact remained, the war to end slavery had been won. I continued traveling around making speeches, but now they were on the rights of black sand women, mainly their suffrage. My work in politics continued and I spoke out about such things as the Klu Klux Klan. Rebellion had been subdued, slavery abolished, and peace proclaimed, yet our work was not done. we were face to face with the same...
