In the hurry and confusion of the hour, and the eager desire to have the Union restored, there was more care for sublime superstructure of the republic than for the solid foundation upon which it could alone be upheld.
From his autobiography, Douglass critiques the post-Civil War era for prioritizing the superficial restoration of the Union over establishing a stable foundation for true equality and justice.
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Nothing but the shot-gun or the bull-dozer’s whip can keep them from voting their convictions.
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