We have heard much of late of the virtue of patriotism, the love of country, &c., and this sentiment, so natural and so strong, has been impiously appealed to, by all the powers of human selfishness, to cherish the viper which is stinging our national life away.
From his autobiography, Douglass critiques how the concept of patriotism is misused to defend and perpetuate slavery, which he likens to a national poison.
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A son of toil himself, he was linked in brotherly sympathy with the sons of toil in every loyal part of the republic.
True it is that this faith was many times shaken by passing events, but never destroyed.
Land is not worth much where there are no people to occupy it, and a mule is not worth much where there is no one to drive him.