On the recordJanuary 1, 1855
How could I hang down my head, and speak with bated breath, when there was no pride to scorn me, no coldness to repel me, and no hatred to inspire me with fear?
Said by
Frederick Douglass
Source
gutenberg.orgHow could I hang down my head, and speak with bated breath, when there was no pride to scorn me, no coldness to repel me, and no hatred to inspire me with fear?
Douglass describes his inability to maintain the submissive posture expected of a slave when treated with genuine kindness and respect by his new mistress.
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It had no interest in recognizing or preserving any of the ties that bind families together or to their homes.
I wished it was possible I could remain small all my life, knowing that the sooner I grew large the shorter would be my time to remain with them.
The sentiment that brings us here to-day is one of the noblest that can stir and thrill the human heart.