I appealed to the pride of my comrades by telling them that if after having solemnly promised to go, as they had done, they now failed to make the attempt, they would in effect brand themselves with cowardice, and might well sit down, fold their arms, and acknowledge themselves fit only to be slaves.
To strengthen the resolve of his fellow slaves planning an escape, Douglass challenges them to overcome fear and act on their commitment to freedom.
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More from Frederick Douglass
I looked into this kitchen with peculiar interest, and remembered that it was there I last saw my mother.
It had no interest in recognizing or preserving any of the ties that bind families together or to their homes.
It only abolished slavery where it did not exist, and left it intact where it did exist.
My grandmother was all the world to me, and the thought of being separated from her was a most unwelcome suggestion to my affections and hopes.