Not even commerce, selfish and iron-hearted at it is, and ready, as it ever is, to side with the strong against the weak—the rich against the poor—is trusted or permitted within its secluded precincts.
In his autobiography, Douglass observes how the isolated plantation even excludes commerce, which he describes as inherently self-serving.
Share
More from Frederick Douglass
Treason had shot its poisonous roots deeper, and had spread its death-dealing branches further than any northern calculation had covered.
Our very lack of preparation for the conflict disposed us to look for some other than the way of blood out of the difficulty.
It had no interest in recognizing or preserving any of the ties that bind families together or to their homes.