The thought of going to live among a people in order to gain their votes and acquire official honors, was repugnant to my self-respect, and I had not lived long enough in the political atmosphere of Washington to have this sentiment sufficiently blunted to make me indifferent to its suggestions.
Douglass explains his reluctance to pursue a political career, finding the idea of campaigning for votes for personal gain repugnant to his self-respect.
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Our very lack of preparation for the conflict disposed us to look for some other than the way of blood out of the difficulty.