In regard to the colored people, there is always more that is benevolent, I perceive, than just, manifested towards us. What I ask for the negro is not benevolence, not pity, not sympathy, Frederick Douglass More Quotes by Frederick Douglass More Quotes From Frederick Douglass My theory of self-made men is, then, simply this; that they are men of work. Whether or not such men have acquired material, moral or intellectual excellence, honest labor faithfully, steadily and persistently pursued, is the best, if not the only, explanation of their success... All human experience proves over and over again, that any success which comes through meanness, trickery, fraud and dishonour, is but emptiness and will only be a torment to its possessor. Frederick Douglass intellectual self men One by one I have seen obstacles removed, errors corrected, prejudices softened, proscriptions relinquished, and my people advancing in all the elements that go to make up the sum of the general welfare. And I remember that God reigns in eternity, and that whatever delays, whatever disappointments and discouragements may come, truth, justice, liberty and humanity will ultimately prevail. Frederick Douglass errors disappointment people When a great truth once gets abroad in the world, no power on earth can imprison it, or prescribe its limits, or suppress it. It is bound to go on till it becomes the thought of the world. Frederick Douglass earth goes-on world Every one of us should be ashamed to be free while his brother is a slave. Frederick Douglass slave brother should We are Americans, speaking the same language, adopting the same customs, holding the same general opinions... and shall rise and fall with Americans. Frederick Douglass war history fall [A] woman should have every honorable motive to exertion which is enjoyed by man, to the full extent of her capacities and endowments. The case is too plain for argument. Nature has given woman the same powers, and subjected her to the same earth, breathes the same air, subsists on the same food, physical, moral, mental and spiritual. She has, therefore, an equal right with man, in all efforts to obtain and maintain a perfect existence. Frederick Douglass spiritual air men Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all of the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival. Frederick Douglass hypocrisy practice america Yet people in general will say they like colored men as well as any other, but in their proper place. Frederick Douglass wells men people [...] allowing only ordinary ability and opportunity, we may explain success mainly by one word and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!! Not transient and fitful effort, but patient, enduring, honest, unremitting and indefatigable work into which the whole heart is put[...] There is no royal road to perfection. Frederick Douglass perfection heart opportunity The soul that is within me no man can degrade. Frederick Douglass being-yourself men life Fortune may crowd a man's life with fortunate circumstances and happy opportunities, but they will, as we all know, avail him nothing unless he makes a wise and vigorous use of them. Frederick Douglass wise opportunity men In a composite nation like ours, as before the law, there should be no rich, no poor, no high, no low, no white, no black, but common country, common citizenship, equal rights and a common destiny. Frederick Douglass destiny rights country It is better to be part of a great whole than to be the whole of a small part. Frederick Douglass small-parts philanthropy collaboration You have to take power. No one gives it. Frederick Douglass giving No people to whom liberty is given can hold it as firmly and wear it as grandly as those who wrench their liberty from the iron hand of the tyrant. Frederick Douglass tyrants iron hands Vainly you talk about voting it down. When you have cast your millions of ballots, you have not reached the evil. It has fastened its root deep into the heart of the nation, and nothing but God's truth and love can cleanse the land. We must change the moral sentiment. Frederick Douglass land roots heart At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. Frederick Douglass irony argument needed He who would be free must strike the first blow. Frederick Douglass would-be blow firsts It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. Frederick Douglass light fire earthquakes Oppression makes a wise man mad. Frederick Douglass mad wise men
