Political Thought

¶ … Frederick Douglass to the Americans, entitled, "What to the Slaves is the Fourth of July?" commemorates the celebration of the Independence Day of the American Nation. However, Douglass, in his address, emphasizes that this special day was not to be celebrated by black American slaves like him ("[t]his Fourth of July is yours, not mine")- instead, the Fourth of July was a reminder of the injustices and inequality of the black American slaves with that of the white American nation.

In his address, Douglass provides the audience a detailed explanation of his argument, that is, the reason why the day of Independence of the United States cannot be a celebration for the black Americans. Douglass also provided the audience the chief thesis of his address: that the Fourth of July is, for the black American slave, is not a day of Independence, because the Declaration of Independence itself and the Constitution, the very symbol of liberty in America, was the very 'instrument' that kept the black Americans in bondage.

His address has two main parts in arguing what sectors of the American nation contributed in promulgating American slavery. The first part concerns the discussion of the Fugitive Slave Law, a law that provides for the return of runaway slaves, and the involvement of the Catholic Church in further tolerating the practice of American slavery. The last part of this paper will provide a concluding summary of the main thesis of Douglass' address, which can be found in the first part of this introduction.

When Douglass proclaimed that the Fourth of July is not a commemoration of independence for the slaves, but a commemoration of American slavery's injustices and inequality, he supported this argument by saying that the American nation's "high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us." He also questions his audience if "the great principles of political freedom..

embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?" Douglass poses these statements to his audience because the American nations are the ones who tolerated American slavery, a contrast to what the principles of their Constitution holds. Douglass uses the Declaration of Independence in his speech because this event marks the freedom of American colonies to British rule, therefore, the Declaration of Independence embodies liberty from all kinds of rule, particularly, "tyranny," in Douglass' words.

However, the black Americans are not included in this said event, says Douglass, because for the American slave, the Fourth of July is a "day that reveals to him (the American slave).. The gross injustice and cruelty to which he is constant victim." American slavery was perpetuated by two elements: first, the Fugitive Slave laws, and second, the involvement of the religious sector in perpetuating this cruelty to human beings, particularly, the black Americans.

The Fugitive Slave Law was passed in favor of the slaveholders, since the law provides the return of runaway slaves 'who escaped from one state to another.' Slaveholders are free to recover their slaves by presenting only a proof of ownership. The runaway slave, when caught, will be arrested and returned to its owner without any legal trial or process involved. This law evidently supports the slave trade in America, and encourages the white Americans to further exploit the black Americans through excessive labor without pay or any subsistence.

Douglass provides a vivid example of this kind of slavery, which he termed as the "internal slave trade," by describing the nation's cruelty to the slaves: ".. The practical operation of this internal slave trade.. sustained by American politics and religion.. you will see men and women reared like swine for the market.. men examined like horses.. women rudely and brutally exposed to the shocking gaze of American slaveholders..

there I see the tenderest ties ruthlessly broken, to gratify the lust, caprice, and rapacity of the buyers and sellers of men." The Fugitive Slave Law has brought slavery "in its most horrible and revolting form," making it an "institution" in the American nation. Another sector responsible for the perpetuation of American slavery is the religious sector, particularly, the Catholic Church.

Douglass says that the Church is responsible for the existence of slavery because the Church is not only "indifferent to the wrongs of the slave, it actually takes sides with the oppressor." They taught that the religious sector tolerated the practice of slavery by teaching "that man may.. be a slave, that the relation of master and slave is ordained of God..." With the help of the Fugitive Slave Law, religious officials participated in 'hunting' runaway slaves, making it the "duty of the followers" to send back these escaped slaves.

Further, the religious sector, instead of helping out the slaves, and correcting the wrongdoings of.