collected articles-第3章

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of　the　wharves；　I　was　indeed　freefrom　slavery；　but　free　from

food　and　shelter　as　well。　　I　kept　my　secret　to　myself　as　long　as　I　could；

but　I　was　compelled　at　last　to　seek　some　one　who　would　befriend　me　without

taking　advantage　of　my　destitution　to　betray　me。　　Such　a　person　I　found

in　a　sailor　named　Stuart；　a　warm…hearted　and　generous　fellow；　who；　from　his

humble　home　on　Centre　street；　saw　me　standing　on　the　opposite　sidewalk；

near　the　Tombs　prison。　　As　he　approached　me；　I　ventured　a　remark　to　him

which　at　once　enlisted　his　interest　in　me。　　He　took　me　to　his　home　to　spend

the　night；　and　in　the　morning　went　with　me　to　Mr。　David　Ruggles；

the　secretary　of　the　New　York　Vigilance　Committee；　a　co…worker　with

Isaac　T。　Hopper；　Lewis　and　Arthur　Tappan；　Theodore　S。　Wright；　Samuel　Cornish；

Thomas　Downing；　Philip　A。　Bell；　and　other　true　men　of　their　time。

All　these　（save　Mr。　Bell；　who　still　lives；　and　is　editor　and　publisher　of　a　paper

called　the　〃Elevator；〃　in　San　Francisco）　have　finished　their　work　on　earth。

Once　in　the　hands　of　these　brave　and　wise　men；　I　felt　comparatively　safe。

With　Mr。　Ruggles；　on　the　corner　of　Lispenard　and　Church　streets；

I　was　hidden　several　days；　during　which　time　my　intended　wife　came　on

from　Baltimore　at　my　call；　to　share　the　burdens　of　life　with　me。

She　was　a　free　woman；　and　came　at　once　on　getting　the　good　news　of　my　safety。

We　were　married　by　Rev。　J。　W。　C。　Pennington；　then　a　well…known　and　respected

Presbyterian　minister。　　I　had　no　money　with　which　to　pay　the　marriage　fee；

but　he　seemed　well　pleased　with　our　thanks。



Mr。　Ruggles　was　the　first　officer　on　the　〃Underground　Railroad〃

whom　I　met　after　coming　North；　and　was；　indeed；　the　only　one　with　whom

I　had　anything　to　do　till　I　became　such　an　officer　myself。

Learning　that　my　trade　was　that　of　a　calker；　he　promptly　decided

that　the　best　place　for　me　was　in　New　Bedford；　Mass。

He　told　me　that　many　ships　for　whaling　voyages　were　fitted　out　there；

and　that　I　might　there　find　work　at　my　trade　and　make　a　good　living。

So；　on　the　day　of　the　marriage　ceremony；　we　took　our　little　luggage

to　the　steamer　John　W。　Richmond；　which；　at　that　time；　was　one　of　the　line

running　between　New　York　and　Newport；　R。　I。　　Forty…three　years　ago

colored　travelers　were　not　permitted　in　the　cabin；　nor　allowed　abaft

the　paddle…wheels　of　a　steam　vessel。　　They　were　compelled；

whatever　the　weather　might　be；whether　cold　or　hot；　wet　or　dry；

to　spend　the　night　on　deck。　　Unjust　as　this　regulation　was；

it　did　not　trouble　us　much；　we　had　fared　much　harder　before。

We　arrived　at　Newport　the　next　morning；　and　soon　after　an

old　fashioned　stage…coach；　with　〃New　Bedford〃　in　large　yellow　letters

on　its　sides；　came　down　to　the　wharf。　　I　had　not　money　enough　to　pay　our　fare；

and　stood　hesitating　what　to　do。　　Fortunately　for　us；　there　were　two

Quaker　gentlemen　who　were　about　to　take　passage　on　the　stage；

Friends　William　C。　Taber　and　Joseph　Ricketson；who　at　once　discerned

our　true　situation；　and；　in　a　peculiarly　quiet　way；　addressing　me；

Mr。　Taber　said：　〃Thee　get　in。〃　I　never　obeyed　an　order　with　more　alacrity；

and　we　were　soon　on　our　way　to　our　new　home。　　When　we　reached　〃Stone　Bridge〃

the　passengers　alighted　for　breakfast；　and　paid　their　fares　to　the　driver。

We　took　no　breakfast；　and；　when　asked　for　our　fares；　I　told　the　driver

I　would　make　it　right　with　him　when　we　reached　New　Bedford。

I　expected　some　objection　to　this　on　his　part；　but　he　made　none。

When；　however；　we　reached　New　Bedford；　he　took　our　baggage；

including　three　music…books；two　of　them　collections　by　Dyer；

and　one　by　Shaw；and　held　them　until　I　was　able　to　redeem　them

by　paying　to　him　the　amount　due　for　our　rides。　　This　was　soon　done；

for　Mr。　Nathan　Johnson　not　only　received　me　kindly　and　hospitably；

but；　on　being　informed　about　our　baggage；　at　once　loaned　me　the　two

dollars　with　which　to　square　accounts　with　the　stage…driver。

Mr。　and　Mrs。　Nathan　Johnson　reached　a　good　old　age；　and　now　rest

from　their　labors。　　I　am　under　many　grateful　obligations　to　them。

They　not　only　〃took　me　in　when　a　stranger〃　and　〃fed　me　when　hungry；〃

but　taught　me　how　to　make　an　honest　living。　　Thus；　in　a　fortnight

after　my　flight　from　Maryland；　I　was　safe　in　New　Bedford；　a　citizen　of

the　grand　old　commonwealth　of　Massachusetts。



Once　initiated　into　my　new　life　of　freedom　and　assured　by　Mr。　Johnson

that　I　need　not　fear　recapture　in　that　city；　a　comparatively　unimportant

question　arose　as　to　the　name　by　which　I　should　be　known　thereafter

in　my　new　relation　as　a　free　man。　　The　name　given　me　by　my　dear　mother

was　no　less　pretentious　and　long　than　Frederick　Augustus　Washington　Bailey。

I　had；　however；　while　living　in　Maryland；　dispensed　with　the

Augustus　Washington；　and　retained　only　Frederick　Bailey。

Between　Baltimore　and　New　Bedford；　the　better　to　conceal　myself

from　the　slave…hunters；　I　had　parted　with　Bailey　and　called　myself　Johnson；

but　in　New　Bedford　I　found　that　the　Johnson　family　was　already　so　numerous

as　to　cause　some　confusion　in　distinguishing　them；　hence　a　change　in　this　name

seemed　desirable。　　Nathan　Johnson；　mine　host；　placed　great　emphasis　upon

this　necessity；　and　wished　me　to　allow　him　to　select　a　name　for　me。

I　consented；　and　he　called　me　by　my　present　namethe　one　by　which

I　have　been　known　for　three　and　forty　yearsFrederick　Douglass。

Mr。　Johnson　had　just　been　reading　the　〃Lady　of　the　Lake；〃

and　so　pleased　was　he　with　its　great　character　that　he　wished　me

to　bear　his　name。　　Since　reading　that　charming　poem　myself；

I　have　often　thought　that；　considering　the　noble　hospitality

and　manly　character　of　Nathan　Johnsonblack　man　though　he　washe；

far　more　than　I；　illustrated　the　virtues　of　the　Douglas　of　Scotland。

Sure　am　I　that；　if　any　slave…catcher　had　entered　his　domicile

with　a　view　to　my　recapture；　Johnson　would　have　shown　himself　like　him

of　the　〃stalwart　hand。〃



The　reader　may　be　surprised　at　the　impressions　I　had　in　some　way　conceived

of　the　social　and　material　condition　of　the　people　at　the　North。

I　had　no　proper　idea　of　the　wealth；　refinement；　enterprise；

and　high　civilization　of　this　section　of　the　country。

My　〃Columbian　Orator；〃　almost　my　only　book；　had　done　nothing

to　enlighten　me　concerning　Northern　society。　　I　had　been　taught

that　slavery　was　the　bottom　fact　of　all　wealth。　　With　this　foundation　idea；

I　came　naturally　to　the　conclusion　that　poverty　must　be　the　general

condition　of　the　people　of　the　free　States。　　In　the　country　from　which　I　came；

a　white　man　holding　no　slaves　was　usually　an　ignorant　and　poverty…stricken　man；

and　men　of　this　class　were　contemptuously　called　〃poor　white　trash。〃

Hence　I　supposed　that；　since　the　non…slave…holders　at　the　South　were　ignorant；

poor；　and　degraded　as　a　class；　the　non…slave…holders　at　the　North　must　be

in　a　similar　condition。　　I　could　have　landed　in　no　part　of　the　United　States

where　I　should　have　found　a　more　striking　and　gratifying　contrast；

not　only　to　life　generally　in　the　South；　but　in　the　condition　of　the　colored

people　there；　than　in　New　Bedford。　I　was　amazed　when　Mr。　Johnson　told　me

that　there　was　nothing　in　the　laws　or　constitution　of　Massachusetts

that　would　prevent　a　colored　man　from　being　governor　of　the　State；

if　the　people　should　see　fit　to　elect　him。　　There；　too；　the　black　man's

children　attended　the　public　schools　with　the　white　man's　children；

and　apparently　without　objection　from　any　quarter。　　To　impress　me

with　my　security　from　recapture　and　return　to　slavery；　Mr。　Johnson

assured　me　that　no　slave…holder　could　take　a　slave　out　of　New　Bedford；

that　there　were　men　there　who　would　lay　down　their　lives　to　save　me

from　such　a　fate。



The　fifth　day　after　my　arrival；　I　put　on　the　clothes　of　a　common　laborer；

and　went　upon　the　wharves　in　search　of　work。　　On　my　way　down　Union　street

I　saw　a　large　pile　of　coal　in　front　of　the　house　of　Rev。　Ephraim　Peabody；

the　Unitarian　minister。　　I　went　to　the　kitchen　door　and　asked　the　privilege

of　bringing　in　and　putting　away