FREDERICK DOUGLASS ON READING

"Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, 'If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master--to do as he is told to do. Learning would 'spoil' the best nigger in the world. Now', said he, 'If you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read , there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.' These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation , explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing mystery--to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a great achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble , to learn how to read . The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering . It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded , that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged against my learning to read , only inspired me with a desire and determination to learn. In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both." P. 37-38, "Chapter VI," NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS (1845, 1994) Douglass elsewhere had said that the book, the COLUMBIA ORATOR had been an indispensable aid in filling him out intellectually and philosophically for his later life's work as a writer, publisher, orator, renown global abolitionist lecturer. Of it, Douglass wrote: "I saw now about twelve years old, and the thought of being a 'slave for life' began to bear heavily upon my heart. Just about that time, I got hold of a book entitled THE COLUMBIAN ORATOR. Every opportunity I got, I used to read this book. Among much of other interesting matter, I found in it a dialogue between a master and his slave. The slave was represented as having run away from his master three times. The dialogue represented the conversation which took place between them , when the slave was retaken the third time. In this dialogue, the whole argument in behalf of slavery was brought forth by the master, all of which was disposed of by the slave. The slave was made to say some very smart as well as impressive things in reply to his master--things which had the desired though unexpected effect ; for the conversation resulted in the emancipation of the slave on the part of the master. In the same book, I met with one of Sheridan's mighty speeches on behalf of Catholic emancipation. These were choice documents to me. I read them over and over again with unabated interest ." Id. pp. 41-42.