An example of Douglass Monthly (New York Heritage)
Introduction:
Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved man, never stopped fighting to bring freedom to other slaves. In a September 1861 editorial in his own newspaper, Douglass blasted the Lincoln administration for not recognizing that slavery was “a millstone” preventing Union victory.
Text: Douglass's exposure of the government
This excerpt includes passages from three editorials that Douglass wrote in 1860 and 1861, "The Late Election," (Dec. 1860), "Sudden Revolution in Northern Sentiment” (May 1861), and "Cast Off the Mill-Stone” (Sept. 1861).
"The Late Election" discusses Lincoln's November 1860 election. Douglass elaborated on his joy in regard to the Republican victory since it offered hope for the ultimate abolition of slavery and the destruction of the “slave oligarchy.” In May 1861, Douglass wrote about the outbreak of Civil War. He announced his support for the war since it represented the beginning of the end for the "slaveholding rebellion." "Cast of the Mill-Stone” in September, 1861 was more critical of the war effort and the government’s policies. Douglass believed the country’s inability to face the moral dilemma of slavery was hurting the cause. He called the Civil War an "abolition war" and argued vigorously for the adoption of a national abolition policy. Douglass claimed, "the fact is indisputable, that so long as slavery is respected and protected by our Government, the slaveholders can carry on the rebellion, and no longer,” adding, “Slavery is the stomach of the rebellion."
Context: Radical vs. Reformer
During the first year of the Civil War, Douglass became increasingly open about his disappointment in Lincoln’s public attitude towards racial inequality and the fate of slavery. He believed that Lincoln was giving into the interests of the slave holders. Douglass argued that Lincoln’s conservative positions were undermining the war effort.
Subtext: The Foundation of the War-Abolition
Douglass wanted to change the war into a revolutionary effort to abolish slavery and to empower African Americans towards gaining their equality as citizens. These editorials indicate his strategy for convincing Northern politicians to accept these inevitabilities. He wanted then to realize that to involve African Americans in the war effort would only help the Union succeed. Douglass also seemed to fear that success without African American involvement would be disastrous for a program of universal freedom and equality. The concept of an “abolition war” provided power to African Americans.
Conclusions:
Frederick Douglass challenged Lincoln's conservative policies and used his 1861 editorials to express more radical perceptions of the Civil War. Douglass believed that Lincoln’s earliest efforts at compromise and conciliation were immoral and ineffective. By using the phrase "abolition war" in one of his most famous 1861 editorials, “Cast Off The Mill Stone,” Douglass provided a clear call to moral arms.