Frederick Douglass’s “Meeting in the State House Yard,” August 22, 1844

The article, “Meeting in the State House Yard” featured on page 3, first column, was one of two newspaper articles that documented Frederick Douglass’s speech, the “Slaveholder Sermon.” Douglass was invited by abolitionists to speak on his experience and thoughts on slavery. Scroll down to view all four pages of the August 22nd edition of the "Pennsylvania Freeman."

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Title: Frederick Douglass’s “Meeting in the State House Yard,” August 22, 1844
Date: 1844
Location: Independence Square
Object Information: Paper document, 4 p.
Repository: Center for Research Libraries Digital Delivery System (CRL member paywall)

Description:
The Pennsylvania Freeman, the newspaper of the Anti-Slavery Society of Pennsylvania, reported that Frederick Douglass spoke at an antislavery event on Independence Square on Saturday, August 17, 1844 at 6PM. Even though Douglass, then 26 years old, had seized his freedom six years prior, he reminded the crowd of about 200 people that he was still enslaved under the Constitution and the laws of the nation. In the column titled "Meeting in the State House Yard" on page 3, the newspaper stated that Douglass alluded to the fact that where he was speaking was so close to the building where the Declaration of Independence was adopted. The newspaper noted that Douglass went on to give his "Slaveholder's Sermon," a parody where Douglass mimicked a Southern white preacher to point out Christian hypocrisy. Although some expressed fear of violence against the abolitionist gathering, the event was not marred by violence.

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Pages of the Pennsylvania Freeman, August 22, 1844

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TRANSCRIPT
Meeting in the State House Yard

As there has been a good deal of express in the community lately against mobs, and a strong determination manifested on the part of the city authorities to preserve the peace at all hazards, it was considered by some of our friends a good time to carry out a purpose for some time cherished, to hold anti-slavery meetings in the State House Yard. Accordingly, Frederick Douglass consenting to be the speaker, an appointment was made by placards and through the newspapers, for Saturday afternoon last, at 6 o’clock. Considerable apprehension was felt by some as to the result; but those who took the responsibility of making the appointment were confident that the public feeling was such as to prevent anything like disturbance. This expectation was happily not disappointed. At the hour designated, a goodly company, both in point of numbers and character, and embracing some of both sexes, were in attendance, and Frederick took the stand. At first he seemed embarrassed and spoke with some hesitancy; but soon his embarrassment disappeared; his heart began to play, and he poured forth a stream of glowing thought and thrilling eloquence which, coming from an unlettered colored man, seemed to many of the audience utterly amazing. They could scarcely believe him when he said that he was still a slave, and liable at any moment, under the constitution and laws of the country, to be sent back to hopeless bondage. How a man not six years freed from the yoke, and never having been, as he said, a single day to school in his life, should exhibit such a command of language and force of thought, they were utterly at a loss to imagine. All listened with deep attention, and the only interruption we heard of the quiet of the meeting arose from the hearty clapping of hands which every now and then broke in upon the speaker and betokened the feelings of the audience.

The stand which Douglass occupied was close by the old Hall in which the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and he made one or two allusions to this circumstance with thrilling effect. He gave them, also, his “Slaveholder’s Sermon,” and, full of cutting sarcasm as it was, it was received with enthusiastic applause. He only spoke for about an hour, orders having been given, as a precaution against a riot, to close the gates at 7 o’clock; an unnecessary measure, as little or no disposition was manifested, unless it was by the police officers themselves, to make any disturbance. Some of these fellows, however, seemed quite uneasy that the meeting was going off so quietly, and they were observed going through the crowd, muttering their curses, and expressing themselves in such a way of the speaker and the meeting, as under other circumstances would have probably raised a mob. Their behavior was noticed and condemned by many of our respectable citizens, as it has often been before on similar occasions. One person, not an abolitionist, remarked to us after the meeting, that Philadelphia certainly had the rowdiest police-men that ever infested any city. This is a prevailing opinion among a large portion of our citizens, and should claim the attention of his Honor the Mayor. It is in vain that we hope for the preservation of order in our city so long as we have a set of police-men appointed for that purpose who are themselves, in the estimation of some, nothing better than mobocrats.

It is a matter of congratulation among abolitions, however, that they have been permitted, without interruption from the people, and with so little from the authorities, to hold in so public a place such a good meeting. They are disposed to regard it as an earnest of better things to come.