The Hypocrisy of A Nation
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (The Declaration of Independence). The evident immorality within the institution of slavery and the necessity for its abolition are deeply interwoven into the history of America and are profoundly correlated to the orations of Frederick Douglass. In particular, Douglass's "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" speech can be evaluated in the context of a critique on American institutions with focus on the hypocrisy of those who abide by the sacred documents that embody the American society. Throughout his speech, Douglass reiterates his perception,"Americans! Your republican politics, not less than your republican religion, are flagrantly inconsistent. You boast of your love of liberty, your superior civilization, and your pure Christianity, while the whole political power of the nation is solemnly pledged to support and perpetuate the enslavement of three million" (1833).The statement proves to verify Douglass's belief in relation to the illogical nature of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, a
Ronald Burke, in his book, Frederick Douglass: Crusading Orator for Human Rights (COHR), stated that, the Fourth of July is known to "hold special meaning for African Americans because they believed in the ideas of the Declaration of Independence-those precious words that protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Burke 83). The American society, as a whole, proves themselves hypocritical by their unwarranted bondage of African Americans into the institution of slavery and Frederick Douglass, once a slave himself, utilizes his stirring rhetorical skills to remind those opposed to slavery, to "stand by (the) principles (of the Declaration), be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost" (1821). As he poignantly states, quoting the Bible, "You profess to believe "that, of one blood, God made all nations of men to dwell on the face of all the earth," and hath commanded all men, everywhere to love one another; yet you notoriously hate all men whose skins are not colored like your own"(Holy Bible Acts 17:26 & 1833). From this, the authority of the Constitution of the United States, as a legal document by which the American people abide, is contradicted and appears utterly ridiculous in the face of slavery. However, a society that seeks to prosper and further private opinions will only lead to a misinterpretation of such a document. As it is undoubtedly known, the issue of the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of slavery is not the question-rather it is the chosen interpretation, as Douglass suggests, that places slavery "in" the Constitution. I have better employments for my time and strength, than such arguments would imply" (1826), he creates the utter ridiculousness of, not only the Declaration, but also the American culture, in the face of slavery. However, in doing so, he proves the hypocrisy of a nation through three of its most sacred documents. Douglass makes it evident that if interpreted as a pro-slavery document then it is a hateful and unjust document, but when read as it "ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a glorious liberty document" (1834). But that mission, being completely refuted via the evocative power of Douglass' rhetoric, proves to fully expose the hypocrisy of the American society for celebrating liberty in a nation that condones slavery both in law and practice. This statement only proves the dissipation and immorality of the American culture that identify themselves as Christians: furthering Douglass's belief in the ever-growing hypocrisy and downfall of the American populace. The government, founded on the principles of equality and freedom for all, was tarnished not by the documents themselves, but rather, by those who live and abide by them. As Hosmer noted, "A constitution which reduces any portion of society to slavery, is only an instrument of plunder. They command man to treat others as an equal, but he who denies his fellow man personal freedom and the rights of manhood does not truly abide by the laws in which he is supposedly governed. By incorporating the misconstrued interpretation of the Constitution by the American people, Douglass is able to demonstrate its redundancy in regard to slavery.
Common topics in this essay:
Fourth July,
Frederick Douglass,
Law HL,
Declaration Independence,
Holy Bible,
Wendell Phillips,
Christian American,
Service LabourConstitution,
Declaration Independence-those,
God1831 Douglass's,
american society,
declaration independence,
frederick douglass,
fourth july,
american people,
douglass makes,
christian faith,
institution slavery,
american culture,
african americans,
liberty pursuit happiness,
frederick douglass crusading,
douglass crusading orator,
book frederick douglass,
guilty viewed connection,
|
Acceptance Essays
