Frederick Douglass, the Orator - Monroe County Library System

Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection
142 LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
that it was important to protect and preserve
both, or that the body was not more dependent
upon bread for life than was the soul dependent
upon truth, justice, benevolence, and good faith
for health and life. In the absence of these, the
soul of the nation starves, sickens, and dies. It
may not fall at once upon the withdrawal of these,
but persistent injustice will, in the end, do its certain
work of moral destruction. No nation, no
party, no man, can live long and flourish on falsehood,
deceit, injustice, and broken pledges. Loyalty
will perish where protection and good faith
are denied and withheld, and nothing other than
this should be expected, either by a party, a man,
or by a government. On the other hand, where
good faith is maintained, where justice is upheld,
where truth and right prevail, the government
will be like the wise man's house in scripture—the
winds may blow, the rains may descend, the floods
may come and beat upon it, but it will stand, because
it is founded upon the solid rock of principle.
I speak this, not only for the Republican
party, but for all parties. Though I am a party
man, to me parties are valuable only as they subserve
the ends of good government. When they
persistently violate the fundamental rights of the
humblest and weakest in the land I scout them,
despise them, and leave them."
The third address was delivered in the Israel