Frederick Douglass, the Orator - Monroe County Library System

Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection
LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS. 185
afraid of losing favor, hence everybody smiles,
bows, and fawns towards everybody else, and everybody
knows the full value and quality of this general
self-abasement. You will seldom hear an honest,
square, upright and downright no, in all this eager
and hungry crowd. All look yes, and smile yes,
even when they mean anything else than yes. In
their large and well-worn pocket-books, many of
them carry about with them carefully folded but
considerably soiled papers, written in a solemn
official hand earnestly recommending the bearer
for any office or thing he may want, or he may be
able to get, for when the former is impossible, the
latter is always acceptable.
" It is easy to see upon slight inspection that
some of these papers are very old and have seen
much service and certify to character which may
have been lost a dozen times since they were
written, and thus the biggest rogues may sometimes
have the best papers.
"The national capital is never without a fair
representation of these hungry spoilsmen, but the
incoming of a new administration is the signal for
the gathering in force of this remorseless class.
The avenues of the city and the corridors of the
capitol and other public buildings are the literal
whirlpools of social driftwood from every section
of the republic.
"Its members are met with in all directions,