Frederick Douglass, the Orator - Monroe County Library System

Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection
82 LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
him and loaded him with reproaches of the bitterest
kind. The House was crowded, and all
eyes were turned upon him when he rose to
make his last great effort to defeat this force bill
for Ireland, which he knew could not be defeated;
but Mr. Gladstone had a duty to perform and he
performed it admirably. The first glance at his
face impressed me. There was a singular blending
of qualities in it, the lamb and the lion were
there; dauntless as a veteran soldier, and yet
meek as a saint. His speech was one of the
grandest I ever heard, and was listened to with
profoundest silence by the whole House. My
expectations were high, very high, but in some
respects they were far exceeded. For one hour
and a half, without pause, and without once hesitating
for a word, he poured out a stream of eloquence,
learning, and argument which seemed to
be irresistible. When he sat down the government
benches, as well as the opposite benches,
were immediately emptied, and poor Mr. Balfour,
the secretary for Ireland, was left almost without
an audience to hear his reply.
My visit to England was in some respects sentimental.
I wanted to see the faces and press
the hands of some of the dear friends and acquaintances
I met there over forty years ago.
Among them were two ladies who were mainly
instrumental in giving me the chance of devoting