Book: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" written by Himself in 1845

Frederick Douglass died today February 20th, 1895.

I just finished reading the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas" written by himself. The book was published in 1845, one year before Douglass was legally a free man - technically a fugitive slave in the north as a young 27 years old. In reading this book, I found the younger Douglass to be a fiery, militant, and passionate man - versus - the first Frederick Douglass book that I read titled "My Bondage and by Freedom," written by Douglass ten years later in 1855.

Below from Chapter 11 of Frederick Douglass' book "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," Mr. Douglass speaks of his escape from slavery. However, Douglass fell short of explaining the physical path taken for the following reasons described here by Frederick Douglass himself:


"I now come to that part of my life during which I planned, and finally succeeded in making, my escape from slavery. But before narrating any of the peculiar circumstances, I deem it proper to make known my intention not to state all the facts connected with the transaction.

My reasons for pursuing this course may be understood from the following:

First, were I to give a minute statement of all the facts, it is not only possible, but quite probable, that others would thereby be involved in the most embarrassing difficulties.

Secondly, such a statement would most undoubtedly induce greater vigilance on the part of slaveholders than has existed heretofore among them; which would, of course, be the means of guarding a door whereby some dear brother bondman might escape his galling chains. I deeply regret the necessity that impels me to suppress any thing of importance connected with my experience in slavery...

...I have never approved of the very public manner in which some of our western friends have conducted what they call the "underground railroad", but which I think, by their open declarations, has been made most emphatically the "upperground railroad".

I honor those good men and women for their noble daring, and applaud them for willingly subjecting themselves to 'bloody' persecution, by openly avowing their participation in the escape of slaves.

I, however, can see very little good resulting from such a course, either to themselves or the slaves escaping; while, upon the other hand, I see and feel assured that those open declarations are a positive evil to the slaves remaining, who are seeking to escape. They do nothing towards enlightening the master.

They stimulate him to greater watchfulness, and enhance his power to capture his slave.

We owe something to the slave south of the line as well as to those north of it; and in aiding the latter on their way to freedom, we should be careful to do nothing which would be likely to hinder the former from escaping from slavery.

I would keep the merciless slaveholder profoundly ignorant of the means of flight adopted by the slave.

I would leave him to imagine himself surrounded by myriads of invisible tormentors, ever, ready to snatch from his infernal grasp his trembling prey. Let him be left to feel his way in the dark; let darkness commensurate with his crime hover over him; and let him feel that at every step he takes, in pursuit of the flying bondman, he is running the frightful risk of having his hot brains dashed out by an invisible agency.

Let us render the tyrant no aid; let us not hold the light by which he can trace the footprints of our flying brother."

http://www.biography.com/people/frederick-douglass-9278324?page=1