Free Custom «Reflection on Reconstruction» Essay Paper

The article by Douglass strives to address the state of congress’s efforts in addressing the impending gaps found of the nation in terms of developmental strategies. The author gives a critical outlook into the session deliberations of the contextual congress proceedings. These are in the form of the procedures entailed in the actualisation of critical amendment of relevant legislations all in a bid to address the impeding developmental gaps regarding slavery in the United States of America. In as much as there was visible effort to overcome the trappings of slavery it was very evident that there is still lack of instrumental arrangements to address these gaps from the competent authorities in those times.

The federal role’s in protecting the rights of its citizen appear to be misaligned and merely addressing certain sector while eliminating others from the equation. The people left out; in this case, the slaves are left with no other option than to institute self protective measures in order to protect their fundamental citizen rights among the vast population. As Douglas says, “The arm of the Federal government is long, but it is far too short to protect the rights of individuals in the interior of the distant States. They must have the power to protect themselves or they will go unprotected” (Douglass 1). This way Douglass aims at justifying their actions as a necessary evil in addressing the impending gaps in society.

 

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Douglass seeks to justify the importance of rebellion in these times when the population is further forced to institute protective strategies against unfair congress actions. An inference from his book he says, “Fewer privileges were esteemed higher, by the slaves of the out farms, than that of being selected to errands at the Great House Farm” (Douglass 25)0. He associates the source of rebellion as emanating from the rulers who seem myopic to the self-proclaimed national goals of co-existence and fundamental cooperation among the society elements. He says, “The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that cause rebellion. It remains now to be seen whether we have the needed courage to have that cause entirely removed from the republic” (Douglass 1). This implies that the root cause appears to be known factor by both parties. Furthermore, there is association with the fact that the rebellion indeed holds significant ability to address these gaps and institute fundamental changes into the entire system.

The author elementally addresses the root causes, which are engraved in slavery. The concept of slavery is cemented in this argument considering the racial barriers existing in this country system. This can be seen when he says in his book Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, “Let it never be forgotten that no slaveholder or overseer can be convicted of any outrage perpetuated on the person of a slave, however diabolical it may be, on the testimony of colored witnesses…” (Douglass 9). This shows the unfair treatment and rights abuse on them.

Federal authorities are overtly reluctant to institute these changes due to the perceived fear factor that they may eventually outnumber there authority and they may be forced to relegate some of their previous exploitative plans. Douglass says, “Custom, manners, morals, religion, are all on its side everywhere in the South; and when they add the ignorance and servility of the ex-slave to the intelligence and accustomed authority of the master, you have the conditions, not out of which slavery will grow” (Douglass 1). Here the author also addresses some of the fundamental weakness in the struggle to address the developing racial divide. The slave movement was elementally perpetuated by the stringent relationship between slaves and their masters.