Frederick Douglass in Newtown

In 1864 abolitionist Frederick Douglass was on a lecture circuit that brought him to Newtown, Pineville, and Penn's Manor. Here's the article from the Intelligencer about the visit.

February 9, 1864 Bucks County Intelligencer

Lectures of Frederick Douglass. – The well-known colored orator, Frederick Douglass, visited Bucks county last week, and delivered a lecture at Newtown on Thursday afternoon, one at Pineville on Friday afternoon and one at Penn’s Manor on Saturday afternoon. They were all largely attended by audiences marked for intelligence and respectability. The lecturer everywhere met with a warm greeting. This was Mr. Douglass’ first visit to Bucks county, we believe, and the most of those who had the pleasure of listening to his address had never seen him or heard him speak. He is a fine orator, a highly entertaining speaker and a polished gentleman. He is pretty well advanced in age, and cannot be much short of his sixtieth year. He is not a pure negro-there evidently being a certain percentage of white blood in his veins. So much for slavery, in which he grew up and passed the early part of his life. In his addresses he freely and fairly discussed the great issues involved in the present gigantic rebellion. At Newtown he spoke at considerable length on the re-construction of the Union - He had a crowded house, the lecture being held in the Newtown Hall. An admission fee of 15 cents was charged, and the receipts amounted to upwards of $46. At Pineville the lecture was held in the public hall in that village. The room was literally packed with people. The receipts must have amounted to about $40. The proceeds of these lectures, after deducting the necessary travelling expenses of the lecturer, are to be applied to the benefit of the Freedmen’s Association. At Pineville Mr. D. spoke for upwards of two hours, and was listened to with profound attention. He was introduced to the audience by Mahlon B. Linton, who has accompanied him on his lecturing trips in this county. The speaker thanked his audience for the warm and cordial reception they had given him. He then referred to the war, and the causes which produced it, discussing at considerable length the questions at issue. The speaker said, but yesterday, as it were, America was regarded as a queen among the nations of the earth, knowing no sorry and fearing none. – She was believed to be safe and secure, with her institutions based on the great principles of equal representation, the freedom of speech and of the press, and universal education. – But how changed are things to-day! The peal of the drum, the roar of cannon, the pawing of the war horse on our mountains, and the melancholy spectacle of brother arrayed against brother in deadly affray, remind us that our supposed national peace and security did not rest on a solid foundation. But the changes that have taken place are all perfectly natural and logical. Slavery has caused this rebellion. The men in the interest of slavery had been hard at work for thirty years in maturing and bringing about the war against the live of the nation. It was the work of the slaveholders, who wished to build up and perpetuate the institution of slavery, to enable them to hold in bondage millions of human beings, no matter whether black or white.

As a colored man, the speaker said he had no object to be otherwise than truthful in his criticisms on the war. The Jeremiahs, those men who are constantly looking at the dark side of the picture and borrowing trouble, are the great bores in this war. They do substantial injury to the cause. Their lamentations have a chilling effect upon earnestly loyal men. It is the black man’s boast that every man of his race is soundly loyal in this contest. Where the colored man is left free to his own action, he is loyal. This is not the case with the whites. There are no black copperheads. The white men of American can easily be loyal. They have fair winds and smooth seas to carry them forward. Not so with the black man; he must serve his country, not for past benefits or privileges enjoyed, but that he may reap the “good time coming.” The white man has a country for him, but the black man has only the hope of a country. But how nobly stands forth the patriotism of the colored race! Soon after the breaking out of the war, the speaker had asked permission from Governor Curtin to pass several brigades of colored troops through Pennsylvania, on their way to the seat of war – but the Governor said such a thing could not be permitted. He had also asked permission from Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, and President Lincoln, for colored men to wear the uniform of the United States, but they said no, it would not to – it would frighten our Southern brethren. – Affairs have progressed considerably since then. The black man is now permitted to fight in this war, under restrictions, and the bravery displayed by him at Milliken’s Bend, at Port Hudson and Fort Wagner, has convinced the whole world that he is not lacking in courage and manly deportment. Mr. Seward, who of late is not regarded as a very firm anti-slavery man, who has sent letters to all the courts of Europe, bearing testimony to the fact that America has no firmer friend in this contest than the black man. The speaker’s object was to commend his colored brethren to the whole world for their patriotism and bravery. No matter how much injustice or neglect may have been shown by the Government toward the colored man, he has never doubted as to what should be the course of the black man in this contest – it is his place to stand by Abraham Lincoln. You know, and I know, what this war is waged for by the South. It is to enslave every man they can, whether white or black. Mr. Lincoln is the captain of the National ship, and if we are in a bad situation with him, we will be much worse off without him.

Mr. D. related some incidents of a later interview he had with Mr. Lincoln at the Presidential mansion at Washington. He said some of his audience would probably like to know how the President of the United states received a negro – how a black man was received at the White House. He received him as one gentleman would receive another – with a friendly grasp of the hand and a hearty welcome. He received him as a man. He impressed the speaker as being a very earnest and sincere man – a devoted patriot, and honest above all things. He thought the prefix to his name – Honest Abraham Lincoln – was well deserved. Although he is not regarded as a great man or wise man, he will be regarded in history as Abraham the wise and great. A true heart beats behind those iron ribs of his. Almost everybody laughs at him because of his good-natured jokes, and almost everybody respects him. The speaker expressed to the President his heart-felt thanks for extending to the black soldiers in the South the same shield that is thrown around white soldiers. The speaker feels satisfied that whenever the President puts his foot down it will stay there, and that he intends faithfully to carry out the provisions of the emancipation proclamation. 

But the question whether our ship of State is to weather the storm of not depends more upon the crew than the captain. The President is great but the people are greater. The President will not act in advance of the people. They must uphold him and stand by him in his effort to save the nation. To do away with copperheadism in the loyal States is the work of the hour. The Pro-slavery Democrats have the advantage in the argument with the Union men, because they are consistent in their villainy. They cry down with the abolitionists, and charge them with being the cause of the war.

The speaker, speaking as a black man and for black men, made an eloquent appeal in behalf of his down-trodden and much abused race. Let them be treated as human beings, entitled to the enjoyment of all their rights as free men, and the whites will have no cause to regret it.

The black men are nobly fighting for the preservation of the Government. Let them be properly rewarded for their patriotism and bravery. A colored man is now hated by the whites because the whites have injured him. When they cease injuring him they will cease hating him. Take care that slavery is not suffered to survive this bloody conflict. – There never would have been such a war if our forefathers had not made a mistake in the beginning, in sparing the life of the monster slavery. Now we are asked to repeat the mistake of our fathers – to spare slavery. Take care that we profit by the experience of the past and the lessons of the present hour. Mr. D. spoke for about two hours. At the close he expressed much pleasure at having visited Bucks county, which was at the earnest solicitation of his good friend Mahlon B. Linton.

At Penn’s Manor Mr. D. spoke on the mission of the war. He had a full house.

Probably not him, but cool nonetheless

Here's a glass plate negative from the collection of the Newtown Historic Association showing a man preaching who looks kind of like Frederick Douglass but probably isn't him.