Until she spoke no Christian nation had abolished negro slavery.
Until she spoke no Christian nation had given to the world an organized effort to abolish slavery.
Until she spoke the slave ship, followed by hungry sharks, greedy to devour the dead and dying slaves flung overboard to feed them, ploughed in peace the South Atlantic painting the sea with the Negro's blood.
Until she spoke, the slave trade was sanctioned by all the Christian nations of the world, and our land of liberty and light included.
Men made fortunes by this infernal traffic, and were esteemed as good Christians, and the standing types and representations of the Saviour of the World.
Until Haiti spoke, the church was silent, and the pulpit was dumb.
Slave traders lived and slave-traders died.
Funeral sermons were preached over them, and of them it was said that they died in the triumphs of the Christian faith and went to heaven among the just.
Until she spoke no Christian nation had given to the world an organized effort to abolish slavery.
Until she spoke the slave ship, followed by hungry sharks, greedy to devour the dead and dying slaves flung overboard to feed them, ploughed in peace the South Atlantic painting the sea with the Negro's blood.
Until she spoke, the slave trade was sanctioned by all the Christian nations of the world, and our land of liberty and light included.
Men made fortunes by this infernal traffic, and were esteemed as good Christians, and the standing types and representations of the Saviour of the World.
Until Haiti spoke, the church was silent, and the pulpit was dumb.
Slave traders lived and slave-traders died.
Funeral sermons were preached over them, and of them it was said that they died in the triumphs of the Christian faith and went to heaven among the just.
--Frederick Douglass, Lecture on Haiti
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If you are also thinking about Haiti and want to help, please donate money to relief organizations such as the Red Cross, Unicef, or Doctors without Borders now and a month from now, and possibly every month thereafter. They are estimating 100,000 dead, and their infrastructure is shattered to the point where there are no hospitals, no schools, no government buildings...they are going to need a lot of support to get back on their feet again.
