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Trust, the Basis of Charity: An Address Delivered in Rochester, New York, on January 5, 1854

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TRUST, THE BASIS OF CHARITY: AN ADDRESS DELIVERED IN
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ON 5 JANUARY 1854

Frederick Douglass' Paper, 6 January 1854. Another text in Foner, Life and Writings,
5 : 303-05.

On 5 January 1854, Frederick Douglass gave a lecture before the Odd Fellows
Festival at Minerva Hall in Rochester, New York. The festival was a charity
benefit to collect funds for indigent blacks.

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:—I really do not know what is expected of me on
an occasion like this. I am not initiated into the mysteries of this association,
and what is more, have for a long time had a very strong prejudice against
associations of this kind. I have, however, learned some important lessons
in respect to nearly all human institutions. Among these lessons, I have
learned this one, namely, commend what you know to be good wherever
you find it—condemn whatever you know to be evil wherever you find
it—and be silent about whatever you do not know enough of either to
condemn or approve.

When called upon to be present on this occasion, I asked the gentlemen,
who kindly invited me, the object of this festival; they told me it was
to benefit our own poor and helpless ones. This is a good object.

Anything which looks to assisting the helpless, has my heart and has
my hand. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my feeling generally; but where it
relates to my own afflicted fellow-countrymen, those who suffer a common
oppression with me, I feel an especial interest. We are one people in point
of position, and destiny, and cannot, if we would, and ought not, if we
could, separate from each other, in efforts of this kind to improve our
condition. I esteem the invitation to address you this evening as a high
honor. You are my fellow-citizens, you know me, and ifyou who know me
best, think me worthy to address you on this high festival occasion, I shall
be excused, if I do not heed the selfish clamor raised against me abroad.

Another thing I understand to be comprehended in this invitation—and
that is, I am to deal honestly with you—the members of this association—
both as members of this Society—and as citizens, and also, and more
particularly as related to our enslaved and oppressed people throughout the
country. You style yourselves United Friends, and, of course, set some
value upon friendship. This is right and beautiful. The term friend is a
delightful one, filled with a thousand sweet harmonies. In journeying
through this vale of tears, life is desolate indeed, ifunblest by friendship. A
friend is a very precious gift. A brother is not always a friend—a sister is
not always a friend, and even a wife may not always be a friend, nor a
husband always a friend. The central idea of friendship, and the main pillar
of it is “trust.” Where there is no trust, there is no friendship. We cannot
love those whom we cannot trust. The basis of all trust is truth. There
cannot be trust—lasting trust—where the truth is not. Men must be true to
each other, or they cannot trust each other.

If I have been called upon to lend my neighbor five dollars, and have
received his positive assurance that he will pay me at a given time, and that

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time comes and the pay does not, the grounds of my trust are shaken. But if
that friend and neighbor comes soon after, and explains that causes which
he could not control, made it impossible for him to meet that engagement, I
hold him excused and restore him to my confidence and regard, even
though I may disapprove of his rashness in making promises. But again, if
this neighbor of mine, not only fails to meet his engagement, but also fails
to explain the cause of his failure, and instead of seeking me, seeks to avoid
me, I cannot—you cannot—living man, knowing the facts, cannot trust
him. He is not only not a man of truth—but he is in good earnest a liar—and
the truth is not in him. Such a man must repent and bring gospel fruit meet
for repentance—or it will be impossible to love or to trust him. You may
pity him, you may despise him—but you cannot regard him as a man of
honor.

If, therefore, you ask me what is the basis of friendship, I answer,
“TRUTH AND TRUST.” LOVE does not form the basis of friendship, it
simply crowns and glorifies a friendship already established on the basis of
“TRUTH AND TRUST.” If, further, you ask me, how shall friendship already
in existence be perpetuated—I answer simply, that this can be done
only by being true to each other. Do all you promise to do, and as much
more as you can. Pardon me for hinting at this matter. I deem it of vital
importance. No society, no family, can hang together without it.

Now, a word about our relations to each other as a people. These are
peculiar. As a people, we are poor, and are limited in point of mental
attainments. We must improve our condition. And here the work is ours. It
cannot be done by our friends. They can pity as they can sympathize with
us. But we need something more than sympathy—something more than
pity. e must be respectedW. And we cannot be respected unless we are
either independent or aiming to be. We must be as independent of society as
society is of us, and lay society under as many obligations to us as we are
under to society. We cannot be paupers and be respected, though we may
be paupers and be pitied. The fact is, my friends, we must not only work,
but we must make money—not only make money, but save it; and when we
use it, we must use it wisely. Knowledge, too, we must get. We must get it
by exertion, by patient study, and perseverance. It is fortunate for our
down-trodden race, that knowledge is power, and that this power is accessible
to us, as well as the rest of mankind. Armed with truth and with the
high approval of the God of truth, may you go on in the work before you to
certain triumph.

Creator

Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895

Date

1854-01-05

Publisher

Yale University Press 1982

Type

Speeches

Publication Status

Published