When the Constitution Was 'At War With Itself,' Frederick Douglass Fought on the Side of Freedom
By Damon Root
February 2, 2018 at 09:45AM
via Reason.com Full Feed http://reason.com/archives/2018/02/02/when-the-constitution-was-at-war-with-it
"At a time when the principles of the Declaration of Independence were under assault, Douglass waved the banner of classical liberalism, championing inalienable rights for all, regardless of race or sex. At a time when socialism was on the rise, Douglass preached the virtues of free labor and self-ownership in a market-based economy. At a time when state governments were violating the rights of the recently emancipated, Douglass professed the central importance of "the ballot-box, the jury-box, and the cartridge-box" in the fight against Jim Crow.
Douglass, the former slave who secretly taught himself how to read, would teach the American people a thing or two about the true meaning of the Constitution."