Frederick Douglas met Dr.Tumblety

[FlyingDutchman42]

Looking around the net I found an interesting
letter, written by Frederick Douglas
(the famous black reformer and abolitionist)
in which he mentions meeting "Dr" Tumblety in
the streets of liverpool (if i am not mistaken)
It was in june 1887, hope it comes through.
Flying dutchman 42

[Fisherman]

Dear FlyingDutchman!

A mere triviality of course, but can somebody writing under the signature "FlyingDutchman" really add "I live in Hoogezaand, Netherlands" with any credibility?

But your find is interesting! "A good fellow after all..." Considering the claims on Tumblety by some of the posters here, that really has a ring to it!

The best,
Fisherman

[FlyingDutchman42]

Pardon me? What has my living in the place you mentioned to do with my credibility?

flying Dutchman 42

[Cap'n Jack]

This is a nice little bit of history you found here, flying dutchman.
Although the meeting on the streets of Liverpool between these two formidable gentlemen has been well documented prior to this letter, it is rewarding to see some of the intimate history of the meeting.
Frederick Douglas would have been everything that Tumblety aspired to be, so it is no wonder that Tumblety took the chance to introduce himself.
What is strange is the grand silence from the British Press on Douglas' visit to our shores in 1887, the only references I can find being to Douglas denying the fact that there was a God - according to the press that is, but here I suspect prejudice against a man who although he paid for a cabin with Cunard for his voyage across the Pond he was forced to travel in steerage because of his colour.
I would have loved to have been on the streets of Liverpool in 1887 to have seen these two gents together in conversation... as I said two of the most formidable gentleman of their age.

[Fisherman]

FlyingDutchman asks:

"Pardon me? What has my living in the place you mentioned to do with my credibility?"

The Flying Dutchman? A living place? No way...

Fisherman

[FlyingDutchman42]

Fisherman, I see what you mean! I couldn't quit figure out
your remark. But I understand now, thanks for
clearing up the misunderstanding.

About "The Meeting" I think the "Dr" was a
real smooth operator. I am not sure if I would have wanted to meet him.
I think, Cap'n Jack, that he "happened to walk into" famous people.
I think it was his excuse for his boasting that he
had met several famous people in his lifetime.
Probably he "met" lincoln and Dickens that way.
While they were making public speaches!!
(the tongue is for Tumblety obviously)

[jmenges]

Well, this is an interesting letter from Douglass (let's spell the man's name right), but, no surprise, sorry FD42, not a new "find". There was a lengthy discussion on this letter on the lost boards and I believe it was Joe Chetcuti who posted a scan. The meeting is also noted in his timeline on jtrforums.

Here is an article from the Rochester, NY Democrat and Chronicle that mentions the Douglass letter and provides a link to the source of the above image.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/extra/rochester_history/1031story070808_news.shtml

Here is a direct link to the online home of the above scan, the University of Rochester's Frederick Douglass Project.

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?PAGE=2814

JM

[FlyingDutchman42]

Pity it is known here.
Hadn't seen it on the board though.
Found it on the site you mentioned after
looking around for the civil war period,
and from the civil war to frederick douglass is a
logical step
I saw that very interesting series on the civil war
on the BBC a couple of years ago...

flying dutchman42, robert

[steje73]

Well, I'd not seen it before. There was so much stuff here I'd probably never have seen it on the old boards.

[FlyingDutchman42]

Oh, and thanks for the thumbs up!

[Kelly]

If I'm not mistaken, this was first brought to casebook attention by Chris Scott (first time I saw it,anyway) in 2004:

http://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4922/9485.html