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This is a really amazing find when moving the Frederick Douglass statute from its current position into Highland Park. Too bad the documents are not salvageable. But it's still an amazing artifact. And an amazing example of how important Rochester has been in American history.
Quote:
After remaining secret for nearly 80 years, the contents of a time capsule found beneath a statue in Highland Park were found to be badly damaged Friday.
The box filled with items was found underneath a statue of Frederick Douglass while it was being moved from one section of the park to a new display in another area of the park. The statue was moved Monday as part of the construction of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Plaza. Once the plaza is completed, the statue will be displayed in a more visible location in the area of South Avenue and Robinson Drive.
On Friday, Christine Ridarsky, a historian with the City of Rochester, said the items inside the rusted metal box were not able to be salvaged due to water damage. The box was damaged at some point, but historians are unsure when. Inside the box, there were road maps of Monroe County, a 1898 calendar, several documents and resolutions that had been passed by the city.
The original capsule was moved in 1941. At that point, the officials moving it then added a few more items from that era, including a speech by a Rochester City Councilman and newspaper articles.
"Perhaps the saddest thing is that it appears this original time capsule from 1898 actually survived to 1941, then after that we lost those contents," Ridarsky said. "Susan B. Anthony probably touched items in that time capsule, so certainly there was excitement."
Once the contents dry out enough, they will be freeze dried and put on display.
The Rochester Museum and Science Center has expressed interest in housing the items, but the ultimate destination has yet to be determined.
I'm not sure if your grade school ever encouraged you to 'do a time capsule', but mine did, and when we did our time capsule(s) back in the late nineties, we were told they'd be uncovered in X number of years (I think X equaled 5, but it could've equaled 10, could've equaled 50--how are kids to know/care about such logistics?). My initial impulse upon reading this (and by 'this' I mean your post) was to wonder more about the cultural history of 'keeping time capsules' because of the subtly fascinating fact that this existed from 1898, could've been salvaged in 1941, now is discovered 121 years after the original burial? I don't need city historian Christine Ridarsky to tell me I was lied to as a middle school naif burying my innocent time capsule of sports cards and Pogs and Magic The Gathering cards and death wishes against certain junior high rivals...lol.
'I was not more than thirteen years old, when in my loneliness and destitution I longed for some one to whom I could go, as to a father and protector. The preaching of a white Methodist minister, named Hanson, was the means of causing me to feel that in God I had such a friend. He thought that all men, great and small, bond and free, were sinners in the sight of God: that they were by nature rebels against His government; and that they must repent of their sins, and be reconciled to God through Christ. I cannot say that I had a very distinct notion of what was required of me, but one thing I did know well: I was wretched and had no means of making myself otherwise.
I consulted a good old colored man named Charles Lawson, and in tones of holy affection he told me to pray, and to "cast all my care upon God." This I sought to do; and though for weeks I was a poor, broken-hearted mourner, traveling through doubts and fears, I finally found my burden lightened, and my heart relieved. I loved all mankind, slaveholders not excepted, though I abhorred slavery more than ever. I saw the world in a new light, and my great concern was to have everybody converted. My desire to learn increased, and especially, did I want a thorough acquaintance with the contents of the Bible.'
If we can imagine counterfactual history where a man of his intellect was born today, he'd likely be an atheist. Anthony was an agnostic even back in her time, but Douglass unfortunately was destined to enslave himself doubly.
'I was not more than thirteen years old, when in my loneliness and destitution I longed for some one to whom I could go, as to a father and protector. The preaching of a white Methodist minister, named Hanson, was the means of causing me to feel that in God I had such a friend. He thought that all men, great and small, bond and free, were sinners in the sight of God: that they were by nature rebels against His government; and that they must repent of their sins, and be reconciled to God through Christ. I cannot say that I had a very distinct notion of what was required of me, but one thing I did know well: I was wretched and had no means of making myself otherwise.
I consulted a good old colored man named Charles Lawson, and in tones of holy affection he told me to pray, and to "cast all my care upon God." This I sought to do; and though for weeks I was a poor, broken-hearted mourner, traveling through doubts and fears, I finally found my burden lightened, and my heart relieved. I loved all mankind, slaveholders not excepted, though I abhorred slavery more than ever. I saw the world in a new light, and my great concern was to have everybody converted. My desire to learn increased, and especially, did I want a thorough acquaintance with the contents of the Bible.'
If we can imagine counterfactual history where a man of his intellect was born today, he'd likely be an atheist. Anthony was an agnostic even back in her time, but Douglass unfortunately was destined to enslave himself doubly.
"What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels.
Never was there a clearer case of “stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in.” I am filled with unutterable loathing when I contemplate the religious pomp and show, together with the horrible inconsistencies, which every where surround me. We have men-stealers for ministers, women-whippers for missionaries, and cradle-plunderers for church members. The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus. The man who robs me of my earnings at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of life, and the path of salvation. He who sells my sister, for purposes of prostitution, stands forth as the pious advocate of purity. He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the Bible denies me the right of learning to read the name of the God who made me. He who is the religious advocate of marriage robs whole millions of its sacred influence, and leaves them to the ravages of wholesale pollution. The warm defender of the sacredness of the family relation is the same that scatters whole families—sundering husbands and wives, parents and children, sisters and brothers—leaving the hut vacant, and the hearth desolate.
We see the thief preaching against theft, and the adulterer against adultery. We have men sold to build churches, women sold to support the gospel, and babes sold to purchase Bibles for the poor heathen! all for the glory of God and the good of souls!"
"What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels.
Never was there a clearer case of “stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in.” I am filled with unutterable loathing when I contemplate the religious pomp and show, together with the horrible inconsistencies, which every where surround me. We have men-stealers for ministers, women-whippers for missionaries, and cradle-plunderers for church members. The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus. The man who robs me of my earnings at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of life, and the path of salvation. He who sells my sister, for purposes of prostitution, stands forth as the pious advocate of purity. He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the Bible denies me the right of learning to read the name of the God who made me. He who is the religious advocate of marriage robs whole millions of its sacred influence, and leaves them to the ravages of wholesale pollution. The warm defender of the sacredness of the family relation is the same that scatters whole families—sundering husbands and wives, parents and children, sisters and brothers—leaving the hut vacant, and the hearth desolate.
We see the thief preaching against theft, and the adulterer against adultery. We have men sold to build churches, women sold to support the gospel, and babes sold to purchase Bibles for the poor heathen! all for the glory of God and the good of souls!"
Autobiography of Frederick Douglas
Basically, he is against the hypocrisy and double mindedness of the people that claim to be God’s people, but practice sin against another set of mankind. 2 Peter 2 would be a good example of what is being referred to in this statement. So, I think this just illustrates that Douglass wasn’t anti Christian, if anything, he appears to be pro Christian/anti hypocrisy within the church/body of Christ.
Just to add to this, there is actually an African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Elmira named in Douglass’ honor and he was ordained in that denomination: https://m.facebook.com/pages/categor...3019686517424/
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 10-27-2019 at 03:05 PM..
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