Question

Explain Frederick Douglass’ feeling regarding the “Underground Railroad.” Are his feelings positive or negative? Cite details from the text to support your response

Answer 1

His feeling were both positive toward slaves and negative towards slavery.

Answer 2

Answer:

Frederick Douglass' feeling about the "Underground Railroad" is negative, considering the amount of publicity it has been given.

Explanation:

In his memoir "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", the speaker and writer Frederick Douglass recounts how his life of slavery and the slavery system and its exploitation on his people.

Douglass feels that the hidden medium of transporting rescued slaves "the Underground Railroad" should be something that is done in a discreet manner. The publicity with which the "railroad" has been dealt with is something that he personally feels strongly against, as shown in Chapter XI of the book. He admits that he "honors those good men and women for their noble  daring, and applaud them for willingly subjecting themselves to  bloody persecution, by openly avowing their participation in the  escape of slaves". But he did not like the idea of "the very public manner in which [....] the underground railroad" was conducted. He explains that the very act of rescuing them is a noble deed indeed, but with its publicity, everything that they were working for is all for nothing. For in publicizing the issue, they not only endanger the lives of the slaves but also provide an insight and information to the slave owners about their slaves' escape.

Douglass claims that this "do nothing towards  enlightening the slave, whilst they do much towards  enlightening the master", so their main aim is to provide a safe passage for the slaves to escape, and not hinder that process in any way.