I am for the "immediate, unconditional, and universal" enfranchisement of the black man, in every State in the Union. [Loud appl
ause.] Without this, his liberty is a mockery; without this, you might as well almost retain the old name of slavery for his condition; for in fact, if he is not the slave of the individual master, he is the slave of society, and holds his liberty as a privilege, not as a right. He is at the mercy of the mob, and has no means of protecting himself. How does the repetition of the phrase “without this” support the paragraph’s argument? It reinforces the idea that without equality in the US, the idea of a free society is a joke. It suggests that a free society is possible, with or without equal rights for all people. It indicates that Douglass would be content without material possessions or status. It proposes that slavery will not be abolished in the US without the support of all citizens.
Answer: It reinforces the idea that without equality in the US, the idea of a free society is a joke.
In this excerpt, Douglass wants to highlight the hypocrisy of arguing that the United States is a country that enjoys equal rights for all. He thinks it is foolish to claim this when Black Americans do not have the right to vote. Douglass repeats the phrase "without this..." in order to reinforce this idea, and highlight all the limitations that Black people have in society.
