10                      THE REVIEW

    The climax of demonstrations showing the high esteem
in which Mr. Douglass was held came at the last place he
spoke in the West, Springfield, Missouri. In the light of re-
cent disgraceful events in this city, the honors heaped upon
him and his outspoken denunciation of mob-law have a pecu-
liar significance. When the train bearing Mr. Douglass
reached Springfield, he was quite amazed at the largeness and
soulfulness of the greetings given him by all classes of citiz-
ens of this Missouri town. The streets were thronged with
people of all kinds and colors, flags and bunting were strung
along the line of march and shouts of acclaim and joy and
pride marked every foot of the way from the depot to his
hotel. He was by every mark of respect, esteem and interest,
the guest of the whole city. It was, in fact, a holiday occas-
ion and it is doubtful if any colored man in the history of the
South ever received such a welcome to a Southern community
as did Mr. Douglass in October of 1893.  He was a welcome
guest of one of the leading hotels of the city, an incident in
itself unprecedented in a Southern city.
  For several hours before the time for his address to the
people of Springfield, he held a reception in the parlors of the
hotel. It was interesting to watch the throng of leading citiz-
ens of a Southern town and to see how possible it was for
them to forget everything except the fact that they were in
the presence, not of an ex-slave, or a white man, or a colored
man, but a real manly man with powers of mind and soul that
made him indisputed master of the situation. Judges of the
courts, prominent members of the bar, school teach-
ers, leading  merchants,  bankers,  newspaper  men,  offic-
ials  of  city  and  county  and  State,  and  ladies of




			

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 23, Num. 1

Frederick Douglass at Springfield, Mo.

Laing

Volume:  23
Issue Number:  01
Page Number:  07
Date:  07/1906