Yes, Frederick Douglass ultimately came to believe the United States Constitution was anti-slavery. He distinguished between the document itself and the actions and interpretations of the people who governed under it.
Douglass's Evolving View on the Constitution
Initially, during the 1840s, Frederick Douglass held the view that the Constitution was a pro-slavery document, aligning with abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison. However, over time, his understanding evolved significantly. By the 1850s, Douglass had publicly shifted his stance, asserting that the Constitution was fundamentally an anti-slavery instrument.
His conviction stemmed from the belief that the Constitution, in its core principles, advocated for absolute equality. He viewed the document as embodying what he called an "apple of gold," representing the principle of liberty and equality, which framed and supported a "silver picture" – the nation.
The Constitution vs. The People
Douglass argued that the problem of slavery was not inherent in the Constitution itself, but rather in the actions and interpretations of the American people. He believed that the document's framers, despite their compromises on slavery, had laid down a foundation that, if interpreted correctly and applied consistently, would inevitably lead to the abolition of slavery.
He pointed to several aspects that he saw as anti-slavery:
- Preamble's emphasis on "We the People": Douglass interpreted this as encompassing all people, including enslaved individuals, and aiming to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
- Absence of explicit "slavery" or "slave": He noted that the words "slave" or "slavery" do not appear in the Constitution. Instead, it uses euphemisms like "persons held to service or labor," which he argued did not necessarily validate perpetual bondage.
- Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause: Douglass argued that no person could be deprived of liberty without due process of law, a principle he saw as directly challenging the institution of slavery.
In essence, Douglass believed that the Constitution provided the framework for a free society and that the nation's failure to abolish slavery was a failure of moral will and political action on the part of its citizens and leaders, not a flaw in the founding document. His later view solidified his position as a constitutional abolitionist, advocating for the use of the Constitution's principles to fight against slavery.
