The speech was given by Fredrick Douglas when he sought to outline the hopes and aspirations of the Black race in American society. In his speech, Douglass asserts that the most pressing need of the Negros at that particular time was their immediate, unconditional, and universal enfranchisement. This, the Negro was demanding as a right. The idea that the Negro wasn’t ready for enfranchisement was just but a ploy to keep them longer as slaves in their own country.
While arguments of the inferiority of the Negro were being used to deny them their rightful place in the nation, Douglas asserted that it was rather the humiliation that his race had had to endure that led to a perpetual feeling of inadequacy and self-consciousness. Also, imperialism, slavery and colonization proponents always needed some ideological argument to support their injustice against fellow humans. This was the gist of the matter according to the black community.
Douglas declared the fact that women lacked elective franchise too should never be used to keep Blacks voiceless since two wrongs would never make a right. Rather, he declared his support for women’s demand for elective equality with men.
He asked for the support of the moderates in demanding for the rights of the black since in not speaking, they too were condoning, and supporting the slavery of Blacks.
Douglass, in this speech, expresses his dreams regarding a free American society in which the Negro was assimilated, and a culture of race discrimination was history. This was based on his belief in the equality of all men and the universal brotherhood of the human race. These are the ideals that would lead, he believed, to an individualistic and meritocratic society.