Fredrick Douglass’s speech is addressing the hypocricy of America for having a day dedicated to celebrating freedom. The title of the speech itself has a tone of sarcasm because this country that has taken the freedom of so many African American people. In the speech Douglass says “The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, the distance between this platform and the slave plantation, from which I escaped, is considerableā€”and the difficulties to be overcome in getting from the latter to the former, are by no means slight. That I am here to-day is, to me, a matter of astonishment as well as of gratitude”. The quote demonstrates the irony that Douglass is experiencing for making a speech about Fourth of July. Not far from where he is making his speech is where his own freedom was stripped from him. It makes the audience wonder what this day really means and who it benefits. Additionally, in the speech he states “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future. To all inspiring motives, to noble deeds which can be gained from the past, we are welcome”. There is an optimistic tone that makes the audience feel encouraged to strive for better moving forward. Douglass is suggesting America to move forward by acknowledging the wrongs that have occurred not by ignoring it. There are lessons to be learned by the past mistakes of this country and if we are to honor what this country claims to represent then all Americans deserve the same rights.