After reading and listening to Douglass’ speech, the message he’s trying to send is trying to sway or convince people that slavery should be abolished and trying to point his argument saying that all men should be equal and celebrate freedom and liberty on the fourth of July, but so many Americans can’t do that due to slavery. In the speech, Douglass says “The Blessings in which you this day rejoice, are not in common” restating he’s in going problems with the 4th of July having wealthy Americans celebrate the liberty and freedom that they have incurred, but that changes when it comes to slaves, trying to preach to his white Christian audience saying that the slaves can’t celebrate that same freedom that the wealthy have. Douglass also states that “Knowledge was then confined and enjoyed by the privileged few, and the multitude walked on in mental darkness” reinforcing the idea that slaves can’t experience or have knowledge because they grew up with chains on their ankles forced to do other Americans bidding. The privileged few would be the audience to which he’s speaking, trying to make them realize the differences between one side having freedom with knowledge and prosperity and the other side being a slave with ignorance and hardship.