4th of July good or bad

I think the point that Douglas is trying to get across is that even though the 4th of July means a lot to Americans, it may not mean the same thing for slaves. Slaves were still slaves no matter what, the white man had all the rights, and slaves had none, they were treated as nothing more than property. We may celebrate this holiday, when in fact it did not free all Americans. I love the way he appeals to logos, by using the beliefs of his audience, who do own slaves, against them. It is interesting how he says that a slave may be punished for thinking the thoughts of a free man. The only difference between animals and humans is that we, as humans, have the ability to make our own choices. It is basically saying that we are punishing slaves for doing what a white man can do, and that is think for himself. He also uses the harsh treatment against the white man, which is a very good strategy in trying to sway his audience. Ethos, he uses the declaration of independence saying that all men are created equal. I think a good way to sum this up is to say that this celebration in history meant nothing for a slave until he was free.