into the shape and form of which they stood before this slave-holding rebellion. douglass built up a rage against those who would defend and spread the atrocities of slavery. but he feels the pressure. the pressure to be an example of peaceful protest. douglass works hard to reconcile the duality. so he transforms his rage into prose, and uses his sharp intellect and eloquent speech to deliver his message in a way the president and the rest of america can no longer ignore. r naon ion f, can you not see oue? and the ly choice is abolition or destruction. the only choice we have left is abolition or destruction. we must abolish slavery or abandon this union. we must abolish slavery. [ echoing ] do you hear me? do you hear me? when you start reading douglass in the newspaper, you see that he is now endorsing physical force and political activity.