Illuminating the prejudice of America on the day of independence celebration was truly a risky move, but for one man, any amount of risk involved was worth saving the morality of a nation. Although slavery was culturally accepted at this time, many abolitionists fought to bring about an end to this heinous act. On July 5th, 1852, Frederick Douglass presented himself to the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester, New York, embracing the opportunity to voice his opposition towards ending slavery to the abolition-sympathetic audience. Reminding a nation of their morality and ethics not only required tact and intellect, but most importantly, unwavering faith. That meant trusting in his God’s plan, regardless if it meant potential failure. In his oration, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” Frederick Douglass displays this steadfast belief and diligently enhances his ethos as a man of faith with devout perspective, pious discipline and hope of a nation’s redemption. With respect to God’s power and authority, Douglass firmly establishes a religious identity that his audience could understand and appreciate. Douglas demonstrates his faith with devout perspective on Christianity through creating an analogy between America’s seemingly Christian acts and of past tyrannical acts. Douglass’s viewpoint is an advantage to him as a speaker. He can clearly see that Americans do not seem to follow the Christian principles that the nation was founded upon, and makes this clear with his speech. “And let me warn you” Douglass exclaims, “that it is dangerous to copy the example of a nation whose crimes, lowering to heaven, thrown down by the breath of the Almighty, burying that nation in irrecoverable ruin!” (120). Douglass shares this statement with the audience and enhances his ethos, or “the apparent character of the speaker,” by sharing America’s history of the revolutionary war and establish his credibility as a man of faith (Longaker and Walker 45). The historical connection in his statement serves as the credible link for Douglass as it is a well-known truth that his audience would understand. Douglass knows that his audience would be well versed in American history, and so he uses this to his advantage to create the analogy of how present day America is acting like a past tyrannical England through their oppressive treatment of slaves. Douglass effectively states “it is dangerous to copy the example of a nation,” Douglass wanted to bring awareness to their actions and evoke thoughts of God’s judgment within them. The criminal treatment of the colonists was what Douglass notes was “lowering to heaven,” and because of their mistreatment towards the early Americans, God’s response was “thrown downburying the nation in irrecoverable ruin.” Douglass knew his audience would be familiar with God’s wrath in the bible and this representation of God’s power through the defeat of England in war would help to illuminate that the same would