LAD #16 5th of July

Douglass starts out by asking the citizens what he or the people he represents has to do with their nation independence. He wishes that an affirmative answer could be returned for the questions he asks at the beginning of his speech because his task would be easier if that were so.  July 4th has a lack of importance to him as a former slave because he was not emancipated on that day and instead, 100+ years later he was still a slave. The celebration means nothing to any slave since they are still kept in slavery and have no rights of their own. Instead they are bound by laws and by racism to their masters. He believes that the slaves are victims to the cruel nation of America.