Who is Douglass referring to when he says, "They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters"?

Douglas is referring to the men who have faith in freedom but without any agitation when he says, "They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters"

Explanation:

Frederick Douglass was an American Reformer who once gave a speech on 'West India Emancipation'. This speech revealed the forthcoming Civil War which seemed to be inevitable at that time.

Douglass asserts that without protests there can be no freedom. The main idea expressed in this line is that if a man seeks a change, revolt has to precede. Unless there is discontent with the prevailing scenario, the hope of improvement of change of the situation for the better cannot be expected.

Just like the roaring waves are a part of the ocean, people constitute a nation. They will revolt, unsatisfied with the circumstances and possessing the faculty to express themselves. They will roar so that it may be heard. It is their right and no one should expect them not to assert their right when the situation demands it. Thinking men speak their minds.