Why does the author include a quote from henry wadsworth longfellow, in paragraph 32

" Fredrick Douglas includes this quote to call for action in the present, and in doing so he makes us question what to do with the past. This part of the speech takes away focus from the past to the present circumstances of the fugitive slave law, the Northern church's lack of condemnation regarding slavery, the internal" I found this on quizlet

https://quizlet.com/339753913/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july-commonlit-flash-cards/

Explanation:

it is an infinitive phrase with a subject.