Normal to Frederick Douglass, March 5, 1858

For Frederick Douglass' Paper.

From our Philadelphia Correspondent.

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut,

March 5, 1858.

Snatching a couple of days from the somewhat monotonous routine of an exacting profession, we repaired to spend them under the cooling shades of this delightful "city of Elms"—cooling enough, we assure you, the thermometer standing at 7° F. You will perceive that this must be particularly refreshing to a Philadelphian who seldom or never sees Fahrenheit coil himself down to zero. We came hither bent on gleaming among the profuse ideas hereabouts touching Rocks—not indeed the plural of our long lost friend and co-laborer 'Rock' of your columns—nor yet the 'Rocks' in vogue among Teutoni as Metall-Geld, but the genuine 'Rocks' of Dana and Silliman, whereof we may tell you anon.

We have had some quite brisk times here in the world political these two or three days. The Democratic State Convention sat at Union Hall, Wednesday. Every body was on the tip-toe of expectation concerning what the unterrified would resolve touching the Lecompton affair.—Was the Douglas or Buchanan wing to resolve what is true Democracy? Mr. Geo. M. Landers, an ex-Senator, whose excellent personal qualities, we should think would revolt at his connection with the damnable and blasphemously wicked Democratic Party, brought in, as Chairman of the Committee of the Committee on Resolutions, some milk and water resolves and whereases touching State moneys and taxes, ignoring completely the real point at issue between the two wings of the faithful. This brought Hon. Colin M. Ingersoll to his feet. Collin saved the Union in '54 by voting for the Kansas-Nebraska act, right in the face of instructions from his immediate constituents; but these constituents thereupon 'resolved' that Collin should stay at home, and he had not therefore had a chance to save the Union before for some time. Collin who is quite good at drawing room declamation, and a withal a pretty good looking man, roused the slumbering energies of his brethren in arms, and immediately as he sat down, one of the richest scenes of the season was enacted. A Douglas man mounted his seat and bellowed out with tremendous force, denouncing the Buchaneers rank

and file, whereat he was hooted and hissed at most violently. The Hall was crowded to suffocation, and not less than three hundred pair of stentorian lungs were in pretty active play with in the space of five minutes, shouting 'Mr. Chair man,' 'one word,' 'out with the d——n Black Republican,' he's no member,' 'Mr. Chairman, I—& c. Fully six hundred members were on their feet, some mounting their seats, and some of the more sage were quieting the fiery members. Mr. Strong of Hartford, (for he was the Douglasite,) stood his ground like a hero, and assured his brethren with the most frightful pair of lungs that we ever heard, that he would be heard. Matters and things looked very cloudy and we, caring more for our personal safety than for either Hon. S.A. Douglas or James Buchanan, quietly withdrew. The Convention however unfurled the Lecompton banner. Gen. Pratt was made the nominee for Governor. The General could not be drawn out, in his speech on Lecompton. Desperate efforts were made to have him declare himself on this point. But he kept clear of snags. We believe that the General was in Congress in '54, and voted against the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. That is not a good recommendation for him at head quarters about this time, is it? John Cotton Smith, the great stump orator of Connecticut Democracy, who steadily opposed for several years in the Legislature of this State, the extension of the right of suffrage, was made nominee for Lieut. Gov.

Prof. B. Silliman, Sen., assured us just a moment ago that he had no more to do with the inception, preparation, or writing of the famous 'Silliman letter' to Mr. Buchanan last summer that we had—he never saw it, and knew nothing of it, till it was written and signed by several gentlemen, and brought to him for his signature. The first letter was penned by the gentleman whose name appeared last among the signatures, Mr. Twining. The second letter which was in reply to President Buchanan's famous production, was written by the venerable Rev. Dr. N. W. Taylor, Professor of Didactic Theology. You doubtless remember that that was quite a spicy affair. We regret that it was not known at the time that Dr. Taylor wrote it, because it will be recollected that, in 1850, he was among the first to applaud Mr. Webster's course, and even stepped out so far as to undertake to defend slavery itself. In 1850, Dr. Taylor, as we have said, defended Slavery and the Fugitive Slave Bill; in 1854, he came out most powerfully against Pierce, Douglas and the Nebraska Bill; in 1857, he read a scathing letter to Mr. Buchanan and the country on the heinous crime of slavery, and now in 1858, the powerful old man is about to pass into the

grave. As we write, his reason has taken its fight, and ere the dawn of another Sabbath, he will probably have gone to that home whence no traveller returneth. His is a crooked history on the slavery question for these eight years, and yet it is very nearly that of New England.

The inquest in the case of young Miles was concluded yesterday. The Jury said that he came to his death at the hands of students in Yale College, to the Jury unknown; And took occasion to censure the students for refusing to testify. We believe that it is a principle of the 'lex non scripta' that one shall not be compelled to criminate himself. Every few years the College students have taken occasion to kill one or two of the 'town boys,' and then when called as witnesses, would peremptorily refuse to answer, upon the principle just stated. The State suddenly found out a short time ago that it was a solemn mockery to be thus baffled by the ones who by their own showing were knowing to and perhaps participators in cold blooded murders and other villainies. A law was then upon enacted empowering magistrates to coerce witnesses to answer any question which a jury might think essential to a full knowledge of the facts in the case before them. In this case of Miles, the Jury undertook to bring the students up to the mark, for refusing to testify as usual. It worked thus; a student would refuse to answer a question, the Jury and the Coroner would hand him over into Custody and he would immediately be released by a habeas corpus—most likely that'll be the last of it. And now the poor Jurymen censure the students because they won't testify. If this isn't disgraceful to Connecticut law, to the Connecticut Judiciary and to Justice itself, we know not what is entitled to that adjective. Behold Connecticut frustrated by a little handful of 'Sophs' and 'Fresh'.

The 'town boys' are terribly enraged, but have thus far been kept quiet by judicious and cool-headed leaders. They claim to be waiting to see what the course of the law will be.

The religious excitement which is sweeping the country has just commenced here among the colored people of course.

The Banks are paying specie; but that amounts to nothing when there is no demand for it, by any who can get it. Business is at a pretty low ebb, duller if possible than in Philadelphia, where ere this reaches you, we mean to the safely quartered, though not exactly in a mathematical sense.

NORMAL.