Normal to Frederick Douglass, April 17, 1858

Letter from our Philadelphia Correspondent.

Philadelphia, Penn.,

April 17, 1848.

Passing along up Broad to Spring Garden street, just a few evenings since, we fell in with a large concourse scrambling to get the front seats in the Hall thereabouts. Just as everybody's patience was on the brink of running out, in came a great big man with a great big Irish head on his shoulders, light sandy hair and whiskers, fine as silk, pretty blue eyes which were small and sharp as a knife edge, an Irish nose, and finely cut mouth, and the pleasantest, sweetest, most agreeable physiognomy we had seen for a twelve month. Every body began to stamp and clap as soon as he entered, and a little unknown man, wedged in by a hundred or two ladies, jumped upon his seat and shouted "three cheers for Col Forney." Yes the enterer was Col. John W. Forney, the veritable Col. Forney whom the N. Y. Herald, the Tribune, the Pennsylvanian, the Washington Unio, and hundreds of small fry presses all over the country, have "crushed out" and annihilated on many a mournful occasion; the identical John who though a year ago the pet of Mr. Buchanan, and the universal Democracy, had wheeled right about and met Buchanan and Toombs, Bigler and his bosom, fireside friend Tom Florence, right face to face, in open combat, and driven them into defeat; the same Forney, who to all intents and purposes, is indefatigable and invincible, and who now as always, striking terror into the hearts of his enemies, succeeds in all that he undertakes.

We have very little faith in Col. Forney or his principles; but 'Diabolos suum dare,' he publishes the best daily news journal in Philadelphia, one which if it says nothing in favor of the free negro, studiously avoids denouncing and vilifying him, which is more than can be said of any other daily in our city. The Press has never to our knowledge, except on one occasion, directly attacked the free negro editorially, and this is saying much for a Philadelphia daily.

Political affairs hereabouts are taking on quite a jumbled up aspect. They have at last sunk down to that depth of "that lower deep," if such a place be in man's reach. Senator Wilson says the National Capitol is under a reign of terror. Mr. Greeley has been won't to denounce New York as the breathing hole of Perdition. But what shall be said of Philadelphia? Mayor Vaux, in imitation of Fernando I of Gotham,

has shamed democracy itself in lavishing the sweet crumbs of office. Low blackguards, cut-throats and vagabonds have been scooped up from sinks of corruption and vice, and placed in important and responsible positions. Knaves and villains of the deepest die have been our Jurymen an dofficers of Justice. Robbery and garroting have run riot on our streets. By the direct admission of one of our city Judges, juries have been packed and tampered with right in open court. Only a couple of weeks since, the notorious Sam Carson, then High Constable, was detected in the very act of tampering with a jury in an important murder case; he of course, resigned his office, but is now, we hear "in good and regular standing." The dreadful 'Bill McMullin,' than whose name that of Phila- delphia itself is hardly more widely know, the notorious leader of all Moyamensing in those dark days of riot and bloodshed which once hung over our city, HE has received the Democratic nomination for Alderman in 4th ward and without a shadow of doubt "Mulley" will be Alderman in the "bloody 4th" for the next five years.

Free negroes are kicked out of railroad cars, operas, theatres, colleges, most places of public resort, and alas! alas! from many of our pious churches, or to a despised corner therein.—Negro hatred reaches its culminating point under the shadow of the very Hall within whose upright walls it was first proclaimed that "all men are born free and equal."

The meanest and most contemptible dough-faces in Congress from the Free States, have hailed from this Quaker city. When a Southern slaveholder offered in Congress a resolution condemning the Slave trade, the meanest vote in all the country was given by the Hon. Thomas B. Florrence of Philadelphia, who went for the stupendous wrong with all the frightful "horrors of the middle passage."

The kidnapping of free citizens of Philadelphia has stalked abroad in the noonday sun—Only a short time since, a mother tried to sell her own dear little daughter into everlasting bondage! Swindling and robbing by hundreds of thousands and millions, have been carried on by pious church members right in broad daylight. Hardly a month ago, three of the most actively pious men in the city, came out over their signatures, calling on Sabbath school members to fling a few hundred pennies into some scheme of theirs for which they promised a "free admission in to the gates of the Heavenly city, a snow white robe, a crown of gold, a Heavenly harp, and a seat at the right hand of the Final Judge." (If this isnt' setting matters up to a

pretty high notch, it is certainly quite ahead of modern sublunary aspirations. Only think of a seat in heaven for a few dollars! Won't you take some stock?)

Abolition and Religion seem to keep pace, and the latter makes men and women rave and yell like madmen, and tear each other like wild beasts,—this is what we have seen and folks call it religion.

Yet this is Philadelphia, whose men come together as of old at morn, noon and night to offer prayer to the Infinite God. "O mores, O tempora!"

You have doubtless heard of the rich developments growing out of the "caving in" of the Pennsylvania Bank. Some how or other about a couple of millions have gone into somebody's coffers. The most frightful charges are brough against the late President, Thos. Allibone.—"Blood and thunder," editorials have flamed about him. Stockholders have blazed fire and brimstone speeches at him. And at last he has been hauled up in the Criminal Court, with a friend of his, on the charge of conspiracy to defraud. The prospect is that Mr. Allibone will be quite roughly handled. Meanwhile, Allibone live like a Prince, in magnificence and splendor.

It has leaked out here in certain circles that the great awkward Senator Bigler is sharing the profits of the Pennsylvanian, as part owner.—This is decidedly racy, especially when we call to mind the fact that the Bigler family are pretty well cared for by Mr. Buchanan, some eight or ten of them being in the service of their country at a great sacrifice to their private and personal feelings.

To come from Senator Bigler to squirrels, from awkwardness to agility, we have, with sorrow to record that some mean Philadelphians, having kicked and buffeted negroes and "poor white trash" to their hearts content, have made an attack on the beautiful grey squirrels which adorn our parks, proposing that they be ousted from their quarters. This is in perfect keeping with Democracy, is'nt it?

NORMAL.