BOSTON, June 11th, 1855.

F. Douglass, Esq.: MY DEAR SIR:—Mr. Joseph Hiss delivered a lecture at the Music Hall, on Wednesday evening, to about three hundred persons, including three ladies. His subject was "an Historical account of the doings of the past Legislature." He made some severe charges on three or four members of the House. There is an old saying which is sometimes a true one, that "it takes a rogue to catch one."

Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ancient York Masons will celebrate the Anniversary of the birth of St. John the Baptist, on Monday the 25th inst., by a public procession in full regalia—the Grand Lodges of New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania are invited and expected to be present, and participate in the ceremonies of the day. Addresses are expected to be delivered by brothers John T. Hilton and Dr. J. S. Rock, of Boston, Rev. Joshua Woodlin, of New Jersey, and Samuel Vanbrackle and Dr. James Joshua Gould BiasBias, James Joshua Gould

James Joshua Gould Bias (1807–60) was a physician and preacher living in Philadelphia. Born a slave in Maryland, he learned some medical knowledge while working with a physician there. When Bias obtained his freedom, he moved to Philadelphia, attending the Eclectic Medical School and graduating in 1852. He devoted much of his time before the Civil War tending to the medical and dental needs to fugitive slaves in Southeast Pennsylvania. Bias also was the pastor at the Bethel Church in Philadelphia. He played a leading role in the Colored Conventions movement, holding a number of positions. While Bias endorsed emigration, he rejected the policies of the American Colonization Society, rejecting its White leadership. “Our Philadelphia Letter,”(New York, N.Y.) Weekly Anglo-African, 7 July 1860; George F. Bragg, Jr., Men of Maryland (Baltimore: Church Advocate Press, 1925), 54–55; Michael Dickinson, “Dr. J. J. Gould Bias,” Colored Conventions Project, Coloredconventions.org. , of Philadelphia, and Paul Drayton, on New York. The addresses and festival are to be in Faneuil Hall.

We like your criticisms on Mr. Sumner's lecture. Most of our friends seem to take hold of the anti-slavery work as a matter of duty, and no more believe that the blacks are naturally equal to the whites, than they believe chalk is cheese. Let this superiority of the whites be met and tested. We could wish that Dr. Rock's lecture on "The Races and Slavery," could be delivered everywhere, but unfortunately it cannot. White men, in referring to the social condition of the blacks, seem to forget the mass of themselves. We have every confidence in Mr. Sumner. We believe he aims "to leave the world better than he found it." We consider him in every respect a great and good man but this does not alter our opinion that the admissions which Mr. Sumner makes in his lecture are extremely unfortunate for us. We feel it our duty to speak of these matter, notwithstanding our personal predilections.

About a week ago, Patrick Toomey applied to the City Registrar for a certificate of marriage to Honora Sullivan, (both Irish.) The certificate was issued, and Toomey placed it in possession of his intended, for safe keeping, until the all important ceremony should take place. Honora, however, it appears, was of somewhat fickle disposition, and meeting a young man whom she liked better, induced him to personate Toomey, and under that name he was duly married to the fair Honora. The priest who performed the marriage ceremony makes a return to the Registrar, that he has united Patrick Toomey and Honora Sullivan. But now comes forward Patrick Toomey, and says he is not married, "sure;" and feels indignant that he should be at the trouble of making the necessary arrangements for a person who not only defrauded him out of his fifty cents which he paid for the certificate, but also his good name.

The liquor riot in Portland seems to have originated from a suspicion among some of the "topers" that Mayor Dow had bought $1,600 worth of liquor, and stowed it away contrary to the laws of the State. A large crowd of men and boys soon collected about the place where the liquor was stored, and threw stones and other missiles against the building, no doubt intending only to destroy the liquors. In the mean time, a warrant was issued and the liquors were seized as coming into the State contrary to law. The crowd was requested by the public to disperse, but refused to do so; the military was then called out; the crowd still continued to throw stones and other missiles; the military was then ordered to fire on them; they fired at first over their heads; the riot still continued, and the military were told by the ring-leaders of the mob, that they dare not fire; at last the order was given to fire, and the principal ringleader was shot through the great , and five or six others were wounded. That was the last of the riot. The stones "fell to rise no more." Considerable excitement has prevailed, and all kinds of reports have been in circulation by the hireling press in pay of the rumsellers.

We told you in our last, how the K. N. Convention in Philadelphia would operate.—Mr. Somebody shakes his fist in Mr. Wilson's face! Verily, we are no prophet. Let the "tornado" come. The worst will be when they attempt to lay down their platform.

On Monday, Mr. Joseph Wilder, a dealer in confectionary in Lawrence, was fined eighty dollars and costs, and committed to the House of Correction for one hundred and fifty days, for selling brandy contrary to law. He talked of appealing, but he retracted his plea of not guilty, and has commenced his services for the country.

On Tuesday some villains removed the rails on the track of the Western railroad, near Worcester and placed huge stones under them.—The consequence was, that the whole train was thrown from the track, the engine, tender, baggage car, and one passenger car, were made almost a complete wreck: and most singular to relate, there was no accident to any person on board, or any serious character. Adams & Co. had on board some $800,000 in specie in kegs, to go out in the steamer America, a portion of the money was spilled, but was all recovered.—The intention was evidently to rob. The perpetrators are supposed to have been Irish who were ejected from the cars, for non-payment of their fares. The crash was heard distinctly at Worcester the distance of two miles.

We think that the National Convention should be held in Boston. Let us, if possible, draw the attention of the free colored people to the North. A National Convention in this City would be and would leave an impression which could not be easily wiped out; but in Philadelphia, where there are as many thousands as there are hundreds of the colored people, and where they exercise no political influence, and where there is not an appreciative public to take an interest in it, it would be like their Annual Conference, all bustle and excitement at the time, and days after, it would have the sound of the resolutions, at most of our public meetings, resolutions and nothing else but resolutions. It is not probable that more than two or three papers would give anything but a fair report of it, while here, in Boston, it is not probable that more than three or four would give anything like an unfair report. You

will remember that we have one hundred and thirty papers published in this city, with an annual circulation of more than three hundred millions more than Philadelphia. The influence of a Mass Convention of the free colored men at the North, would produce a wonderful impression in our favor. Let us have such a convention here in Fanueil Hall, and it would ring from one side of the Hemisphere to the other; we are desirous of calling the attention of the enterprising, monied, and intelligent colored men to the North. We do not wonder that many of our people, who are living in the middle States, who are not allowed to ride in an omnibus, even in a storm, who are excluded from the first class cars on our railroads, and in some trains prohibited altogether, who are shut out of ever literary society or lecture, proscribed in every place of amusement, and above all denied the Rights of suffrage, are often willing to take up with the offers of colonizationists; but let the tide of emigration be turned in this direction—let our monied men enter into business here—let our talent be concentrated here—I mean in New England—and we will make it the "Sebastopol" of Freedom, against which the allied powers of slavery, with the filibustering Executive at their head, with the fugitive slave law in one hand and a legion of "six shooters" in the other, backed up by all his available Northern and Southern bloodhounds, would be powerless as infants. Come, see, and believe.—Let us have the Convention here.

We need a Correspondent in all the large cities, and especially in Cincinnati and Philadelphia, to give us a summary of the news. Will not some of our voluteer? Let us make "" a National organ, in which we can all take pride. We cannot speak for Cincinnati, but we do know that there is quite a brilliant array of talent in Philadelphia, some of which we are personally acquainted with. There is our esteemed friend, Franklin Turner, Esq., whom we have known from boyhood, and who is eminently qualified both as to leisure and ability; we have not met him often for the last few years, but we have always had much hope in him, (even when he used to be a strong Democrat,) as being a young man from whom our cause would receive much strength. I know that he is modest, but I hope this friendly allusion will call him out.—We must strike out our own broad path of duty, and go onward in it; and in this work we need the assistance of all. We hope by the end of this year, will number thirty thousand subscribers, and this can be easily effected, if each subscriber will just send him ten or a dozen paying subscribers in the course of the next six months, then we shall have done a good work in a great cause. Why should we not do so? Why should we not have an organ wholly devoted to our cause? Come friends, let us have the material aid. We say this on our own responsibility, but we think that we are correct. What say you? Shall we increase the circulation one thousand per cent, in the next six months; for one we are willing to do our part of the . Let every man say he will go and do likewise, without waiting for his neighbor, and the work is accomplished. Let us enter into the field in .

S.