For Frederick Douglass' Paper.

FROM OUR SAN FRANCISCO CORRESPONDENT.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 14, '56.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS: DEAR SIR:—I resume my pen to transmit a few items, which may not prove uninteresting to your intelligent readers.

California, at present, (politically speaking,) is intensely Southern in feeling and action. She knows "no North, no East, no West"—nothing but the South. She has prostituted herself beyond all parallel, and is now a foul excrescence on the body politic—loathesome beyond endurance. What she expects to gain by this course, so inimical to her true interest, is more than any sane person can conjecture.—The South has done nothing for her, and is not likely to do anything, as they are aware she must return to her senses before a great while. Wm. H. Seward has done more for the interests of the State, than all her own representatives combined. He has taken especial interest in her welfare; but the has never taken the slightest notice of his eminent services; but instead, the Pike County Legislature (the lower house, or the lowest house) has passed resolutions condemning the election of N. P. Banks to the Speakership, as tending to promote the "dissolution of the Union."—Would to God! it could be dissolved; the North, once free from the South, would become a mighty republic. Her moral and physical power enabling her to absorb all the rebellious elements on the continent of America, she would speedily become a second Russia in power.

The Banks resolutions have not come before the Senate for action yet. It is, thought they will not pass them, as there is some little decency in the body. Ten members voted in the negative on the Banks resolutions in the House; but one of them, the next day asked to have his name recorded in the affirmative, as "he had been denounced as an Abolitionist."—Poor, miserable fellow! he "couldn't stand the pressure." This will give you some idea of the moral courage of a large portion of Eastern men in California. Southern men, on the

contrary, are constantly insulting the North and Northern men. On the streets, at the public tables of steam-boats and hotels, the expressions "d—d Yankee," "d—d Abolitionist," are as familiar as household words; and yet Northern men will sit by as mute as lambs, not daring to own their native soil, except when the indefinite word "America" expresses it. Oh! shame on such contemptible cowardice. It is unworthy the meanest slave on Legree's plantation.

The Democratic State Convention, to elect delegates to the Cincinnati Convention, has adjourned after a three days' session. They endorsed Pierce's administration from first to last, but repudiated Pierce. What refined cruelty this is! Not one delegate advocated the claims of Pierce for renomination—and this after his extraordinary bids for it. "Buchanan!" "Buchanan!" is the war cry of the Democratic party. Alas! poor, Pierce—"none so poor as to do him reverence." He will shortly follow in the footsteps of that notorious renegade, John Mitchell, and go to that bourn from whence no political traveller will, henceforward, return.

The "Americans" are alarmed at the prospect of Buchanan's nomination; and well they may be, for the renomination of Pierce is their only hope. But in either event, they are doomed to ultimate defeat and death. The next great contest will be between Liberty and Slavery. This is divesting the thing of its tinsel and tomfoolery, whether it be in the shape of Democracy, Republicanism, Americanism, or any other or .

We have not presented our Petition for the right to testify in the courts as yet; but will have done so before the next steamer sails, when I will advise you of its fate. This disability makes us so helpless, we are exposed to every species of outrage and indignity. Thieves steal our effects before our eyes, and laugh and mock at our inability to convict them. But this is not all. It closes against us a thousand avenues to places of trust and profit. A colored man is obliged to employ a white man as clerk, or give him an interest in his business, in order to protect it; and you must see how completely he is at the mercy of his partner or clerk. This is no exaggerated picture. Every day my ear is pained, and my heart made sick of wrong and outrage in this particular. For proof of my statement, ask any intelligent returned Californian. If we could obtain our "," hundreds would send immediately for their families, and hundreds more would take the necessary steps to procu[r]e them, who under the existing state of things, cannot make up their minds to settle in the State.

The dullness of the times is the all-absorbing topic at present. The fountain of our prosperity is literally dried up—that is, water. It has not rained for two months, and this is the "rainy season," or the season in which it should rain. There is an immense quantity of snow on the mountains, which will melt in warm weather, and supply the mines with water, when times must be better.

California has lost nearly all her distinguished features; wages are a very little better than in New York, and living much more. I know of several persons who are employed at $20 per month—laborers from $2 to $3 per day—their board from $5 to $8 per week—washing from $2 to $3 per doz. Many persons work all winter for their board. You will perceive this is not the El Dorado many persons imagine. "Distance lends enchantment to the view."—Nothing is done on a healthy basis. Money is obtained at ruinous of interest—from 3 to 10 per cent a month—which no investment will justify. The consequence is, failures are daily occurrences. To invest your money in real estate—the title of which is as good as a slaveholder's to a seat in heaven—is to throw it away. To deposit it in any of the numerous banks, is to tempt the bankers to steal, which, by the way, seems to be the legitimate object for which banks are established in California. Thieving is the order of the day, whether by the failure (which they know must take place) of banker or merchant, or the sharp financiering of J. C. Wood's, Meggs', or Sanders', or the swindling land speculator or office-holder.—It is all theft, because their motives are dishonest. This is a gloomy picture.

The , edited by James King, is engaged in the task (a Herculean one) of exposing corruption in high places; and it is daily bringing to light transactions so infamous, that in any other community would consign their authors to the penitentiary or gallows. Familiarity breeds indifference, and we are not startled by its awful disclosures. To give you some idea of how we have been deceived by those in whom we reposed confidence, I have only to say that the receiver, appointed to settle the affairs of Adams & Co., turned out to be a in the robbery of which J. C. Wood was the principal. But I cannot expect that these things will interest you who are so far removed from the scene of their action.

.—The Banks resolutions of the Assembly did not pass the Senate. It was thought by this body (the Senate) to adopt them would be to "run the thing into the ground." They, however, deprecated all agitation of this vexed question.

Our petition has been presented in the Senate, or rather Mr. Flint presented a petition from merchants of San Francisco, numerously signed, "praying for the repeal of the statute invalidating negro and mulatto testimony for or against any white person." On the same day Mr. Tiske, of El Dorado Co., presented one, praying for the same, from his own constituency. The Legislature will be flooded with these petitions. As yet, they have excited no discussion, but have been quietly referred to the Judiciary Committee. Two years ago our petitions were burned and thrown out of the windows of the capitol. But we are gradually becoming humanized—not civilized. But enough at present. More anon.

Respectfully,

NUBIA.