Philadelphia, Feb. 8, 1848.

Friends Douglass and Delany.—In reading your valuable paper, from the first number to the present, I have looked over your correspondence carefully for something from our city of Brotherly Love, hoping that some more able pen than mine would take hold and rouse our people from their slumbering condition.

You are aware that Philadelphia contains a great, if not a greater number, of colored persons, than any other city in this slaveholding Union.

There are a number of topics occupying the minds of the disfranchised in this city. The church is the great place of resort; thousands flock to the church, to hear anything but anti-slavery; for I am sorry to say, that the ministers in Philadelphia have not yet learned the first principles of human rights. The majority of our churches are so connected with slaveholding, that they have almost forgotten that this is a land of slaves. And those that do not stand so connected, have no disposition to open their doors, to have the claims of suffering humanity presented to their people. Yet I am pleased to be able to state, that our condition is much better than it was fifteen years ago.

We have a Lyceum and Library, where there is a lecture and a debate once a week. The question that has been discussed for the last few evenings, is "Have we a reasonable prospect that prejudice against our color will cease, and that we shall live on a social and political equality with the whites in this country?" The question has called forth some singular remarks; and notwithstanding the rapid progress our people have made, and are making, in general intelligence, there are those in our midst, from whom we should have expected better things, supporting conscientiously the negative side of the question.

The Sabbath question occupies the attention of some; but it is astonishing to hear how little the majority of persons know or have thought upon the subject. They take it for granted, that what their minister says is correct, without ever looking for themselves.

The attention of the people has been called something to petitions. The word white, in our constitution, which debars us from the elective franchise, has not as yet created that feeling of indignation in the minds of our people, that it ought.

I am, gentlemen, Yours,

GEO. W. GOINES.