Canandaigua, March 4th, 1848.

Friend Douglass:ーI was very much interested in looking over the last number of the Star, in the address to the Christians of Rochester, and your strictures on Revivals. Perhaps you would be interested in hearing that we have protracted meetings in the various pro-slavery churches in this village; and I think this week, it is called a revival "Souls born into the Kingdom." You must not infer, that we are not a religious people, because the advocates of the suffering slave were shut out of every meeting-house in this place. Almost our whole population are members of the church; and almost ever winter, special efforts are made to gather the rising generation into the "Ark of Safety." Yet I am inclined to think, this revival was commenced so late in the season, that few will be gathered.

Canandaigua, is a very religious place.ーPiety is fashionable, and few are so short sighted, as to their interest to remain long one of the "fold." The praises of God are echoed back from the walls of the sanctuary, on each returning Sabbath. The condition of the poor heathen on the other continent, is well remembered. Weekly prayers are put forth in their behalf; and money is poured forth freely to convert them from the error of their opinions. But heathens of America, heathens that are made such by the wicked and ungodly laws of this professedly Christian land, and whose members are increasing at the rate of 100,000 per year; their case must not be mentioned, and rather than be annoyed with such an unpleasant topic, the churches of this village have excommunicated every Abolitionist from their communion. Their business is to preach the gospel and save souls, and not meddle with such secular matters as slavery. They have too much religion, to rebuke the wicked and cruel war with Mexico; too much religion to put forth any well directed effort to stay the tide of intemperance, that now appears to be coming in like a flood; too much religion, to rebuke the system of caste and respect of persons, by which the image of God in the person of the poor colored man, is flouted and despised in the sanctuary. They have a higher mission. Souls must not have their attention turned off from the one thing needful, by the seculiar topics. To sustain an unpopular reform with them, would be the greatest folly. The gospel is to do up the whole work of the world’s redemption; why should they lose their reputation by attacking any one specific wrong?

In revivals like the present, the all absorbing interest is the love of souls; but how much real love for souls there is among the rev[iv]alists, I will illustrate by an incident: The Rev. T., a great revivalist, who formerly preached for one of the most aristocratic and bitterly proslavery churches of this village, during the progress of a revival in 1843, addressed a young man of my acquaintance, as follows: "Dear H., how I love your soul," throwing his arm around his neck. H., replied, "Mr. T., I have lived with you several years in Canandaigua, and have met you several times every week on the side-walk, and yet you never appeared to know or notice me. "My soul is no better than I am," and turned away in disgust. The same Rev. was on terms of intimacy with a respectable family by the name of J. About 1842 Mr. J., died insolvent. His widow remarked to me some years after her husband’s death, that Mr. T., used frequently to visit them when they were rich, but now that she was left a poor widow he never called.

The doctrine most strenuously insisted upon during these scenes of awakening, is the total depravity of men. A Rev. Doctor of Divinity of your city, who preached here not many days ago, in his endeavor to impress this doctrine upon his audience, acknowledged himself to be a devil. I quote his language, "We are very devils in thy sight." I know mankind in general, do not take such men to be in earnest in such expressions; but I am inclined to think, that so far as a pro-slavery ministry are concerned, the man was not wide of the mark; and that the converts of such men, are left in very much the same condition with those, who are described in the 23 Chapter of Matthew, by the Saviour of the world.

Yours, for the truth,

JOHN MOSHER.