Harveysburgh, O., 9th mo. 4th, 1848.

Dear Douglass:ーIn this part of Ohio, like every other plade from which we get news, the foundation upon which slavery stands is heaving and rolling as the crust of this earth does in time of an earthquake, when the lava is put in violent motion beneath it.ーThere never was a time when the public mind was so ripe for receiving and understanding the truths connected with everything which is thought either to injure or to benefit the race. The lines are being drawn, and the people are falling into the routes of one or the other of the great divisions. One of these divisions incorporates in its route men, women, and children, who, with a glowing and philanthropic love of virtue and universal happiness, are going forward undaunted, fully confident that God is on their side, and knowing that their toil is not going to be in vain, they feel a renewing of strength and zeal, morning, noon and evening. The other division, composed mainly of men who have been unfortunately situated in youth, and who consequently have the higher faculties of their nature but faintly developed, whilst the low and animal are strongly marked. These, like the fox and the wolf, use what capacity they have in gratifying their ruling propensities, sometimes devouring, at other times howling in lank, hungry despair. But their ravenous days are numbered, and a glorious opportunity is now offering for every friend of the race to make the number less. The day is now at hand when human language, written or spoken, can have a light and a brightness embodied within it which will melt fetters and chains, and cause them to fall like soft wax before the shining sun.

"March to the battle-field,
The foe is now before us,
Each heart is freedom's shield,
And heaven is smiling o'er us.
The woes and paint of slavery's chains,
That bind the millions under,
In proud disdain we'll burst their chain,
And tear each link asunder."

Let the pen, the press, and the tongue of the orator, all be diligently employed in behalf of universal emancipation. Let no one be idle. Let no one wait for others to lead the way. Let there be a series of meetings in every town and every village, and in every school district in every State. Let the Disunionists and non-voters encourage the Free Soil Party, and the Free Soil folks will soon pay back the work, with interest. I attended a Taylor meeting in Green county, a few days ago, to hear Thomas Corwin, and other men of note, bray at the people in behalf of the great hell-giver and damner of mankind. Corwin disgraced himself most shamefully in order to dress up his new doll-lady, Taylor, in the white robes of peace and purity, making him out the nation's only hope in this hour of its extreme danger. He made a weak, silly speech. Two other speakers followed him in the advocacy of Taylor's claims. One of them, Green, of Chillicothe, declared that Taylor was his first choice of all men for the Presidency, &c. The other speaker was Carey, the great temperance lecturer, from Cincinnati. He declared that "if the three parties had all put their wits together, and had got the devil to help them, they could not have selected three men more odious to him than the three which they had presented." He also said: "Gentlemen, I would rather vote for Henry Clay's old boots, than to vote for General Taylor." In the evening at candlelight, the Free Soil folks had a meeting in a large hall, which was crowded full of listeners. They had three most excellent speakers, and three soul-cheering songs, accompanied by instrumental music. The speakers were Messrs. Mills, Bratney and Shields, who all did good service in behalf of human rights. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Bratney, (who was the former editor of the Xenia Torch Light, a Whig paper,) said: "We are accused of having left the Whig party and gone off to the abolitionists. But, gentlemen, I have never been identified with the abolitionists, and I feel that candor and honesty requires me to state the reasons why I have not been, and they are as follows: Because I have stifled my own convictions of duty; I have warred agaisnt my own conscience, rebelled against my own reason, and these are the only reasons why I am not with the abolitionists, heart and soul, tonight." The speeches of Corwin, Green and Carey were dissected, so far as they could be found to have any parts to them to dissect; and to include the proceedings of the day and evening together, I should count it a most glorious triumph of the Free Soil over the Slave Soil party. It is a wonder with many persons how Corwin could have the knowledge of the tricks of slaveholders which his speeches in the Senate display, and then kick the pail over and spill it all by pleading with the North to still bow the supple hinges of the knee, and choose a cruel and vengeful slaveholder as their President. This, however, is thought by many of Corwin's old friends in this region, to be attributable to the great fact long ago discovered, that "Money is the root of all evil." There are persons in this neighborhood who have heard Corwin candidly declare it as his opinion, that there was no man but what could be bought at some price or other; and on the same evening he declared that he distrusted everybody, and distrusted himself. He has stood very high in the estimation of his friends in this region heretofore, but it is painful now to look upon him. He doubtless feels bad, and how could he expect any other feeling when he has voluntarily jumped into the great whirlpool of slavery, where he cannot swim, and feels himself sinking to rise no more. His own explanation of his abject looks when I saw him at Xenia the other day, was, that he was sickーI understood to mean really and physically sick, and same as we are all liable to be, even if we have behaved the best that we know how; but whilst I did not feel at liberty to doubt his word in the least in that matter, I could not help thinking that his position would be enough to make some folks sick.

V. Nicholson.