Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-09-06
Negro Melodies.

10 the present prevalence OF negro songs,
none can deny, is attributable much of the
slang and low breeding found even among
circles where better might be hoped. Said
a gentleman Of fine taste to the writer, speak
ing of a lady who had frequented one of the
Ethiopian exhibitions during a fortnight of
consecutive evenings, : Why, Miss-h has
gone so often that she is nearly black A
significant and just criticism. There exists
in every one enough Of the faculty of imita-
ton to enable him to adopt any manner,
style or habit which may chance to impress
his fancy or chime in with bis momentary
mood; and, as in this present fallen state Of
being, our nature is by far more ready to
copy evil than good, we are, consequently,
especially susceptible of bad Influence. The
negro minstrelsy, acting on this foible, is.
therefore, exercising a more extensive and
injurious influence upon society at large than
many would imagine, not only as regards
the progress of musical science, but also of
morals and religion.
1t is true it receives no countenance from
persons of natural refinement, nor from
those whose tastes have become so throgh
iudicious education and elevating a~ssocia-
tons; but it is dangerously alluring to a far
more important, because a more numerous
class,-the lhoughtless and the very young,
who are attracted by anything mirthful, and
which demands no toll from the Intellect
Through the medium Of amusement PERM
cious lessons may be conveyed with double
facility. Here is an extract from a new
version Of the History of the Creation, taken
from the music book of a young lady:
obey first made the earth, and den dey made
the sky,
And den dey hung it up above and left it dal
to dry;
Den dey made tho stars out of niger wenches
eyes,
To give a little light when the moon don't rise.
Instill tn is elegant lyric into the memor,
of a child-and such like are every da,
learned by little children, before they hav
been taught the name Of God, or the frs
line of nursery hymn, to the extreme deligh
of those who forget their responsibility at th
great tribunal-and sacred truths will hence
forth be associated in his mind with lov
burlesque. First impressions never wea
of, and the stain thus imprinted on the sou
is ineffaceable. A lady Of the writer's ae
quaintance once forcibly illustrated this fac
She had attended on Saturday night a negr
concert, and been much entertained with
choice morceGu, the burden Of which "a
somewhat thus:
"Dar's no use knockin at de door any more
On the esuing Sabbath she went as usu'
to church, where the Rev. Dr.-preache
a most impressive sermon upon the subje
Of the Final judgement and of the eterni
misery of the wicked, who shall be Hanishe
from the Divine Presence. In the cour:
of his remarks he happened to say, An
then, my brethren. there will be no III
knocking at the door any more or words
the same effect, which screwed the absur
scenes of the previous evening, that h'
gravity was entirely overcome, and the solem
address turned into a farce. There is a
other rhyme now abroad about Jordan
casting mockery upon that most awful
truths, the mysterious transit-moment of Il
soul from time into eternity, s~ymbolized
the river Jordan. The author Cd perhaI
intended no profanity nothing but ign
rance of the sacredness of the subject can
an apology.-Honae Journal.