New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-03-09
Henry Evans, the Negro Preacher.

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Iu the course Of bis autobiography. Bishop Capen
may be found in many parts Of the South to shame
our abolition brethren, and who arc deuominated
"black preachers" The account Of Henry Evans, os
North Carolina, exhibits one Of thee:
Henry Evans was confessedly ths father os ths Ne
thodst Church, white and black, in Fayetevis, and
the best preacher Of his time in that quarter, and
so remarkable as to have become The greatest curl
osity Of the town ms much that distinguished vis
tors hardly felt that they might Pcs. Sunday in
Fayetteville without hearing him preach. Evans was
from Virginia shoemaker By trade, and, think,
dist quite young, and was licensed to preach in Viz
ginia. While yet young man he determined 70 =.
move to Charleston, s. G.; thinking be might succeed
him him to s stop p in Fayetteville and he began 70 pesc6
to the negroes with great effect The town ccuncil
nterfered, and no entre atty could prevail with them
to permit him to preach He then withdrew g me
sand hills out Of town, and held meeting. in the
woods, changing bis appointments from place to
place. No law was violated, willis the council wets
efectually eluded; and SO the opposition passed INTO
changing his appointments, 60 that when they went
to work their will upon him, he was preaching some
| where else.
| Happily for him, and the cause Of religion, his
honest countenance and earnest pleadiDs were soon
powerfully seconded by the fruits Of his labofs One
after another began to suspect their servants Oh A.
tending his preaching not because they wers mae -.
public morals Of the negroes too began to Be seem
particularly as regarded their habits Sunday and
drunkenness. And it was not long before the mob
was called of, by change in the current Of opinion,
and Evans was allowed to preach in town. At that
time, there was not single church edifce IN town,
and but one congregation, Presbyterian, who wor-
shipped in what was called the State house, under
which was the market and it was plainly Evans, OF
nobody, to preach to the negroes. Now, too Of tho
mstresses, there were not few, and some masters,
who were brought to think that the preaching which
had proved so beneficial to their servants might be
good for them also and the famous negro preacher
had some whites well blacks to hear him. Seats,
distinctly separated, at first appropriated TO the
whites, the pulpit. But Evans had already BE-
come famous, and these seats were insufficient. In
deed the negroes seemed likely to lose their preacher.
negro though he was, while the whites, crowded out
Of their appropriate Seats took possession OF those IN
the rear.
Meanwhile, Evans had represented to the preacher
Z Of Bladen Circuit how things were going, and In
duced him to take his meeting into the circuit
and Constitute church there. And, now there was
!. longer room for the negroes in the house when
Evans preached and for the accommodation OF both
# sheds were added to the house on either side the
whites occupying the whole Of the original building.
e and the negroes those sheds as part OF the same
house. Evans dwelling was shed at the pulpit end
a. hold meeting with the blacks in the church di
: rectly after morning preaching, every Sunday. And
the Sunday before his DEATH during this meeting
the little door between his humble shed and the chan
entered for a last farewell to his people. He was
almost too feeble to stand at ALL but supporting him
self by the railing of the chancel, be said have
l. come to say my last word to you. It is this None
- but Christ. Three times have had my life in jeop
e ardy for preaching the gospel to you Three times
have broken the ice the edge OF the water ant
,e swan the Cape Fear, to preach the gospel
!. you. And now, if in my last hour could trust
that to anything else but Christ cruced, for %!
salvation, all should be lost, and my soul perish for
. ever.' ..