The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1865-12-28
Strange Rellgious Frenzy.
The. Worlds New 0fleans correspon.

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Strange Rellgious Frenzy aiolk
The Worlds New Orleans corresponsdr
dent relates the following strange scene e4o
in IN negro church, in that city, as wit
messed BY him on the occasion of an +
administration of the rite Of baptism: eaf,sa;
Amongaths striking pecuharties ;of,ase.
the American negro is his fondness 6oi,o9ri
noisy demo onstrations ofs religious fersW
yor, which has been frequently renarkeda.ba
by travellers inithel South. Tt isa said se
that the Chinese have no conception Tofi.ilo,
bravery or heroism unless accompanied tmo
with the beating of gongs and, atom7no11
toms }, and the negroes have similar ideas hoo,
in the Performance Of their religious d >,
ceremonies Not only a great noise mo.
and hustle seems necessary to them, =,
but, like the rites Of the Indian Fakirs, rea.
it must be accompanied with muscular, ev;,
action and bodily contortion.s The a.
scenes witnessed in their churches i j
during periods Of reviyals must cause, =.
in sensitive minds, only feelings of dis74 81
gust.lie = sa,s;ab,. J., 81 n;., r;a
f. For some time past there has been a, a
revival here, during which the church.
members have acted slmofe like wild
beasts in cage than like human beingsg1
The sight beggars all description, and 70
were one to tell truly all he saw at oneaiff
of these revival meetings he would re- 1897
ceive many pious blessings for burlesquL 10
ing religious ceremonies and the wor97oai
ship Of the Deity. Passing the colorea ilig
church few nights ago, I Istepped in 81
for moment, where some converts ilf
were taking the rites Of baptism from a stl9
white missionary from Massachusetts, ado
The scene would have been rather de z
napniac than Christian had it not been
supremely ridiculous Before the alta ig'9
was large tank Of water, up to which 4
the converts marched in turn, while spe
the assembled company were shouting, !
screaming, Yelling, whistling, stamping, oili
and singing; two groups were dancing 81
in the aisle; some were embracing or1iH
shaking hands a negro woman was
4 Jumping backward and forward over
a seat, and delivering Iasty s'hi-hpsnufi
4 from a corner. hHf afgf3s HoT7es
f. AS a convert approached the water ~
there was momentary silence but q az fc!is1
ter being immersed and stepping out 2
4 upon a platform on the other side, thei9o
4 yelling and screaming again como
menced. Then the newly-born' began
series Of gymnastic feats upon the -
d platform that threatened to break every
!. bone in her body Going through the
4 most Indecent and almost obscene mo-
q tions, she screamed and kicked until io
:. exhausted, and finally endedBy stifen- ;
4. ing out like log Of wood. Half a 4
). dozen stout men now STEPPED sfoward %
Z. to carry her out, the woman remained !
4 all the time in this rigid state, with g
eyes set, teeth shut hard together, and q
]. muscles strained to their utmost ten .
4 sion. Seven went through this same
j. operation, and were each carried out in .
this stifened state in the arms Of mem
The white missionary from Massachu-lGj
!, setts uttered the word 'glory' as each
one passed, while his eyes turned up-nh
ward, hands clasped above his head,S
and an approving smile playing about
4 the hard lines Of his mouth. Hewas al
man who understood well how. to exciteii
I, these simple creatures, and had learned =
the art Of working their feelings up tog
!. a pitch that was almost frenzy. And
all the time he believed, Or appearedto z
believe, that he. was doing the WORK Of
God. "t,'po = SD'.i's PUN q ~