The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-04-26

q letter From hrs. Harriet Beecher
stowe.

SNONcs
From the Boston HdtchUldn aud Reflector.
On Sunday evening, after our arrival
in Jacksonville, we expressed wish to
visit the meetings of the colored people;
"a thing quite easy to do, rs there were
two very large, active prayer meetings
the one Baptist, and the other Meth
udist-within stones throw of each
other on the green, which forms SOFT
of central point in the place. We en-
tered, and found a very plain but re-
spectacle room almost filled with wOr-
shippers, with pulpit and raised plat
form at one end. The greater proper
ton were the pure, jet black, unmixed
EIhiopian-the admixture of lighter
tints much less than We have often
seen. The women, especially the elder
ones, appeared in the characteristic
turban, which is so becoming, and were
dressed with scrupulOuS neatnesS.
An ancient neSIeSs, attired i'll her
Sunday best. with her high turban, her
apron, her neatly crossed handkerchief,
has something weird and sibylliue in
her blacknesS and gravity, and there
were rows of these dark sisters sitting,
like solemn birds of augury, on the
benches round the pulpit.
\ black preacher and exhorter occu-
pied the desk in front of the pulpit, and
two grave, white headed old negroes sat
above him III the shadow of the dimly-
lighted pulpit. The eXhorter stumbled
through a chapter of the sermon on the
notwithstanding painfully and with
slow pauses, but with most earnest de-
vOtiOD, and then he exhOrted and
prayed. After this, Rev. Mr.. Kennedy
offered a few remarks and Il prayer.
I noticed that the wicrd sisters in the
turbans paid the most absorbed atten-
lion, and when any speaker made II
point that struck them, would nod their
heads with gravity, and murmur,
"Dat'S So" in the singing, however,
every body seemed to vibrate as if they
had all been struck by IL musical nc.
cord. There was rythmiCal move
mert Ofthe heads, hands and feet of the
whole mass. and it seemed difficult to
restrain more responsive actions.
We had expressed the desire to hear
them sing some of their own peculiar
religious melodies i'll their own way.
The fact is, the negroes have two en-
tirely distinct styles of singing; one
closely initiated from the white people,
which is solemn, dull and nasal, con-
sistIng in repeating two lines ola hymn
and then singing it, and then two more,
al infMitmm. They use for this sort of
worship that one everlasting melody,
which may be remembered by all per
SOllS Win w eSlCIu anu SoOulu~
ern Camp-meetings, rs applying equal
ly we'll to long, short or common metre.
This style of proceedings they evident
ly consider the more dignitied style OF
the two, as being u closer Imitation of
white, genteel notwithstanding in it
about AS little soul as most stereotyped
religious forms of we'll instructed con-
gregatiOns. The other style of singing
which they practice when they are by
themselves, and which they do because
they feel like it, ia evidently tradi-
tiOnul descent from that which MuDgo
Park describes as having heard in
Africa years ago. 1t is "A sort of union
of singing any rhythmic movement, OF
ii solemn and serious character, and
conducted with perfect time. The
brethren formed ring outside the
altar, the sisters began to form into
line, while the voice Struck upa wild,
peculiar air, and the first sister in the
female procession shook hands with the
first brother, singing the chorus, and
concluding with II short courtesy; and
then passing on to the next, repeated
the same. Soon there was seen IL
double file of these men and women
moving and singing, and shaking hands
and cOurtesying, all in the most exact
time and with the most solemn gravity.
The airs were wild and full of spirit
the words simple and often-repeated.
Some OF them l recall:
"We'Il camp awhile in de wilderness,
In de wilderness,
In de wilderness,
We'll camp awhile In de wilderness,
And den we'll all go home"
Or this:
81 want to climb up Jacobs ladder.
Jacobs ladder,
Jacobs ladder,
Iwant to climb up Jacobs ladder;
hut can not do II till I've
Made my peace wild de Lord.
Den I'll praise Him,
Den IlT praise Him
IN praise Him till die,
And sing Jerusalem"
Some are even more peculiar. There's
one beginning:
Who's dat u standing dere?
Who's dat a standing ueTe?
o, It's General Jesus,
It's General Jesus;
I'll praise Him till die"
Very soon there was rythmical
column extending up one aisle, down
the other and slowly moving out of the
house at one end. The singing was
kept up till every member of the con-
gregation had tuken their turn and so
passed out,
When the fervor was at its height, the
WIN vi bOiCSS1 tue EHL0s
MIical movement of turbaned heads. the
sense of time and tune that seemed to
pervade the whole procession, was quite
wonderful. All this while the two old
preachers sat back in the shadows Of
the pulpit, black and unmoved rs the
marble statues OF Memnon, in Egyp-
tian museums. 1t was really a most
curious sight. ~
Understand that some of the white
instructors of the blacks have been at
pains to decry this peculier kind OF
worship, in which the negroes take
such evident delight, and to induce
them to substitute for it the dull, nasal
psalm-singing which they consider the
more orderly performance. But L can
not but hope it may be long before they
make that tiery-hearted old sibyl Afri-
can put on the faded garments of an
English dowager, instead of her own
wild native robes.
The negroes cannot be English or
American-they are fervent tropical
growth, just fitted for these warm, sun
ny climes. They are adapted to quite
another style OF worship, to the days
when Miriam took timbrel and led
forth the daughters of Israel in solemn
worship, saying, Sing We to the Lord,
IoE ne hath triumphed gloriously."
me schools for colored people in
Jacksonville are we'll organized, and
going on in most prosperous man
ner.s Five ladies and "a gentleman have
charge of the primary, middle and
higher departments, and the bright
faces Of the children, their neatness.
order, and evident enthusiasm in learn
Ing are very satisfactory.
the teachers are working con ulnore
1t Is easy to teach those who are anx.
ious to learn, and we think the men and
women who are being formed by these