New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-08

OF the praycr-meeting.
| Out OF this happy disposition OF the negro, grew
those simple touching half poetic, half absurd mei9-
dies some OF which have recently been gathered,
End are about 10 he published with the music, under
the title of Slave Songs of the South" The follow
iEg is IN unmistakabc samples:
know member, know Lord,
Want to 20 10 meeting, bell Ga ring, (ois
Road so stormy, hell ia mug tbi0
This throws rosy " hue over serious subject:
Poor Rosy. poor gal; poor Rosy poor gai;
Heaven sha-a be my home:
l cannot stay IN he'll one Gay,
Heaven shall-a be my homo:
II sing and pray my soul away,
Heaven fLail-a DO my home
The next is remarkable. in q literary rs wen as
theological sense, for condensng into hve INES the
essential points of Millions Paradise Lost" the
"Fail ~ Jericho BARRIERS SAINTS Eest," afd Bun
King Jesus he Was so strong ter) my Lord.
Dat he Jared down Do walls Cd he'll.
Don't yun hear what de chariot Ray bls)
De furtwhtes run by dc grace 90 God,
An &c hnd-Whccs doy run 10y faith.
Though The words of some of these songs carry
simplicity lar into the Ridiculous yet whsa coupled
with the weird. child-Ic, hlu-barbarous airs 10
wlich they were sung they contain a sentiment and
simple pathos which will lind their way 10 the most
polished minds and will please and nnuse III defiance
Of all cTi. cisin. Ont OF this humble and long ui,
lnown mbstrclsy Of the plantations these weird and
uncouth voices Of the rice swaInpe and the cotton,
folds, which form the silver lining 70 the dark clond
of slave-life, grew an imitation whose world-wldc
fame has caused the original 10 DC nearly 1Ofg0ton
The rise Of NEGRO mnstrelsy' IS traced IN the last
dHgHtc. r. ID. Rice, young comedian ia Cincinnati,
in 1880 Glanced 10 hearin the street AN eXslaye sing
ing one 81 these strains to this effect:
'Turn about an wheel about an do lsso
An cherry time turn about lump Jim Crow"
Concciying tina 1.-THE sootv negro afforded theme for
comic illus lati0neven better than the eycTl? sting
subsequent gagemcnt In Pittsburgh, 10 brii tic
negro, who was just then getting into the pulpit auI
hotel porter OF his everyday adaptations with
Oikcd face and Wig OF woody moss be appeared be-
fore the foOtights while the dcnnded Gun waited in
dshabilo behind the scenes storm OF applause
greeted the apparition. Every Btanza Of the song
was received with new delight Even tho artists
appropriations only increased the furore. And when
CUT whose CupIdity suddenly reused by the in-
tclligence that ne was missing IN opportunity 10
carry the baggage from steamer That WA near
ing the Moaongahela wharf rushed upon the
stage with no moro apparel tive u nature ana me
audience than MIR. TcnnysOn allowed Lady GodiVa
for ridnghabit. when she rode ut MONDAY through
the silent and deserted thoIOughiarcs OF Coventry
and when he I'VE mean the negro aud not MIR. Jenny
son charged upon the successful singer, calling ont
exctedly, Massa Rice Massa Rice, ~ me nigga,s
tings!-steamboat's cOmin'lw the incident capped
the climax Of the fur0re. and the curtain fell amid
laundering tempest OF laughter cheers, and lp'
plauSe. Thus was inaugurated the most popular
source Of amusement set invented in America. Tho
song Of 4" Jim Crow" was Immediately published
obtained wide popularity. and was soon followed
by Clar de Kitchen" " Lucy Long, "Sch Giytin
Up Stairs" "LOng-tail Blue and others. Halls
occasionally rented for the performance Of these
songs accompanied by the banjo and the bones But
many Of the songs were caicaturos rather than
artistic limitations, and the performances intro
duced oftencr eXtravaganZas or sde-shows to ac-
company ciIcuscsl and more respectable theatrical
performances.
While negro rinstrelsy was thus lingering In dis
repute or yerging toward decline, Stephen Collins
Foster, born at Allegheny, Pa, July 4, 1922 youth
of sensitive poetic cast and much musical genius
and deicaCy, combined with taste for the simple
and pathetic in melody was induced by the offer OF
o silyer-cup for the best original negro sOLg, TO
ri branch
previously, at an carly age, composed sew
eral waltzes end songs, and IN, hrs melody p en-
Grows' favorably received. though it failed TO
win the cup. Soon after, he followed this with
Louisiana Belle" Uncle Ned, and go. Susanna
for which lie received his inst 500 Then followed
about $50 songs. whose merit lifted Negro Min
strelsy" under the rank of musical art, and gained
fame, ond communicated pleasure that extended
from the wilds of Oregon TO the shadows Of tho
Pyramids. Among these are mentioned, Nelly was
Lady" in 1879; My Old Kentucky Home and
" Camptown Races in 1880 !" Old Folks at Home"
Boys, Garry me Long" in 1883 Hard Times Come
Again no More" in 1854 o WAY Down South" and
90 Lemqel" in 1858 %old Black JGen IN h $50 and md
your Money on the Shanghai" in 1861
Mr.. Foster also obtained considerable celebrity,
especially toward the close Of his career as a writer
may the Red Rose live alwayp Maggie by my
epJenP a with the the light Brown Hair Willie
Dreams wilt Thou be Gone, Love- Ia duet, the
words adapted from well-lmOwn scene III Romeo
and Juliet, and Come Where my Love Lies Dream
ing" (quai tettcD. among the leading favorites.
For these creations which have contributed 30
great fund of pleasure TO the world we indebted
in part TO the harmless idosyncrases of the African
character in It's genial efforts to pluck the flower Of
pleasure amid the thorns Of bondage. 1t may yet be
found that in these soft, gentle pathetic qualities of
the negro, and in his susceptibility TO art and song,
even in his rudest state, lie of the happiest
possibilities of our national development and prog
ress. it may be that a people the stern masculine
laborious qualities have too resolute a sway over
our national character and that we need
the influence Of more afectionato, plant and
mirthful element to tone down our severity, and
render us capable at least of being amused. The
favor with which Negro Minstrelsy" and literature
of the style OF Uncle Toms Cabin have been received
seem TO indicate this felt want and the source from
which it has been supplied. Emancipation will not
end this influence, but will elevate its tone and ex-
pand its power, substituting for the weird melodies
Of the plantation, creations OF the lyric muse and
contributions TO religious literature and popular eo-
quence, which will embody in the highest forms of
art the emotional gifts which attract even when
presented in these humber FORMS