The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-09-20
THE NEGROES RELIGION.

A correspondent of the New York Tri-
bune, from Texas, says in his quaint obser-
vations on the negro's peculiarities.
His religion, which enters largely into
his thought and speech and life, is the first
thing to arrest the attention of the observer
of the nogro's character. 1t may be de-
fined as medley of beliefs, based on the
fear of punishment, and of morality, found
ed on the hope of mercy. He gets religion
by going through process of watching,
fasting and prayer, which invariably term
mates in a state of exultation. This state,
he claims, is more easily arrived at in the
woods than in the abodes of men. Once
attained, he never tires telling over and
over again the story of his Travail story
of anguish and error and despair, of per-
sonal combats with Satan in all the forms
of Proteus, of occasional help from saints
and angels-all ending at last in a vision
of the eternal city, his description of which
is always supplemented with the cheering
announcement that among the angels on
the right hand side he saw place reserved
iVA ~ ihdy 10 hCu JuSG ucIC
that his command of language is greater
than supposed by those persons who have
acquired their knowledge Of the negro
from second rate novels and comic alma
macs, the authors of which, besides making
him say many other things more o, less
repugnant to his habits and inclination,
invariably compels him to address the
white man as "Massa," which he would
certainly not do if allowed any choice in
the matter. They will say Master some
times, pronouncing the as in law, some
times as in car; but in life Of 30 years
spent among the blacks never heard one
call anybody Massa yet. Unlike many
whites, the freedman is not at all ashamed
of his religion, but will talk it freely to the
most unsympathizing auditors, and never
declines an invitation to pray in public.
In slave times he was fond Of dancing to
the music of the violin, but no sooner did
the war afford him an opportunity to lay
down the shovel and the hoe (of which he
promptly availed himselD than he also
hung up the fiddle and the bow, thereby
illustrating the strong influence of national
songs on national character. The prayer
meeting was substituted for the plantation
ball, form which it differs in all respects,
except that it lasts all night till broad day
light, and that the saints, like the dancers,
90 home in couples in the morning. They
believe that the ability to preach and ex-
hort is gift, the genuineness Of which is
to be determined solely by the party claim
ing possession. Large congregations will
listen attentively to the ranting of any ten
year-old boy who may claim to have had a
call. The sisters, too speak out in meet
ing to the apparent edification Of the
stronger sex. They have the ordinary
Christian belief concerning Heaven, but
their faith in He'll is profound. The man
that don't believe in it is on the road to
find it, is one of their proverbs. l have
never known but one atheist among them,
tall fellow, with the faintest indication Of
white blood and the most thorough con-
tempt for both negro superstitions and
white mans religion. He believed that
death was humiliation, but would ridicule
the lack of invention displayed by the
Church in its definition of hell. He would
have made it an everlasting cotton field,
with black drivers, and the devil for over
seer. Black drivers were in old times
sort of sub-overseers, and very prone to
abuse the little brief authority in which
they were clothed. He had no following,
and his death, which was consistent with
his life, furnished occasion for many wise
shake of the orthodox African head.