National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-18
GEORGIA "REMINISCENCES.
ONE MONTH ON A PLAErATIoF IN
THE OLD SLAVE DAYS.

RELIGIOUS FEELINGS AND EXERCISES OF
THE NEGRoEs-How A REVIVAL WAS IN
hueuRATEp "A LUDICRoUS scfNE :
PLANTATION FERyoR AND NEGRO MEL
onY-soME CHARACTER SKETCHES.
From the New York independently
In the summer of1ssl spent the month Of An
,rust in the family Of a wealthy planter in thu
iptsrior OF Georgia. He was Of Scotch descent
strictly Presbyterian In his religious principles
He was a native Of North Carolina; but at the
age OF thirty immigrated to Georgia, opened Al
extensive cotton plantation, en- which no amused
. large fortune and on which he died. 4g1
1t was the first plantation had ever visited.
and was constantly watching for some exhibi-
tIcn Of the dreadful horrors Of slavery with which
from childhood my mind had been tmoued; and
had never seen any other specimen OF the ''pe-
culiar institutlonn should have abandoned q
large GhAfe Of my prejudice against 1t.
SDr. MI. had the entire confidence OF every
slave he owned. He possessed the rare faculty
Of seeing and hearing only such things ss he
ohoss, and 8 thousand little obliquitles were
pSSssd 81 unpoIIeed. A e elway5 ia case 2n
Plantations there wore petty rivaIrtes, qusrreis,
and jiRlopsieI among them, which tkey always
fefsfftd e Fold pRltsIn l0g ssttlspsnt, and he
SELDOM fallsd to adjust than amiea6ly. - p sarg
As tie plantation was a few niles from any
town &c built pleasant and eommodious church
Dor their especial accommodation. It was located
II 9 beagitfQI grove q Eegnoliss and lOng.leaysd
-tfatasE he 65pioyed preacher for them two
;sunass IN month: Tss rest Of II uMs they
'engfnssFed tie Services themselves. Among them
were souroF Ave exhorters and halfway preachers,
and Al many old women who .Grrogatsd TO them.
selves little superiority on the ground q .bein
de fuss niggers ole mAsss cher owned;" conse-
Sgsntly hey were sIPsSsted 10 exn0rt and re-
RELIGIOUS TzE.Ise or xraRoBs.
didD SipS much 81 lis sort sofs Of Religion
gro hates anything, It e Presoyterianism and
fpiscopsoy--sspsciGily the latter and he VIII
thsa psss into the shadow Of one Of these ehnrches
They remind me Of the Comenche Indians, who
are AFRAID to attack house because they don't
en the plantation were Of the Methodist or Bap-
tilt persuasion, and DR.. NIL. hired alternately Q
pfeieher Of each dissemination. Immersion, how
They ike the excitement and publicity Of the or.
dinGnce. A tbig baptizin" draws Q crowd, and
they let of the szuberance Of their natures by
there was revival among the Baptist element,
the Methodist portion Of them would pretend they
didn't feel satisfied With sDrinkllng, and wanted
baptized three or four times. Indeed; immersion
was to them what the confessional is to the Ro-
Psnist itTashsd AZ tnsif sins ~ away ana %s S
was bsStifsd more than once aweif, Missus, |"
said he ito tell de truf neber feel 'Eactly like
Se water ali ober. Sides, Missus, 1t stops . heap
6''sputin' among &c dArkies for amer dat de Bap-
usts breddern neber lab de Instance to tell Us We
isn't been baptize."
GETTING UP A REVIVAL.
Or. MI had 9 son at college in Princeton, N.
brought eIassfnAte with him. The hrst week OF
two AFTER their arrival had been spent IN hunting
and fishing, for the Doctor kept splendid pack
Of hounds. But they were beginning TO want CT.
eitement, and as young NIL. wanted his friend to
bee all phases Of negro character, he concluded 70
revival f sSs ms S10r. So
extremely supeTstitious he L. They all believe
IN signs and dreams and spells and lights,
terror and conformation. Taking advantage Of
this popularity, young NIL. concluded that by
some pyrOteehnle displays and such other means
whom he had been greatly attached from child
hood, for the ministry.
HIS NAME WAS JOE.
He was fine looking, tall, fluent In speech, and
the best singer on the plantation. He had been
tion for "a call" One night NIL sent for him
20 come to his room. He pretended to be greatly
distressed n reference to his spiritual condition,
Eipated companions, had been led into temptation,
for all Of which he WAS suffering the keenest re-
morse; and told Joe be had sent for him believing
him. His heart oyertoWed at once for his
foung master, Ind, after every effort to com
tStt hin had failea, ne SAG ne would quiz, 60 into
he lett NIL. told him to come to hts room
every night until he felt change; command
Ss was 9S TO SSsy Tine
his arms around him and wept aloud He felt
told his young master bow long and we'll he had
loved him; how long the days were after he went
TO Princeton. and referred feellngly to the time
day IN setting traps and building mills and catch
ing RopherS, and making little banjoes out Of the
eonrdG Then he sang sweetly and melodiously
fAvorite hymn, the chorus Of which was ii feels
Hike, feels like I'm on my journey home;' and
the thought that his master ives going 70 heaven
with bin was more than be could bear When he
ceased NIL said to him, in low, solemn and
mysterious manner: "Joe, for three nights In sue
eessiOn have had
MOST WONDERFUL DREAM.
j dreamed an angel appeared 70 me and said:
young man, 1 am sent 70 bring you an important
service Of the Lord. He must heucefo.th preach
the Gospel; and II VIII be your duty to give him
such assistance he needs to prepare him for the
VII give Sn 'S Sss ,g1
~'you see 70 what you are called. What the sign
may be DO not know but, wherever or Whatever
calm. / will do all ! can for you. Come to my
room every night and will give you the instruc-
tion you need" For three nights in succession
he went 10 Ills masters room and had o
good time. But on the fourth night, Just be-
fore It was time to expect him, NIL went out and
climbed into the top Of q tremendous oak, which
Joe was compelled TO pass to get into his room;
and Just before he got to II sent q sky rocket OF
great 5rilliancy up, and At the same time called
yoe mI 90 aSd Breach he Go,ns ), G IN s1iai
terrier he yprang TO one side, and struck hls head
against bisck; Jack sapiing, bruising and stun
tufkeientiy % walk and know where he was he
hurried 70 bis masters room, and found him si.-
ting in HIS accustomed place waiting bis arrival.
could not utter o word that could be understood,
and the blood was streaming down his face.
MI gave him some eamphor end wster,
handkerchief As soon As Joe could SPEAK, he
said 10 him: "Joe, what does all this meant Is It
possible you kaYe fallen from grace and had q
ready to preach and gqt whipped In the bar
Mas Jimmy, isn't had 70 fight sid nary nig,
ger; but, fore God, spect rs had do call dc big
angel tell you bout in de dream" "why, Joe, It
can't be possible that an angel would bruiss you
q pd n have 70 DOM
neber hit me; 7sber Gee him tail. des hear
him call out'en de topob de live oak; and de loud
dent dat butt my head some whsr, an, fore God.
Mass' Jimmy, old massa come berry near a-losn
fine Niger by dat call"
Joe was able shortly 70 describe the whole affair
70 bis master, and they both arrived at the CON-
elusion that
HE HAD. BEEN CALLED.
But he was terribly exercised. Strange events
were thIckenlng around him and he was almost
afraid to move or speak. To Rllay these fears,
NIL read TO him the account Of ST. Psuls mirae.
ulous conversion; and &c seemed to accord SO well
with portion Of his own experience that he was
greatly eouferted. Besides, NIL congratulated
him that all the wounds and bruises were on his
face instead of HIS back He believed Il was q
stsign" that all through life he would be able to
fight manfully Hthe world, the flesh, and the
devil - and 1.-THE oil and wine" were not more
grateful to him who Sfell among taievesn than
were these words Of sympathy and encourage
Eent to his head and heart.
The news that Joe had seen big light and
sons angels and several other things new like
wild-fre over the plantation, snc all the negroes
master kept him close for o few days, and, after
AwKEK OF DRILLING AND INSTRUCTION.
he was ready to appear at the church and give In
his experienee. The church was packed with
darkness visible" for the Doctor had three hun
dred slaves. Several old aunties took candle
apiece; but these did not emit light enough to
dispel the darkness from the middle and back
seats, and any one sitting near the pulpit could
The services commenced with singing amer which
tsUncle Jonah prayed with eharacteristie fervor
Joe then rose. His master had dressed him
neatly In some OF the clothes be wished no longer
and his nne lace was radiant with the Inspiration
OF the occasion. His attitude was natural
on Q man who Is master OF the situa-
ton" His first sentence was o sort Of imits-
ticn Of the opening Of 81. Panlt speech before