The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-28
A "Revival Meeting" in Virginia.

Presently we arrived at large frame
building, much like a country school
house, save that it was neither ceiled nor
plastered, and therein the revivalists were
gathered. A powerful spiritual wave had
swept over the colored population. and
dozens Of carts, loaded with dusky search
ers for truth. came rolling along the rough
roads, and stopped before the primitive
door. Entering, we found every shade of
color, from the coal black full blood to the
octoroon, elegantly dressed and gracious in
manners. The congregation was not large.
Owing to the excitement which had pre-
had RETIRED worn out, from the spiritual
feast. The women sat on the left side, the
men on the right of a broad aisle, running
to plain wooden pulpit, in which were
three moon-faced negroes, two of them
preachers, and the third State Senator.
In front of the pulpit, behind little ia
BILE, stood an olive colored elderly man,
neatly dressed, and with a wildness in his
eyes, and an intensity written upon his
lips which reminded me of what l had
read of the Convulsionists of St. Med
ard" The audience was breathless with
attention as the preacher, strolling mis-
sionary, supported by Quakers in Louisiana
took up the great Bible, and, posing it on
his lean, nervous hand, poured forth such
an impassioned appeal that l fairly trem
bled. l was not prepared for such vehe-
mence. Never, in the history of New
England revivaliSm, was there such a
scene. The prca cher stood with many of
his hearers well around him; one of the
deacons and exhorters, a black giant in
spectabes, was his point d dppui, and to
him he appealed from time to time, shak-
ing him roughly by the shoulder, and hiss
ing his words in his ear with fiery vehe-
mence. The proposition with which he
started was somewhat incomprehensible to
us, viz: "Christ is the creating power of
Cod but the proposition was of no con-
sequence, because every few moments he
would burst into paroxysms of exhorta-
ton, before which the emotional audience
rocked and trembled like reeds in wind
He had peculiar way of addressing him
self suddenly and in startling manner to
some individual in the congregation, and
in the agony of his exhortation to that
person, would pound the table furiously
with both hands, and dance vigorously
I ...1l
draw in his breath with great force. as if
depressing a sob, and, when speaking of
love and salvation, he inevitably fell into a
chant, or monotone, which was very effec-
tive. Under the hurricanes of his appeal.
the fury of his shouting, the magnetic in
fluence of his song, one of the old deacons
went into an actual spasm of religious
fervor, and now and then yelled vocifer-
ously. A mlder brother ventured to re-
monstrate, whereupon the Quaker preacher
turned upon him, ssying loudly:
"Let dat brudder shout, an tend to
dine own business ~
Then he began preaching against hypoc-
risy. He seemed especially to chide the
women for becoming converted with too
great ease. "Woer' he cried, "woe
unto dat woman what goes down into de
water bcfo' she ready; woe unto her y
with a long, singing DESCENT on the last
words; and then he added, soto roce, "Dat
what make so many women come up stran
lin an vomitin' an pukin' outen de water;
de debbil dat still in m git hole on 'em,
an choke EN- under de water. Let no
woman shout for Jesus what don't know
bout Jesus It's one thing to git to
Heaven, but it's anudder to git in Don
We know what Heaven iso Heavens God !.
We must know what we is preachin' about
an eff we don't we ought to set down.
This with terrific emphass.)
In describing the creation, he said
" Breddren, it's now 1887 years sence de
good Lord made de world, an de mornin
stars sung togedder. Dat mt yesterday!'
Ha read de Book O Job, n see for your
self Dat rant month ago. l pasnt
dar den :" thus illustrating with sublime
scorn the littleness of man, "but by de
grace of God, I'll git dar by-'n-by ~ there
his voice was faint and suggestive of tear
full joy "to join de mornin' stars, an
we'll all sing togedder Oh, yes oh, yes.
Heavens God made de world an de full
ness dereof an hung it up on de high
hooks of heaven. Dere want no nails
dere; no hammer dere; no, nothn' but de
word of God" In limiting at the terrors
word pictures which had certain rude
force even for us, and then shrieked out
these words: " Eff de brudders don't want
to die in de dark, dey must git Christ to
1. l. nlnN h. ID