St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-01
ST. cSuhnshurp Galedonian.
Religion Among the Negroes.

THEIR QUEER IDEAS ABOUT 1T.


Huntsville (AlaJ Letter tn New York Times.l
Soon after the war ceased. it was re-
marked that the negroes of the South
had changed in many respects, and that
among other things they had given up
dancing and singing. Now THEN prin
cipal amusement consists in going to
church and shouting themselves hoarse
in what they call 1.-THE holy dance"
Here, III Huntsville. nearly every negro
in the place has Experienced religion
as he will tell you with sly attcctItion
of mecknrSS that is truly lIughablc.
Having experienced religion does not
mean with them, however. that they
shall try to live pure. good lives, or
that they shall sacrifice anything for the
sake of their faith. Religious negroes
steal as much and get drunk quite as
often a> do the very few who are moi in
the church, and | am Informed on the
very best authority that black men and
women, after passing half the night III Il
protI;Icted or revival meeting. will leave
the house of God to cngag" in sccucc>
of dissipation that are too disgusting
for description. In Il former letter
tried to convey an idea of how terribly
immoral the country negroes we're. AT
this time il il only necessary to add
that several colored preachers in north
Alabama are known to have more than
one wife. and that the leading sister in
the Methodist church in this place Is In"
keeper of Il den frcqucmted only 10y
negro thieves and women of the lowest
class. In church matters the colorrd
people are very exclusive: at the same
time they are excessively proud of the
particular denomination To which they
belong. and loud in dcnunciation of
those who join other churches. In
Huntsville. the so-callcd ard-shell
Baptist congregation is 10y far the lar%-
est. numbering upward of tw" thousand
members. \ day or two since, asked
an old darky, who is Il prominent elder
in the Methodist church. how it was
that the BaptiSt> were SO numerous {:
"Lor'. sah." said he. 'dat'S easy nough
'>plained. Niggcr> Is sinful fond of
show. and the BaptistS gives it to 'cm
sure; no natural can't resist the fasci
nations of Il public haptizin."
ANY one who has Witnessed the cere-
monies pcrtainin" To the baptism by
immersion of Il number of colurcd PEG
pie can very well understand why the
rNcitablc negroes are influenced bV
them. In Huntsville. applications foi
admission to the Hard shell Baptist
church are received twice Il wear. and
the candidates who are considered wor-
thy are publicly immersed in Il beauti-
tul little stream which flows through
the towns. The order of exercises ON
such an occasion is indeed Il remarkable
one. After Il preliminary service in the
II
part of PRAYING and singing. Il company
of some one hundred Young men Who
are chosen 10y the pastor come on: of
the building and station themselves Ia
the street. They are all blessed in dark
clothes. and each of them appears with
Il long piece of white cotton cloth bound
around his head. After these Young
men have sung Il given number of
h\ mus. the pastor of the church an
pears. clad in II long flannel Gown of :,
dark gray color. He is supported on
either hand 10y Il chosen deacon. and is
closely followed 10y the candidates foI
baptism. the women coming first and
the men following. The members of
the church and congregation bling up
the rear. and in this order they march
through the streets, singing and shout
ing at the top of their voices. Am |
Il snldier of the cross ," is their favoritc
hymn. After parading through the
city in this way. sometimes for upward
of an hour. they proceeded to the banks
of the creek already mentioned Here.
the procession il met bN Il thron~ of
negroes from all parts of the surround
ing country. and to preserve order and
quiet the young men having The white
cloths around their heads station Them
selves at different points. and prevent
the crowd from hreakin" il. upou a
closed space which is reserved for the.
pastor and the candidates. Twelve of
them wade INTO the creek. which is not
more than knee deep at the point ST.
lrctcd. and attcI thus taking charge of
the waters. aS this preparatory ccrc-
mony is called. the pastor. Il white
haired old man. knecl> down ON the
ground and prayS long and fcrvemtlv
for those who have presented them
selves for baptism. While the minister
is thus engaged. the people Icmain com
parativclN quiet. but the moment the
PRAYER is concluded. they commence to
shout and sing immodcratelN. After
some degree of order has been restored.
the minister wadcS into the water. fol
lowed by his two dcaconS. Taking a
position in the middle of the stream.
he calls out the name of Il candidate.
who is at once conducted to him bv one.
OF the Young men. The women are.
always called first, and, as they an
proach the minister, the utmost stiffness
prevails. When they come up to the
old man. he takes their hands, and
then. in the name of the Trinity. throws
them under the water. The moment
he does 50, the crowd shouts out. as il
with one voice. Dress Cod" Then the
woman who has just been immersed
commences to founder around in the
water. and yell and sing a> if she were
bcrctt OF reason. She is then caught
by number of the Young men. and
with difficulty carried To the shore.
Each succeeding candidate seems to
strive to Guido the one who has prcrrd-
ed her. "Glory to the Lord :" they
cry us horned again - ''To he sure.
honey; never die no more" is echoed
by the congregation. mo, never die
40 more" screams the woman: '.Oh.
God, Use happy, Use happy, The gates
have done gone opened for dis Niger -
In this WAY the poor creatures work
themselves into an almost frantic state.
and even after they have been carried
ont OF the water they continue to shout
like mad women. Some of them even
90 50 far aS to tear their clothes off
and have to he covered with blankets
which are brought for that purpose.
They are then conveyed to their homes
by female friends. The men. after hay
ing been Immersed. sing and pray. but
Il. IL 4.
described.