The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-07-27
Misre1ann.
Negro ISscantatlOnS at New Or
leans on AZ. Johns Eve.


New ORLEANS, July 4.-On st. Johns
Eve, little before midnight, found
myself, in company with friend, on
the wharf at Lake ontchartrain, whittier
we had gone to witness the annual pub
lie celebration of the fetch rites of the
Voudous Though familiar with every
thing connected with the Crescent City,
disgust had always kept from me any
desire to see this revolving spectacle !;
but this year determined to 60 there
and place before your readers true de-
scription of the barbaric ceremonies
practised by the people whom the mill
ssfy 4haye thrice been used to keep in
power over the intelligence and virtue
of the community.
We reached the wharf little before
midnight and after little trouble sue
ceeded in finding morose old Spaniard
whe, for three times as much as the SER
vice was worth, consented to row us to
the spot selected by the Voudon Queen
for her reception and ceremonies
Shortly after embarkation our Charon
guided his frail craft into the sluggish
waters of Bayou st. John, and after
rowing a short distance made the shore,
where he bade us land, pointing at the
same time to faint light glimmering in
the distance.
Towards this we directed our steps,
and shortly the confused murmur of hu
man voices apprised US of our nearness
to the Voudou camp. We approached
some steps nearer, finally taking up a
position by large cypress tree, whence
We could see all that went on without
being seen. In the pale rays of the
moon the dark outlines of dark as
semblage was visible, gathered about a
small fire, conversing in different
tongues. They we're negroes of all ages
women, children and men. Finally
the noise was hushed and the assembled
group assumed an attitude of respect.
They made way for their Queer, and a
short, black, old negress came upon the
scene followed by two assistants, one of
whom bore 3 cauldron and the other q
box sE
The cauldron was placed over the dy-
ing embers, the Queen drew forth from
the folds of her gown a magic wand,
and the crowd formed ring around
her. Her first act was to throw some
substance on the fire, the flames shot up
with lurid glare-now it writhed in
serpent coils, now it darted upward in
forked tongues and then it gradually
transformed itself into veil of dusky
vapors.
AT this stage, after certain amount
of gibberish and wild gesticulation from
the Queen, the box was opened, and
frogs, lizards, snakes, dog liver and
beef hearts drawn forth and thrown into
the cauldron. Then followed more
gihberish and gesticulation, when the
congregation joined hands and began
the widest dance imaginable, keeping
| it up until the men and women sank to
the ground from mere exhaustion This
dance was diversified with every specie<
of indecent and vulgar gesture and ex
oosnre. Itwas living expression o.
all that is low and uncivilized. Many
of the women and not few men los
parts of their dress in the wild contor
tions of the dance, and one or two O
the dancers were perfectly nude.
At the conclusion Of the dance an in
termission in the ceremonies was an
nounced. The dancers then dispersed
and an orgie of the most barbarous anG
revolving character folio we'd. Living
stone never witnessed anything worse
in the heart of savage Africa No i'm
agination can paint the scene. Self-re
spect drove US from the spot. W.
sought our bark, and as the morning
approached we found ourselves once
more in the city.
Now, although only small fraction
of the colored people of the State par
ticipated in this mad orgie, it is none
the less a fact that nine tenths of tht
negroes in Louisiana believe in the su
perstitions of Voudouism. have seer
negroes, otherwise comparatively intelli
gent, refuse to pick up pin, needle OF
other such object, dropped by negro
because, as they alleged, if the person
who dropped the article had spite
against them, to touch anything the,
dropped would voudou them and make
them seriously i'll. Frequently it hap
pens that the Voudou Q.een and doc
tors are applied to for charms, potion:
and philters r
1t is common belief among the ne
groes that "a beef heart, treated in pc
cnliar manner by Voudou priestess
possesses great power to work spells
and negro women frequently purchase
them to be used in recalling quondau
spouses and wayward lovers.
With this class of people controllin!
the affairs of State, with fifty Thousand
voters who can neither read nor write
and who are fast drifting back into thei
original condition of barbarism, it il
not difficult to foresee the future o
louisiana World Cor.
The Work of Moody and Sanke!
In London.
The following is the number of meet
limos held nv Messrs. Moody and San