American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-05-20
NEGRO WAYS OF BAPTISM.
An Illustrative Ceremony In the Old
North State-Ten Thousand Persons
Congre gated-A White Flag Planted in
the Stream-The Negro Rite OF INNER
IFrom the New York Times. ]

COnGre gated-A White Flag Planted in
| the Stream-The Negro Rite OF INNER
| sion.
| From the New York Times.J
ATLANTA, April 2O.-No observing
traveller in the Southern States can fail
to notice the deep-seated and enthusias-
tic love of religious show and ceremony
which prevails among the negroes OF
the remote country districts. Very Of
ten this feeling exists among them to
the exclusion of every other aim and de-
sire in life, and for time they give
themselves up entirely to what can only
be termed a species of religious mad
ness. Whole neighborhoods are taken
with the malady, and for days men,
women, and children desert their homes
and abandon their work to attend what
they call the revival. Were these de-
monstrations productive of any good
results it would, suppose, be uniting
to write of them in this strain. Such is
not the case, however; they are always
attended with more or less disorder and
debauchery, and very often end in the
most disgusting practices. Ne lasting
good ever comes of them, and in nearly
every case the convert who is apparent
ly the most earnest is the first to go back
into what is called "de fole OBJ wicked
ness.'' The colored people as class,
particularly the women, are possessed
in an extraordinary degree of that love
of display which is always the accom-
paniment of great ignorance. They are
always DESTROYS of taking part in any
exercise which attracts attention, and
they will go any length, make any
sacrifice, to gain the applause of a
crowd. All, or nearly all, of their re-
vival services end in baptism by INNER
sion; the ceremony is conducted in the
open air, usually in the presence of
thousands of persons, and the converts
are regarded with wonder and admira-
| ton.
just now there is revival going on
among the colored people in and about
Raleigh, N. C. Scores of persons are
converted each day, and every Sunday
hundreds of them are baptized. Last
week, while in the "Old North State, :"
I turned for a moment from the per-
plexities of politics and from the vexed
question of who shall be President, and
witnessed one of these peculiar ceremo-
mics. Shortly after O'Clock 1 started
for the scene of s'de BAPTISM" After
leaving the town, our course lay along
a country road which we found almost
blocked up by foot passengers, by men
on horses, and by vehicles of every de-
scription. Black, white, and yellow,
men, women, and children, were all
mingled together.
TEN THOUSAND wORsHIPERs.
Upon arriving at our destination we
found fully 10000 people already as
sembled and waiting patiently for the
commencement of the ceremony. The
scence was indeed an interesting one.
The lake of clear blue water in which
| the converts were to be immersed was
surrounded on all sides by gently rising
hills covered with soft grass and crown
ed by tall trees that were just budding
into the first bright foliage of early sum-
mer. Not cloud appeared to mar the
peculiar brightness of the Carolina sky.
In one secluded corner, separated from
the rest and standing at the waters
edge, were the converts. There were
some two hundred of them, and they
were of all ages, colors, and sizes.
The women, who stood at little dis
lance from the men, were
dressed becoming suits of white
cotton cloth, and wore white handker-
chiefs bound about their heads The
men were also clothed in white, but
were bareheaded. While was MOTTO
ing these things, the crowd of negroes
behind the candidates fell back to the
right and left, and through the lane
thus formed two gray-headed black
men, dressed in flowing gowns of silk,
walked slowly toward the converts.
Arriving in the space which separated
the men from the women, hollow
square was formed about them, and
then commenced to pray in voice
plainly audible to the entire assemblage.
After the old man had finished a
hymn was sung by the audience, and
then, after somewhat peculiar con.
fession of faith ON the part of the con-
verts, the burden of which was, 81 be-
lieves de Lord have cleaned my heart, -
q tall negro, covered with heavy black
gown, walked slowly into the water.
He felt his way with long palm cane,
on the top of which white silk flag
was tied. When the walker had reach
ed up to his waist he stopped and,
planting his cane firmly in the sandy
bottom of the lake, turned to where
the converts stood and cried, "De
waters OBJ the host am ready for de
chosen" Upon this two strong young
black men, dressed in tight-ftting suits
of cloth, came out from the crowd and
stood at the edge of the water; they
were followed by two other negroes,
who wore long, flowing gowns. These
men stepped into the water and walked
slowly out to where the palm cane had
been planted. AS they did so the crowd
of converts and those about them be-
gan to sing a peculiarly soft and touch
ing melody, each verse of which ended
in the words:
We is pre- pared, ives coming now,
Wen be da wild you.
When the hymn was finished one of the
ministers, standing in the water, deliv-