The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-30
NEGRO WAYS OF BAPTISM.
An ILLUSTRATIVE CEREMONY IN
TIE OLD NORTH STATE,


Exhorted- Negro Rite Of Immersion.
nom ne Times.
ATLANTA, April 2o-No observing travel
Ter in the southern ;. at's can ful to notice the
dee. seated ana enthusiastic love e religious
show aud ceremony which uicv Us among the
rrocs " the remote country Districts. very
tiien thi- feeling exists among them 10 The cx
clusOn Of every other ain OF desire In life, and
for u time they give themselves up entirely to
what can only be termed n species OF religious
madness. Whole neighbOrhOuds 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 demonstrations productive of any
good results 1t would, suppose, he uniting to
write OF thcm IN this strain. such IL not the
case however; they arc always attended with
more or less disorder and dcDHuchery, and very
often end Ia the most disgusting practices;
No lasting good ever comes Of them, and
In nearly every case the convert who ~ appar-
entity the most earnest Is tho first To 90 back
into what IA called do foio oh wickcdness."
The colOred people "a class, particularly the
women. are possessed IN an extraordinary de-
gree Of that love of display which Is always tue
accompaniment Of gre t ignorance. They are
winch attracts attention, aud they will 20 any
lengths, mako any suClnce, to gain tho applause
OF a crowd. All. or nearly all. Of their revival
services end In baptism by immersion the
ceremony Is conducted Ia the open air, usually
ia the presence Of thousands Of persons and the
converts are regarded With wonder and admira-
ton
Just now there Is a revival going on among the
coiOred people IN und about Raleigh, n. G..
Scores OF persons are converted each day and
every sunday hundreds of them nre baptized.
turned for moment from the peruleNitlcs OF
politics and from the vexed question OF who
shall be President, and witnessed one of these
peculiar ceremonies. shortly after O'Clock
started for the scene Of " de baptism" After
leaving the town, our course Law along country
road which We found almost blocked up by foot
passengers, by men ON horses, and by vehicles OF
every description. Black, white, and yellow
men, women, ana ohildien were all mingled to-
geibsr.
TEN THOUSAND woRsHiPPERs.
Upon arriving at our destination we found
al l.4I nd walt
ing patiently for the commencement Of the cere-
mony. The scene was indeed an interesting
converts were TO be immersed was surrounded
on all sides by gently rising hills covered With
Just budding into the nrst bright foliage Of early
summer. Not cloud appeared To mar the pc
Guitar brightness Of the Carolina sky. In one
secluded corner, separated from the rest and
standing At the waters edge, were the converts.
| they were Of all ages, colors, and sizes. The
| women, who stood at a little distance from the
men. were dressed in becoming suits Of white
| cotton cloth, and wore white handkerchiefs
| bound about their heads. The men were also
clothed IN white, but were baroheaded. while
| was noticing these things, the crowd Of ne
| groes 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 con
verts. Arriving In the space which separated
formed about them, and they both Enelt down.
| One OF them then commenced TO prav IN a voice
! plainly audible to the entirs aSsembage.
After the old man had finished a hymn was
sung by the audience and then. after Il some
| what peculh confession Of faith ON tire part Of
| the converts, the burden Of which was, y" be
/ lieves de Lord have cleaned my heart" tall
negro, covered with heavy black grown, walk
long palm cane, on the top 81 when white
silk nag was tied. When the walker had reach
ed up TO his waist he stopped and, planting his
oane nrmiy IN the SANDY bottom Of the lake.
turned to where the converts stood aud cfied,
chosen" Upon tnis two strong Young black
men, dressed i'm ught-htting suits OF clpth. cane
the water they were followed 10y two other
negr, e., wDo wore long, flowing gowns. These
men stepped into the water and walked slowly
out to where the palm cane nad been planted.
| Ashley did 50 the crowd Of converts ana those
about them began To sing pecullerly soft and
touching melody, each verse Of which ended la
the words
VETS prepared We, coming now
Wen be ia wd you.
| When the HYMN was finished one Of the minis
ter, standing IN the water, delivered a ,h, II
address t the Candidates. lie spoke suDstan-
ITALY Us follows:
4 CALL FOR THE HEAVY LADEN.
"'All ye whom am heavy ladcned come unto
me and will give yer rest. Desc word my
| hreadern, am de words oh de Lord IN heaven,
and me, his minister, speskin' for Him. DO now
| repeat dem unto all men. Come and yer shall
have rest But afore restin' IN worldly sense,
what does we dor What does we do, demand
| Of you; what Car we do when Is az de end
| OBJ Il long journey in lie heat and dust oO de
summer sum- Does We not bath ourselves In
| wAtcrI 90 course we does, and We Is refreshed.
| SO must you, Ladies' and geinmen ob de Lord,
dis day, MS you has come through a long journey
ob sin and wickedness, bath Ia de water oh de
| Lord, and yer shall be free from de dust da'
| have stained yer hearts" Dress GOD. ives
comm" cried number Of the candidates and
the minister continued: But yer must not
| suppose dat dis comm into de water " III make
yer clean from al yer sim Dat it will not d. /.
yer must fust 90 through fire red hot fire.
I'VE has, we has!" shouted the converts, who
were now becoming Wild with excitement. II
know yer has" answered the munster; and
for dat reason Is ready TO bsplize yer. Come
20 me- and yer shall hao De water oh de Lord
haiti and FxgNl a. Il a. .N
Methodists, molly Methodists" ''Fcre God,
sure 'nOugh!' cried the candidates. And"
continued the minister, "beiu' such, Yer snail
have water any way dat yer likes. Dem dat
wants II sprnkled shall have II sprinkle dem
dat wants 1t poured shall have II poured; and
dem dat wants IT ober al by 'mersiOn shall have
dat way, nress dc Lord And now beadern,
OATS not liberal religion, donno what is.
OATS all has to say now. Come to dc Lord !;
come 20 de waters 90 certain line."
As the last words left the minister's lips the
candidates, singing, shouting, laughing and
cn lng, formed themselves into line, ana then,
two by two, marched TO the waters edge. Here
they were met by tbs two young men, whom
have already mentioned, and conducted to the
ministers, who, after asking their names. cried,
- Fore God, in dc name OF de Father, Son, and
Holy Cost, baptizs yer"
THEN THEY WERE IMMERSED,
and nfterward conducted back to tina shore
bv the attendants. Here they were received
by the shouts and songs OF their friends and
hurried OF 10 adjacent tents TO chance their
clothes. The first half dozen candidates went
through the ceremony without much noise or
display, but as the audience became more and
more excited, shouts OF " Day Is comm to
glory" Daylight is IA nreakin'." sure, sure,
lore God Dress the hosts" wero heard on
every side. The candidates Joined IN these
cries, aud Logan TO act ike uadmen. They
screamed one; Christ am here" Yelled
another; and "Fore God IVES all gofn' To
glory" shouted hilf dozen m chorus. Thon
tney began to sing and the refrain:
We Is Ia de ll'ebOat--
We IL IN de llfebOAt,
God keep US ia
went out from thousand lips, and was echoed
back bv The surl ounGing hills. by tins time the
Two young men were unable to control the can
didates who came into the water; they were re-
enforced by tour Others, but still they were
hardly able To control many Of those who were
baptized, SIikht women seemed to be Possessed
with the strength of 1ends; they lore their
necks aud arms until they we're covered with
blood and, breaking away from the ministers
ana attendants, plunged themselves again and
again into tho lake; then. when at last they
could be forced 10 Lana, they iell faintinR into
the arms OF their relatives, who all the time con
tinued TO shout, "'Fore Goa, dey's got I'll dey's
happyl" THIS scene continued for upward OF
Two hours.
Lace Making Ia Venice.
| From ne CiHCnMdu Gazette.