Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-15
Religious Enthusiasm Among the
iQlOreG PEOPLE.

| inst, esCs The colorei people are passing
through the throes Of elisious reviT al and while
under ths powerful spell &C. in the strangest
manner surprising the dancing dervi:hei Ct the
East, ard coroporting themselves Us if suffering
from St. Vlus' dance or the bite Of the tarantu
Ia all around wa see evidences Of this singulsr
religious enthusiasm among this c ass. They
meet. as if by accident, in thu straets and tas G
hold Of hands, ~ d then b,siH :. sor. Of weird
W Id dance IS they shake ono snulhsr and chant
a strange sort Ct gibbersh waiter bringing
you your morning chop 1t breakfast. ha'f way
10 the table is suddenly ssiZed with religious
convulsion, and crying cut ''p Ve got it," drops
the platter and begins to capcr about in the most
ridcu Gus manner, WIKI you look on and won
der. At the tobacco factory sud 1enly tho spirit
moves them fs they are engaged in twisting tho
leaf, and In ~ stop all work and begin ono Of
their wild meetings, with shoutings. and prayer,
and singing And 80 it goes on; those things oc.
curing at iatervss of every three or four years
The spirit Of prophecy, too. takes possession of
many, and predictions of tho end of all thinga
the interpretations OF dreams, and readings f
signs visible in tho heavens and on the earth are
s Tart Of this general programme. Then sudden
~ it dies out and the world moves Cd with them
as usual"
The Dispatch Of to-day says
"a most extraordinary revival Of religion is
prevailing among the colored people of Rich
mond and vicinity. 1t has No parallel in our
history and is remarkable alike for the sud-
denness with which it sprang into existence, for
and for the painful anxiety of the mourners and
the fervid JOY of the converted. It is so wide
spread that it has reached all classes of colored
society. In some tobacco factories the managers
have found it difficult to ge! their hands to per-
form their usual tasks. many OF the mon being
disinclined to engage in temporal affairs while
bowded down with the weight Of their sin.
Nearly every housekoeper has in the past week
or two had 10 contend with cooks. chamber
maids ard nurses, who can sea oaly be gotten to
utter word: who movo about the premises with
ghost-like quietness, and who perform their &C.
cuslomed duties slowly and in purely machan.
icsl way. The teachers of the colored public
schools have had much to contend with. In
several instances the children have been 80
wholly given up to the religious excitement %
TO make it impossible for the usual work TO be
performed In one case to be related the pupils
Of public school, under the impression that
they had no time to devote 10 books became so
Schools had to be informed He sagacously
determind to get q sensible colored preacher to
90 there and talk to them. The children yield
ed to the persuasions of the worthy spiritual ad-
wiser and returned to their scholastic duties.
Last Sunday there were hundreds of grown
men to be seen sprsvle1 upon the hill-sides of
the suburbs, wither they had gone, according to
tstion and the better to find relief for their sin
oppressed souls. Those who are ''seeking'
manifest their trouble by deep and voiceless sb-
straction, while those WIN have found freedom
burst forth into glad acclaim and joyous song,
and embrace sll the friends they may chance to
meet The policemen doing duty in the section
of the city where the great ajority the color
cd people reside have been compelled, nearly
every night, 10 quiet the new converts-and
threaten some with arrest-so loudly demon.tra.
tive werethey. Many ofthe superstlions that be-
longed to the race as slaves still survive, and are
treasured in the minds Of the ignorant. Hspp-
ly for these SIMPLE kind-hesrted, and very i'm
pressible people, their ministers arc much better
educated than formerly and with few exceptions
they sterny discountensnce ola time sbsurdi'ies,
such as seeking hillsdes rather than the closet
for prayer, and the relation Of miraculous ex-
periences as seeing the Lord, sc. Still, there
are those with whom sl the ancient supersti!ions
yet linger. In this religious excitement theso
have no doubt been guilty Of ridiculous conduct
1t is. however, not the object Of this article 10
dwell upon the peculiar customs of our colored
brethren, nor to burlesque or to bring into psin-
full prominence thsir habits Of speech. What is
here given is, in the main, the statements of col
ored preachers who were interviewed on the
subject
Ia the House cf Representatives, on Satur
day, Mr.. Goodc. of Virginia, presented the
memorial of the Cotton Exchange of Norfolk
and Portsmouth, Va, for an appropriation to
enable the Light House Board to plac, auto.
matte signal buoys near Cape Henry and at the
to Norfolk Harbor. Also, memorial
of the Cotton Ezobango of Norfolk and Ports
mouth, 10 favor Of the construction of the
Texas and Pacific Railroad. Also, memorial
ofthc councils Of the city of Norfolk, Of SINH
lar import all of which we're referred.
EGy NATURE DEMANDS A Tonic when the
nerves are unstrung. the be I'd aches tho apps
t!te is poor or variable. the sleep disturbed, ard
q general depro citation OF vital pOWo1 IS GXpe'
renced. such state Of things cannot lo1g ex-
The most active and genial inYigorant known is
Hostetter' s Stomach Bitters The absolute pur-
ity of its spiritu0us basis and botanic ingredients
gives it permanent claim to public conf ience
and its surprising medicinal value is admitted
by medical men of distinction, by whom it Is
widely used in private practice. For fever and
eguo-both rs preventive and remedy, dyspep-
sia liver complaint bilious remittent fever, con-
stipatlon, choIersic complaints, fatulance, and
eli intestinal disorders i. is a Thoroughly re-
liable remedy. 1t Is tho antfebrilo specific par
oxcelsnce of the msrarial districts Of this and
prevail. and as a general household remedy it is
also universally esteemed.
siThe old umbrella firm, Of Hester s. Sons,
New York, failed to day.
w. F. Live1more, broker CT Now York, has
failed.
HdF AN ELEGANT Stock OF SPRING AND
Summer Boots and Shoes for gentleme ems Wosr
at WADDEY's, 10 King ST., Ale1a., VS.. lap9
n% JUST OPENED "A fine and
select stock Of SPRING CLOTHING,