Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-06
THE NEGRO'S RELIGION.
Tho Pressing Need OF Missionaries IN the
south.

Tho Pressing Need OF Missionaries IN the
south.
New York Times.
The religion of the colored people of the
South differs widely from the Christian
religion as it exists among white people.
When clergyman at the last meeting Of
the church congress pointed out the fact
that colored Christianity has little or no
connection with morality, he was accused
of slandering the colorcd people but the
scenes at the recent hanging of the negro
murderer Lee at Richmond, Va, furnish
curious illustration of the fact that the
religion of the Southern blacks is little
else than a mere sensual excitement, hav.
ing no more connection with morality
than has hysteria.
Lee, with the help of married negress,
brutally murdered her husband. After
their arrest both of the culprits "got re
ligion," and thereupon made confession :
each alleged, however, that the other was
the real criminal, and claimed only to be
accessory to the crime. Lee was prepared
for death by three colored preachers,
whose method of preparation consisted in
baptizing the man in bath-tub in the
Jail yard and in singing hymns. On the
morning of the execution prayer
meeting was held in the murderer's cell,
to which about twenty. five negro visi.
tors were admitted, who appear to
have enjoyed it rather moro than
they would have enjoyed an ordinary
campmeeting. The three colored preach.
ers escorted Lee to the scaffold, where
one of them informed the cheerful colored
crowd assembled to witness the execution
that Everyone Of them stood chance'' of
similarly coming to the gallows, and that
in the circumstances he Gid "not see any.
thing to frolic about"-a remark that
must have surprised his audience. An
other preacher requested Lee to look out
for him in the kingdom of heaven, for ''he
was coming sure" The assurance that
there was "a crown Of righteousness laid
up tor the murderer was kindly given to
him, and after the prolonged singing of
more hymns tie poor wretch met his
death in a state OF excitement regarded by
the other negroes as the highest evidence
of his sincere piety.
That Lee repented of his crime, or that
had he been pardoned he would have
avoided adultery and murder as pursuits
unworthy of a religious man, there is not
the slightest evidence. The colored preach
ers tlckled his vanity by making him the
SouSAcsi ~ oAo VI :" odpClSID IN puOllC and OF
an uproarious prayer meeting land they
brought him to state of wild excitement
by their hymn singing. Judged by the
standard of the Southern colored preacher.
Lee was thoroughly religious man. for be
sang hyms with fervor and fiapped his
arms as if they were wings, while express
ing determination to fly to heaven.
There is nothing strange in the fact that
the negro, whether preacher Or a mere
professor" can fancy himself sure of
heaven, although daily violating half of
the ten commandments. Lying, stealing
and adultery are not inconsistent with his
religion, for he can sing hymns and flap
his arms as vigorously after stealing his
neighbor's chickens or committing some
grave crime as be could the very hour
when he ''got religion
How far the white people are RESPONSE
BILE for the negro's wretched carlcuture of
Christianity is serions question. By en-
couraging the negro to form "churches''
of his own, they have uniutentionally but
directly encouraged the growth of q dis
tinct negro religion. When the gross
ignorance of the colored preachers is re.
membered it is not strange that the Door
people who look up TO them az spiritual