The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1884-01-24
The Eegro Preacher.

The negro presehers may be sharply
divided into two classes. the educated
and the uneoucatcd; or rs they phrase
it, the s'larnt' ard the .'unlarnt." The
former are young men who have grown
ZIP amid the new order Of things, and
who by dint O.: their owa industry and
frugsli.y have maraged to deSray part
Of the cost Of their limited education,
some assistance having been afforded
By their respective churches. They
read with toie-sbia tluency, are slight
smatterers in Theology, ard write after
a fashion which, aii;5ho..sh almost
wholly unintelligibie to educated psc-
PIE, is, believe, decipiera:.le by their
own race. These yoanr dirines, though
they have higher ideals FOR their race,
AID are gradual: acquiring whole
some influence over ihcm, DO not as yet
possess the SWAY cf the older unedu-
Gated preachers. 1t would seem that
they have learned ;ust enough to make
them obscure; enough to lift them out
of sympathy with their simple-minded
hearers, but not enough 10 give them
true breadth and insight; and while
stick,ers for polysyllables, they fret in
grammatical traces, insoniuch that the
soul-giow, the cbuliient spontaneity Of
the race, is entsngied and smothered.
Book lore is ss yet clogs, not pinions.
1t is a5:,cag the older set, ii any
where. tsiat ne must look for the traGii-
tional bl;;ch orator. His originality
would more tan satisfy the widest
apostle of the unconventional. Neither
in point Of rite or doctrine is he fet-
tered, scarce even guided, By r::lc cr
precedent. He manufactures theology
with the noncaaiance Of q jesuit, and
coins words with the facii..v Of 4 Car
lyle. He may j;;st he able to founder
through a cha: OF Scripture, rncouth
in gesture, b:.rbaious IL dicti;n, yet
carnestness lends dignity 10 his man
ner, and fEses his jargon in:, elo-
quence. He NAV habitusllv outrage
logic and occasionally contravene
Scripture. bu; TIE salient points Of his
discourse are sound. and his words go
straight holce to the hearts Ct lis
hearers.
Els power ont of the pulpit is also
great, almost boundlass. Within his
own parish he IS practically priest and
pope. ESccT,n:un;cation itself is lis
most trcnchant weapon. Never was
papal anathel,la more potent hugbear
than his threat to lent og.' His cen-
sorship CT the morals and department
CT his flock, though TO our minds insup-
porta!,ly anuoring an.i hQmiiiating. is
undoubtedly wholesome aIi necessary.
Though his discipline csr by 80 means
escape the charge CT Inconsistency, his
influence is always exer;ed TO mske
them honest and faithful men and
women. and 20 Restrain the bese:ting
sigs OF the race. Il many instances he
resorts to their employers for informa-
tion touching their honcs:y md midas
try. The, monthly, on a stated Satar-
day, they are rigidiy required 20 as
semhie and give an account OF them
selves. As tne negroes possess almost
Norb:d lccal attachment. they ere c.
ceedinG loath &c transfer their ine.ubar-
ship, when in guest OF employment
they move &C a distance, and in many
instances this monthly sttenisnce in
But 40 excuse is taken. and upon fail
ure TO attend for three consecutive
months they are .irhesitat:ngiy cut oli.
It is st these meetings that III TaI,cors
tonchiag ttc morals and depor:mcnt
OF each member a:s ;:giaiT investigated,
and the culpcit su:nmsriiy. though
from -oUr stand; point in4i5cTi.linateiy,
punished; TIE s::3oc penait six months
suspension-being inflicted for dancing
and for t::eft, for world!iness &nd for
anchastity.-O. IT, E,dcsaGil II. No
rs7aJer -d5icntic.