Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-16
THE REV. JOHN JASPER.
A VISIT TO THE COLORED LITER
Al.iST OF RICHMOND, VA.
Chat with an Intelligent 0uadroon-Ths
Rev. Jaspcr's Personal Appearance
The Sermon and Its Effect on the Con.
Experimentation Rebuked.

SniAt Win an 1oaciiSeht Suaufoohs ~
Rev. Jaspcr's Personal Appearance
The Sermon and Its Effect on the Con.
sregation-visitors Rebuked.
/ made an extra exertion to keep the Sab
bath last Sunday, in rising at S o'clock and
tramping nearly two miles to the church Of
Rev. John Jasper, who has a national reputa-
ton as Eteralist in biblical exegesis. His
place of worship is large, solidly built, and
somewhat attractive brick in the very center
of "Africa'-the extreme northern proionga-
zion of Richmond 1t will hold nearly 500,
and was well filled About a dozen white
persons besides myself We're present, and
the ushers conducted them with great
poiitcness TO seat in the "amen
corner but as / went with the
quadroon waiter Of our boarding house, felt
sort of obligation to accept seat in his
pew. And, by the way, this quadroon gentle
man (who forbids me to publish his namel
has an intellect that is not to be sneezed at.
He tells me he is a second cousin OF Senator
Mason, of the Confederate Bristish embassy,
and he certainly looks il.
HAS CHANGED HIS MIND FOUR TIMES.
He is now much better educated than the
average white man, but still talks plantation
lingo. though he can write beautiful English.
And here | discover one reason why the
colored people make such slow progress in
language studies; his associations are all the
time pulling him hack, while the white
children hear fairly good English half the
time. He can speak English, but perceive
it is an effort, as if it were foreign tongue.
He says he has changed his mind four times
about God, the war, and the niggers." AT
4. 4. IL Il n gz1l- -
niggers were made 10 be kept down, and
white folks to boss; next be thought the mig
gers time had come to get up, and the white
folks TO get down, and then he concluded that
all the old Bible notions about niggers was
foolishness; that every race would have its
time to rule, just as every dog has its day.
He likes the music at Jasper's though, and
goes to church jjist like white boys do-for
style" But this is a disgression-letu us return
to our Jasper.
lie is a venerable-looking three-quarter
miscegene, with good forehead and pleasant
address-nearly 20 years old. His text was:
NThe queen of the south shall rise up in judg-
ment against this generation and condemn it,
for she came from the uttermost parts of the
earth to Solomon, and a greater than Solo
mon is here" On this he preached good
sermon-I have heard much worse from pre-
tentious white pulpits But toward the last
he became excited, and then all the African
in him came 10 the surface. Swaying tremu-
lousy back and forth, or leaning far over the
pulpit, and waving his long arms, he half
sang, half shouted in musical monotone, a
gorgeous description of paradise. The trop-
ical imagery was wonderful; shining sands,
crystal streams, and evergreen shores; golden
crowns, immortal harpS, never whitening
flowers; the sun that never sets, the palms
that never fade and the love that never
grows cold, the bright -robed angels for the
weary soul, and the tree with its twelve man
ner of fruits that are for the healing of the
nations.
THE CONGREGATION SwAYED IN UNISON.
And as he swayed and chanted, shouted or
or exhorted, nearly the whole congregation
svayed in unison with him, while from all
parts of the house came fervent responses OF
"Ah, the Lord" "Oh, my SOUL" Jesus,
bar us homer some women occasionally
breaking into a long cry, half scream, half
wall. And then saw how strong the tropi-
cal nature still is in these exotics, and was in
fancy borne back two centuries to the time
when the rude ancestors of these people, be
meath the blazing sun of Africa, under the
palm trees or on the hot sand, sang and
screamed and danced in praise of Mumbo
Jumbo
All at once | realized that | too WAS sway
ing back and forth in unconscious sympathy
with the mass, and was not surprised to see
my positiyist quadroon neighbor at the same
performance. The preacher suddenly
dropped his voice, assumed severely judi
cial tone, and gave the visitors blast for five
or ten minutes. He declared with rather
embarrassing emphasis that they is some
folks heah that is not heah TO the love of
God; but jest to catch up somethin' to carry
away and laugh at know they's heah for
nothin' else; but YOU can set il down that
Gods work shall stand Nothin agin it can
come TO 4 head; everything in this book
means just what it says; nothing is too &c
complicated for God You that's heah to
laugh may talk about your science, but Ill
give You the straight word of God, and my
skirts viii lie ciar, then If you refuse it and
have not the love of God spread abroad in the
heart You'll go down 10 hell" And with this
cheerful assurance he closed
The congregation was of more interest than
the sermon. One rarely sees more well
dressed people in rural church There were
blac. cloth coats, white vests and neckties in
profusion, along with elegant and tasteful
dresses. Not ragged or unkempt person in
the house. The music was excellent, and the
collection showed that the people had money
to spare.-~Parke, ia Chicago Times