New-York tribune., 1905-12-24

PIE "He ~ "a 1o,,. system OF the Southlahu
snzs1saed the ancestors OF TINS rae - 400 A
onlv uae Hundred or two hunoteu 80,
oe,t,yr,, or two is not long period /" 'i -
,,+io- of anv neople especially one whose e'i' y
abode was In the African jungle oehea'h q " -
So, And so we should expect 10 lhu a,,,
,.szes Of the black people. as VIC W -
- -,erl,s OF their inheritance. Dense ls
clea1 -...ia a vivid imagination, volatile emo
- ,reslr will power, small sense OF MOI -
ora universally regarded as the nlosl ,,,
+-,s.s of the negro in those sections "a H - h
- '-,otsbIyy some parts of the black oeit- "iiei =
tis' =. ,,t. ,,rirnitive simplicity. In other parts
- south where the influence of real educa'ioi
hos been at work, the mental ana moran ei1 ~
of Great numbers Of the blacks would not 90 -. -
e +b,s 6escriptfon Both slavery and e1nanclp3-
+ion days have brought to them Ideal anu "sp" -
-. w. ,,,+,7ra OF the white race has been iInl-
.+45 They are in possession OF much OF Wiia'
nav be spoken OF the Anglo-SaNon coHselo'.9 -
moss Many members Of the NEGRO i"eo -
shown capacity for high thought ana iSioio ~ 80
1s,+ in General there has not yet been trne elous
e. -,oT,o than a s7aperpostion Of higher eleinei'S
,,non their inherited mental. social ana Ieiis
nature OF true mental developments IN l1e i s
a. a rare there has been little. CNlH%atloh 0
,ossr7, sye1l side by side in the same spirit, anu
-. e. o4,e, aarrsnt contradiction in think
a. tn feeling in conduct According 10 'he
chance of the moment, the one or the otler sio"S
itself with its appropriate accompaniment u -
terance and act -
-. ~ Tootout Mountain IN the northwestern
-,~n.r Of Georgia listening with company OF
friends TO an old hermit darkys account VI ms
-.1eious conversion. He was q powerful grant Va
8 black man. sixty-seven years Old q recluSe' pu'
a,orv7n favorabIy by the dwelers all over 'ho
,,,,r+ein He smoke to US the porch or our
bostess's residence, in the Darkness win only
alckerng light shining in his face. lie hao reS9Heo
the climax Of the recital was IN a consloeRao'e
g+s+a op ecstssv and was very an1ioUsly seeking
his lIaIa aXD
,,5aen1z- his dog began barking furiously Just oe-
hind him and utterly broke the continuity Oh nus
thought and Of his speech think no oile "a W
viii ever forget the dash OF sHVasery uaI c111Ao
into his face as he turned with naSh11s eye SN4
foar,ing lip upon that canine intruder II was q
+or+1irr, transition revealing the crater Of prinf-
tive nassion just underneath the crust OF rehg1os
culture and nurture.
1-bo most rrominent activity of the negro race
IN America is religion. OF course, mean religion
- o-+af, +v,e which can only be understood
-bap --ieved historically and in the light Of the
mental development which these people nave at
tanned A little time ago, comparatively speakinb
their ancestors were practising primitive rites on
The African West Coast. And the slave snipS
brought TO the West Indian sugar fields and TO
-bs Southern States ultimately, people WEo were
saturated with superstition.
The chfldHkeness OF their conceptions is shown
in the growth Of such sect as the "sheep calling
Paptists' in parts of Alabama, with whom the
o7or,rnjon is observed two hours before day. They
meet out in the woods sometimes IN the cnurch
The people gather inside and then d1s2erse among
the trees and the bushes outside. The prescheF
dops his robe, and In the character OF a shepherd
goes forth to gather in his sheep ~Coo-oo Sheep
-Sh'p-Cooghy-Co -Sheep!" he calls, ana
the men of his flock from their place N the forest
answer sF3ai BaI' and the women from the bushes
assssF likewise, and they follow him into the
cAuEEa, Tbey eEppioy two kinds OF oFeIIo IN aa lo
rn11liszer1ng kbe saeranleEt-the black brea6 for
4he outsider who is mot OF this fold" and the
white bread for the true sheep
once attended simple experience meetin " on
black people in Tennessee IN which these influences
were very ViS1by at work At the outset Ine In
+erest was not intense noted several colored
people on the fringe Of the crowd sound asieep'
Testimony tagged little and the leader called for
that expression Of tense emotional excitement
known among the negroes -'I1curnin one
sneaker was ho11ndertng in a weltering chaos Of
images and seemed likely to sink without anybody
to rescue him. when the leader arose and with
animation on every feature shouted to the au
Gience: Noun him up. chtin? And ths audience
began-an except those who were asleep-at first
soft and low but rising higher and higher until
they fell into a rhythm that carried everything
before it. including the disciple who had been
houndering for words in which to phrase his re-
ligious experience But he had trouble no longer
Images flashed through his mind with rapidity
and found quick expression on his lips. He spoke
in rhythm and the audience rhythu1icaIy respond
He speedily in fun nlOvement-head,
ecstasy. And the contagion swept everything be-
fore it Even the sound sleepers the fringe Of
the crowd were caught ard carried into the move
Ient as If by tide Of the AT the very CLIMAX
os the meeting a woman rose 70 her ieet ana
moved forward TO the open space In fEont OF the
pulpit evidently under the conpulsion Of the lyFlo
wave Having reached the front in one Wild burst
OF pent-up emotion she fell rigid to tbs hoor ana
Law there otionless during tie rest OK the service
She was not disturbed Like tbs devotees OF the
ghost dance she. too. was believed 70 DC enjoying
visions Of the unseen world - ,.n,r
sv '1e rFesfibdIy Of the coored race that has
ever come within the range OF my 1nV9s1gaI0n i9 I
mint Il ~ I did not believe it TO be absolutey
ssse;as tl1e I1ypnotic element SO completely from
anv true spiritual element and shows the power OF
IN = little town between C1eaveland. Tenn. and
Chattanooga It was the purpose to give doHstt1n ION
to the ceored minister. One Of the brethren IN the
church volunteered to make conecuon oI&Ine
offerings from the various homes or the e TO DO
lent her and pair Of steers 70 this orother TO
LSter he had Been throughout the neighborhood
and secured a reasonable load OF groceries pro
md sold everytlins, including The and me
steers. pOcketed the proceeds and departed for AT
Consideration and then indignation reigned su-
gn1n that he was gone After some time the cul-
fJrft dr1fted back IN deep contrlCon, put naEliiB
80 sTd It was determined TO give him a church
triai without waiting for any Legal ma e
nresids6 and after statement OF the charges, an
sounced that the accused would be given chance
to be heerd. He went forward and took the place
Of the preacher on the platform =, 49,. &,
5eaifef ai @ Voice Use po' Infssie sinner But
bredren, IS we an na,sabae sinners An de & good
bredrenT TIL seven thnes9 No. IN seventy times
seven I'm AZ i 90 to augges daf we turn dis into
erness Enee& & an 70 ssTsh s Come a Gus gp no
lille we sing one of deah ole hymns and shake