Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-08
RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS
AMONG SOUTHERN NEGROES
Correspondents of Southern Church.
man Tell of Antc-Bcllum Life in
Various Southern States.

Various Southern States.
For some time past the Southern
Churchman has been devotinE consid-
corning the religious conditions among
Southern negroes prior to the abolition
of slavery. Two recently published are
especially informative and interesting:
The settlement OF Georgia. for the
humane purpose OF relieving the vic
Tins Of Englands mistaken debt law.
brought there a generous element and
many Christian spirits, some for the
direct purpose of forwarding benevo-
lcnt work and some TO make homes
for themselves away from the scenes
of religious troubles in other lands.
These were, OF course. the coast peo-
pie, but the mountain folk have shown
much the same character. In reading
of the movements in England during
tho nineteenth century for the better
ment of civic conditions / have felt
that General Oglethorpc was a century
or more ahead of those who sought to
effect such reformatious. One Chris
ton gentleman gave as the reason for
his consenting to the Introduction of
slaves into the colony of Georgia, that
see for ChristianizinE the African,
We saw the result, in the next century,
| in the beautiful and influential char
acters Of many of our 'Mammics.' l
look back to the one who cared for
my mother, one of the tcndereSt
and gentlest spirits I ever knew, with
! that Quietncss of manner which evil
dences the moderation which. we are
told, means in scripture self-posscssion.
! the control of ones own powers. |
knew Virginia NANNY TO whose
fine cha racter her master said he at
tributed much of the high character
of his children. l have seen her. with
licking spirits of set of young
brothers just entering manhood. by
beginning to sing the hymn. How
Firm Foundation they sitting re-
spectfully quiet until she had finished:
and we knew she had purposcly not
chosen a short hymn. She said that
she had learned TO read in answer to
prayer and could read no other book
but the Bible.
Before the war. In the suburbs of
Augusta. then known as the Sand Hills.
there was succession of lovely homes
! extending for the distance of mile.
One of these was the residence OF tho
widow and descendants OF ono of Geor-
gias early Governors. Through the
range of this district there used to
pass from time TO time n blind negro
man holding religious services in the
cabins of the negroes. And with him
went, to assist in these exercises, the
young lady of the family mentioned,
she reading and he Offering prayer.
Some of his expressions were peculiar,
but the Interpreter was above, and his
audience was not critical. But l re-
member his once praying for me as
Miss Hates nephew In the spring
of he n M n N
hold was called from the chamber.
which she seldom left, to the deathbcd
of former maid. When the latter
passed away she fell across the bed
saying. Take me to my room Her
young grand daughter carried her
across the yard and up the stairs. where
she soon died After the war the
negroes on what had been my grand
mothers plantation used TO say. Its
hard case that we has TO pay rent for
the houses our old missus had built
for us
IT once asked my father his opinion
of such presentations as We're embodied
in the character of Legrec in Uncle
Toms Cabin He replied that there
were such cases and conditions among
overseers and others who had made
some money and purchased slaves"
Another correspondent writes as fol-
lows:
II wish to add my testimony as to
the care taken by the Southern masters
and mistresscs for the religious train
ing of their servants. My mother taught
their children and young people every
Sunday In a Sunday school. and SER
vice was held for them on the plan
tation regularly The planters engaged
minister who resided on one planta-
ton and preached at several others
every Sunday. In our native town,
Beaufort, s. g, the large churches re-
served the galleries entirely for the
servants, and smaller churches had
seats for them in the rear. Grace chapel
was built for them, where they could
hold service at night when their work
was over. The galleries of st. Helena's
were always full: now empty except In
case of a funeral or wedding
sheldon church, which we attended
I'm winter, was also provided with seats
for the servants. and cross-road
churches were built for them all
through the country. The infants were
baptized and parents married by our