In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

11 To Baltimore andWashington, D.C. December 1866–January 1867 Sunday 30 December 1866 Arrival in Baltimore at 9:30 am. Straightaway to an Episcopal Methodist black church. All shades of color, from coal black to almost white, some more yellow like Chinese. All kinds of hair, short woolly heads, some with a parting, some with long hair, and one with long silvery white curls.The owner of those curls was sitting in the front row, and he certainly had Negro blood in his veins, but his face, as far as I could see, was less Negroid than most. Most odd are the frizzy heads of elderly people, having become grey, almost white. Most people were well-­ dressed, especially the women, but sometimes a bit too dashing.The men generally in long black coats. More intelligent faces than in Charleston. Everyone was civil toward me, although I was about the only white in the congregation, but no whispering or stealthy looks. Usually city Negroes are better educated than Negroes from the plantations. At the singing every line was read first and then sung.The sermon was delivered by a coal-­ black preacher, at first haltingly, but soon he got into his stride and spoke with fervor. Taken all together it was the most rambling rhapsody I ever heard, without any sense or aim, but he managed to reach the hearts of his audience, and brought some of them to tears and to a real storm of excitement. “Yes, Sir, Amen,” etc., with much shouting and moaning that made me feel uncomfortable now and then. Curious expressions in the sermon: “Tom Payne, Bolingbroke, and Voltaire preached against the church, but could not prevail against her.” “I believe in the joint godhead and manhood of Christ. I do not know how it was fixed, but I believe in it.” “Pray for everybody, not only for the good men, but for the wicked ones too, for the presidents, judges, governors.” With his shouts he knew how to 112 A Young Dutchman Views Post–Civil War America generate a frenzy of excitement at the right moment. There was a choir and fairly good singing. The preacher had a large mug of water at hand, and from time to time he took sips of that, preferably in the middle of a sentence. Behind him two fellows were sitting on a couch, who replaced him now and then, for example, in the reading of the hymns, and who were leading the crowd in the signs of enthusiasm . One of his announcements referred to the service that was to start tomorrow, New Year’s Eve, at 8 and would continue until midnight to lead the congregation into the New Year, after which everyone would be free until 2 am, or, if he wanted to, to pray until sunrise. Episcopal Church, decorated with greenery for the last Sunday of the year; only a few pretty girls leaving the church. After dinner a stroll around the town, nicely situated. Washington Monument, beautiful mass with music in the Roman Catholic cathedral, built more or less after Rome’s Saint Peter, but with two curious minaret-­ like towers. Are Ameri­ can morals generally good or bad? Is my most favorable impression, based on what I have seen and heard, right or wrong? Or are most women lewd and the girls ‘fast’ and often not much better than older women? I have been thinking about these issues and want to write my opinion down here and now, after slowly having weighed the evidence collected so far. In the beginning I thought to answer these questions in the negative, but now I am forced to reconsider.Trott claims that the custom of deliberately not having children was prevailing everywhere. He had spoken with a lady before he was married. She had two children and told him that these two were enough and that she did not intend to have more, whereupon he remarked that this could not be only her decision. She answered: “Oh, how green are you, when you will be married you will know better.” According to Oyens a woman gives her husband permission, explicit or with connivance, to be untrue to her, better than having children herself. Prelo Huger told me long story about a Northern girl he had met at a ball, and he had been allowed to go a long way with her, even sitting on her lap, alone with her in a deserted room. He claimed to...

Share