Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-05-07
MISCELLANY.
BREACH OF THE MARRIAGE PROMISE
New Paltz, Ulster County.
PH1LLIs ScHooNMAKER,

curr Hoon rs, {
This was an action for a breach Of
the marriage promise, tried before
squire De Witt, justice Of the peace,
and quorum. The parties, as their
names Indicate, are black, or, as phi
lanthropists would say, coloured folks.
Counsellor Van Setback appeared on
behalf of the lady. He recapitulated
the many verdicts which had been Civ
en- of late in favour of injured innocence
much to the honour and gallan,ry of
an American jury. twas time to put
an end to these faitrlcss professions,
to these cold hearted decisions it was
time to put a curb upon the false tongues
and false hearts Of pretended lovers,
who, with honey ed accents, only wooed
to ruin, and only protested to deceive.
The worthy counsellor trusted that no
injurious impressions would be made on
the minds of the jury by the colour of
his client.
IT'S not set Of features,
The hncture ofthe skin that we adj
mire.'
She was black, it was true; so was
the honored wife of Moses, the most
illustrious and inspired of prophets,
Othello, celebrated Moor of Venice,
and the victorious general of her ar
mics, was black, yet the lovely BESIDE
mona saw "Othello's vissage in his
mind" In modern times we may quote
his sable majesty Of Hayti, or, since
that country has become republic,
the gallant Boyer. He could also refer
to RHO RHO, king of the Sandwich
islands, his copper coloured queen, and
Madam Poki, SO Hospitality received
and fed to death by their colleague, the
king of England-nay, the counsellor
was well advised that the brave gener-
| al Sucre, the hero, of Ayachuco, was a
dark muIatto. What then, is colour,
in estimating the griefs of forsakcn
and i'll treated female She was poor,
it was true, and in an humble sphere Of
life; but love levels all charlottesville
blind god was no Judge, and no respec-
ter of colours; his darts penetrated deep,
not skin deep; his client, though black,
was flesh and blood, and possessed al
fections, passions, resentments, and sem
sibilities; and, in this case, she confident
ly threw herself upon the generosity
Of AIRY of freemen-of men Of the
north, Of men who did not live in Mis-
souri,, and on sugar plantations, and
from such men his client expected just
and liberal damages"
Phillis then advanced to the bar to
give her testimony. She was, as her
counsel represented, truly made up of
flesh and blood, being what is called a
strapping wench, as black as the ace of
spades.-She was dressed in the Low
Dutch fashion, which has not varied
for a century-linsey-woolsey petit
coats, very short-blue worsted stock
ings-leather shoes, with humping
pair of silver buckles-bold earrings,
her wool nicely combed, and face sleek
and greasy. There was no "dejected
'haviour Of vissage"-no broken heart
NloiDiC ifCi ldSC-SHC loOhCa idl anu
comfortable, as if she had sustained no
damage by the perfdy Of her swain.
Before she was sworn the court called
the defendant, who came from among
the crowd, and stood respectfully be-
fore the bench. Cuff was cookbook
ing young fellow, with tolerably
smartish dress, and appeared as if he
had been in the metre polls taking les
sons of per6dious lovers-he cast one
or two cutting looks at Phllis, accom-
panied by a significant turn up of the
nose, and now and then contemptuous
ejaculation of eh umph ! eugh! which
did not discomfort the fair one in the
least, she returning the compliment,
by placing her arms a-kimbo, and sur
veying her lover from head to foot.
|