Washington telegraph., 1856-03-05
Marriages of slaves.

Az ITea FOR AnoLlnoSlsrs "A stand.
ing topic Of argument agains, slavery. with
the abollionisis-those at least, who pretend
at all 10 arguments the assertion that It
virtually ignores or disregards the marital
tie Admitting the utmost possible force in
the argument ii could be met by counter
statements against any form aud mode Of
labor, iof the separation Of husband aud wife
is a common incident to the hireling white
and black, no less than to the slave. We
could appeal also TO the experience Of all
Southern observers. in proof that our slave.
holders aud planters generally, were'anxious.
ly disposed 10 respect and project the mari
ial relations Of slaves, aud that more diff.
Guilty Is found il educating and training the
slaves themselves to regard i, than in project.
ing il when established on good basis
We introduce the matter. hoEcyor, ouly to
mention fact lately brought to ouf notice.
which speaks moro than any assertions could
a. TO the relative ailachmnis Of the negroes
The ease to which We refer is. briefly a
voluntary and mutual dissolution and rap
iufe Of a marriage y fAy years, happy and
agreeable duration between slaves aud thi.
was BY the consent Of both parties, each Pre-.
fsrring 10 sever this relation rather than to
leave tho masters family although tho option
was left to each aud ei,hcr--as IS most gen.
orally the case The circumstances were
these The wiic was an Old nursa aud
mama Of family migrating to florila.
aud had for years lived IN a condition OF IN.
diligence and case, better than could have
been passiLla haA sho hnoa frer as'ullly as
slc was virtually. On thc closing Of an
estate by sale for division. under our laws,
She was necessarily offered for sale. r was
purchased by the son Of the mi..I,ss, to
whom she had been nurse aud iavuTilo maid
This gentleman. who had u0cn 10 lis b9yish
days received al her hands the rol. which
the wise king recommends as sovereign
specific for the foolishnes Of childhood. very
naturally aud Enthusiastically offered her
freedom, 80 FAR as ], could BE- done, aud gave
her the choice of three residences for lie,
and At the same tins promised ample and
abundant comforts To bii surprise her
answer was, "No. mas.a, goes Wil you to
the new country" llc tod her OF her hue.
band, and again asked her to choose 8 nomi.
nal master aud protector in the ncighbor.
hood, aud one Of these places offered to her
was the plantation on which her husband
lived.
She persisted that her ir., choice was to
follow her master, when he Immediately ro.
:, }yed to purchase her husband, whosc owner
was equally anxious 10 protect aud 'pirc l6e !
marital tic Of a veteran servant TIE bar. |
gain was soon settled between the masters
iJr both slaves were too old to have been
worth any consideration under any other
system but the permanent lic Of slavery
10, an unexpected difficulty occurred The
husband slouily refused to leave biz masters
family. aud protested that deeply and long
as 10 had loved bic wife, he could not leave
his home to follow her
State the naked proposition that a hu,.
band and wife Of such age aud qualities had
been separated. aud nb0liiioni.m would Of
once End matter for tcarwoying homilies
Ye, here is one plain case Of very late oc.
eurreuce, In which sach a separation occur.
red ngains, the desiroi and intention Of two
Shareholders, aud by the alternative choice
Of two slaves,
Can any Of our Northern moralisis tell Us
how many white marriages have been cruelty
and misorubly severed by California migra.
tion -Chariestoa Is O. Courier