Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-16
AN HISTORICAL DISCOVERY.
slave Marriages I'm Observation-Disclosures
Old Document.

Liturgy of the Church of England,
as tending 'to introduce Irreligion
and ENTHUSIASTICALLY in the
use Of the Office Of Matrimony for
marriages contracted between
slaves. i x i In reply to Ho-
bart, DIR. John Beach took up this
alleged source of wickedness, res
ponding in substance that as a slave
was capable of being made free, and
so of having property in large
estate, there was no profaneness
in the mans solemnly promising to
make his wife copartner with him
in all his worldly goods, if ever it
should please God to bestow an es-
tate upon him. Calm and Dispas-
SionGte VindicdtiOn, etc, p. 80.
"Whatever may be thought of
the state Of the argument between
these reverend champions, there can
be no doubt that in q community
like that of Massachusetts, during
the time when slavery prevailed
there, some thoughtful and consid-
crate men must have felt the abb
surdity Of solemn religious sanction
for such connections, governed as
they were by the humor or interest
Of masters or mistresses, the own
ers of the slaves. And in proper
ton To that reverence for marriage
and the sanctity of the marriage
tie which has always been credited
to Puritan orthodoxy, there must
have been solemn rcpugnance to
profaning the solemn rights by
which Gods first ordinance, con-
firmed by Christ's first miracle, has
always been guarded in all Chris
tian countries. The simplest forms
in use for such a ceremony were
profaned, when mutual pledges of
enduring love and fidelity were
given and taken by those who were
liable TO separation at any time at
the viii of their owners"
While admitting that marriage in
Massachusetts, for many years af-
ter the first settlement, was regard
ed as a mere civil contract entered
into before magistrate, Mr.. Moore
contends that it is no less certain
that the prayers proper to the &C.
casion, which were made by the
magistrate upon giving the cove
nant to the parties, were as sacred
to the Puritans and no more to be
lightly profaned than the sacred
ritual of their fathers, which they
had rejected as savoring of Popery
and elevating marriage into a
sacrament; and when in the next
generation, the ministers began to
resume the practice of performing
the marriage ceremony, there can
be no doubt that they regarded
their simple service as substantial
ly holy and deserving all the rev.
erence ever claimed for any Protes,
tant ceremony of the kind. He
continues
GLOW, then, was it that Parson
Hobart, in 1748, could put his Epis,
copal brother 10 the blush for pro
flaming the marriage service in the
manner alleged, unless the more
accommodating spirit of his OWL
sect enabled him to adapt its forms
at discretion to the cases which
came before him? The inference il
obvious, and sustains the tradition
that in Massachusetts, the marriage
Of slaves, while they were unques
tionably more formal in some case
than merely jumping broomstick,
had in reality little more practica
significance in their obligations
limited as these were in extent ant
duration blythe necessary condition
of servitude. The tradition is nov
corroborated by contemporary doc
umentary evidence, which prove
beyond doubt that the kind of wed
; lock in which SambO and Dmal
Pompey and Chloe, became nomi
nally husbands and wives, unde
Massachusetts laws, was very III
certain and precarious, and its re
ligious celebration in very truth
solemn farce
zone Of the most accOmplishe
historical scholars in the country
Mr.. J. Wingate Thornton, Of BO:
ton, has recently discovered tn
form Of negro marriage prepare
and used by the Rev. Samuel Phi
, lips of Andover, Massachusett
! whose ministry there, beginning j
17lO, and ending with his death
t 177l, was a prolonged and EN-
nently distinguished service of mol
than half the eighteenth centur,
His immediate successor was ii
Rev. Jonathan French (l772-l6O'
s in the family Of whose son al
= Thornton found the document
North Hampton, n H., on the thi
. ty-frst of December, 1868. l q
indebted to his liberal courtesy +
g the opportunity to make use Of
: the present time.
V at is copied exactly from Il
% original now before me, as writ
. by the author himself, whose wo
could certainly have been no
Ii other than OF the most approx
ID and orthodox pattern. EX II
e disco Omnes:
IA e." "A FORM FOR A NEGROE MARRIAC
III 80 You S donow, in We Preser
,,r of God. and these Witnesses, Ia
~ R to be your Wife;
le q" Promising, that so far as sh
ne be consistent with ye. Relat
be web you now Sustain, as Serva
nd YOU will Perform We Part of
10 Husband towards her And in ?
= ticular, you Promise, that you '
IT Love her And that, as you 81
es- have We Opportty & Ability,
by will take a proper Care OF her
lie Sickness and Health, in Prosper
. & Adversely:
ns And that you will be Tru
OF Faithful to her, and will Cleav
ties her only, so long as God in his !
ed. vidce, shall continue your and