The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-12
lust Cause
For Forbidding a Wedding
BY OSCAR cox
By OSCAR cox

Just before the civil war broke out
there was a colored man living on a
plantation in Tennessee called Court
ney st. Leger. This aristocratic name
seems so out Of place for a negro
slave that word of explanation is nee
essary. 1t had been derived from Colo
mel st. Leger, who had owned the man
in Louisiana, and a previous master
named Courtney, for at that time ne
groes took their names from their
owners.
Now, Courtney had had wife on the
Courtney plantation, and from her he
had been divorced by the fact only
that be had been sold to Colonel st.
Leger. While under the colonel's own
ership he had married another wife,
and a few years later he had been sold
to a Mr.. Harland of Tennessee. Not
long after he had been bought by Mr..
Harland he concluded to take wife
from among the women owned by that
gentleman.
Susan Clarke, whose name had come
to her from former master, had been
bought in New Orleans. How many
husbands she had had would not have
been known on the Harland plantation
had 1t not been that Pete Lefevre, one
of her fellow slaves In Tennessee, and
his wife Phoebe had been bought at
the same time with her and knew of
~ haE CHI kn1
different ownerships.
Courtney and Susan concluded to
blot out their remembrances Of past
connubial bliss and trials by taking
each other for lawful partners. Mis-
sey Harland. as they called their mis-
tress, was a good woman and would
like to have stemmed the current OF
such marriages among her slaves but
the system of slavery was not cOndu-
siye to squeamishness on the subject,
and she was obliged TO take the situa-
ton as she found it, SO long as couples
were sold apart there were to be found
cases wherein a strict regard for the
letter OF the divine institution of mar
riage was not observed SO when per-
mission to marry was handed in at the
manor house it was granted The we'd
ding took place in an Episcopal church
The rector was colored, and the wed
ding guests were also people of color
The pair marched up the aisle to the
chancel. the groom with magnolia in
his buttonhole the bride in a white !
muslin gown given her by her mis- |
tress. The ceremony went on glibiy |
till that part of the service was reach |
ed in which the clergyman says:
II any man can show just cause why /
they may not lawfully be Joined together |
let him now speak or forever after hold |
his peace.
Then Pete Lefevre arose from among
the wedding guests and said:
81 know why Court st. Leger
shouldn't marry Sue Clarke, Fust of.
Pete. he got three wives areddy. and
Sue, she got two husban's | knows on
and
The remarks were interrupted by
Uncle Ben Parker. who arose with
4 threatening look on his face. The
bride. the groom. the clergyman and
guests all changed their astonished
ylances from Pete to Uncle Ben.
''Wha' 70 yo' mis'able Louisiana mig
ger yo' cum hyar To- t max distub-
ince in de house OBJ de Lord? Yo'
Ihut up dat red and black mouf o
-ourn or dis hyar congregation gwine
o put yo' Quit"
How can | be asked to show just
,ause why Court and Sue mayn't law
July be jined togedder and yo' say 20
ywine put me out eff / doT
Ben scratched his head, looked like
bull just about TO lift a rail fence
With his horns and finally said:
dat part o de ceremony want
meant 70 niggers at all. 1t war meant
o. white folks"
"You's all wrong" said Nose Tucker,
oming into the fray. white folks
lon pay no mo- 'tention to dat dan
Iiggers. De finest people an de rich
st people in de WORT hab de mos hus-
lands and wives"
"How dey do 't?' asked Uncle Ben.