Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-10

! had forced the English law to rccop-
nizc tho legality OF their form OF
marriage. Tho ini;iai step WAS taken
I oy the parties who declared in meet
Ink their intentions. The womcn's
| meeting ihon appointed committee
| 10 see II the woman was Clear
! from other marriage cntangicments:
the mems meeting did the same. and
when this was settled the parties
were le:t 80 their liberty TO take
each other" which was done by call
Ing on the congregation ns witnesses
Despite the unpieasantncss as ;u
his marriage. in the case of John
peasants. he und4ubtcdly continued
10 enjoy the h!Gh esteem and good
Viii of the community in which he
lived. as is shown by his election in
lca? to the House OF Burgcsscs. but
as he declined 10 take the required
oath, lie was MOI allowed 20 occupy
his seat. John Peasants chief pride
seems to have been in the mum Der
OF slaves owned by him. his ambition.
as stated. being 10 have 1000. Ac-
c"rains 70 the iirnrico County rec
ords he h.uuca;had his slaves. not,
w!ihs,andins the fact tina; ne was
Quaker says one writer. to his
children as if they were merely an
Important, part of his live stock. The
account. however. which has come
down from the Quakcrs is quite dit
ierent and is very interesting.
Opposition tn SIarc-Owning.
At one time. says this account, he
held not quite the desired thousand,
slaves. and he failed 10 reach the
fu. thousand before the Quakers OF
Virginia decided that IL was un-
righteous 10 hold their tcllowmcn in
bondage. Hy this decision. ii is said,
he was much annoyed. y committee
went 10 visit him on account OF his
slave owning. but he would not leave
his 6cld 10 meet IL, so they waited
patiently until he came To dinner.
He then had tho horses of the mem
hers put in the stable. and with true
dine with him. But, when dinner
was over. he wished TO hasten back
10 the field with his dusky farm
hands. The visitors finally induced
him TO tarry for season OF waiting
before the Lord. For some time ;hey
sat in silence. and then arose, saying.
II he would have their horses
brought. they would proceed on their
way. They departed without men
tioning the object OF their visit, but
he knew for what purpose they came
and he was obliged 10 think about it,
The account continues. that when
upon his bed that night, he dreamed
~ died and was about To pass
through the gateway of heaven. when
a little negro boy closed the gate
anu ne was not allowed to enter.
He said. he did not intend to be kept
out or heaven by his slaves so the
next morning he summoned them and
told them from that day they all
were free. He is said TO have ar
ranged with those who wished to
remain with him to work for wages,
and he declared that with only about
half the number OF servants his busi-
ness was more profitable than before.
By the year 1917, all the Quakers in
hlh ball
in North Carolina, so in Virginia. the
principles Of the Quakcrs, for some
time before the War Between the
states, were so at variance with the
prevailing sentiment around them,
that most OF them moved west. so
that at the time the war began, there
were in the State only few small
remnants OF meetings that met to