Page:Notes on the History of Slavery - Moore - 1866.djvu/68

 About baptism of laves "borne in the houe, or bought with monie," see letter of Davenport to the younger Winthrop, June 14, 1666, and potscript. M. H. S. Coll., x., 60. 62.

Mr. Palfrey gives it as his opinion, that "From the reverence entertained by the Fathers of New England for the nuptial tie, it is afe to infer that lave hubands and wives were never parted." ''Hit. N. E.,, 30, note.'' The Fathers of New England alo cherihed a due regard for parental and filial duties and reponibilities, yet it is certain that lave mothers and children were eparated. Reting upon "the law of God, etablihed in Irael," the Puritan could have had no cruple about this matter—uch a condition of marriage to the lave mut have been regarded as an axiom as it was by the Hebrew. Compare Exodus,, 4, 5, 6. Mr. Palfrey's inference is not warranted by the facts.

In 1786, the legilature of the State of Maachuetts paed an "Act for the orderly Solemnization of Marriage," by the eventh ection whereof it was enacted "that no person authorized by this act to marry hall join in marriage any white peron with any Negro, Indian or Mulatto, under penalty of fifty pounds; and all uch marriages hall be abolutely null and void." The prohibition continued until 1843, when it was repealed by a pecial "act relating to marriage between individuals of certain races."

The statute of 1705 alo provided an import duty of four pounds per head on every Negro brought into the Province from and after the 1st day of May, 1706, for the payment of which both the veel and mater