On the recordJanuary 1, 1855
Marriage as imposing obligations on the parties to it—has no existence here, except in such hearts as are purer and higher than the standard morality around them.
Said by
Frederick Douglass
Source
gutenberg.orgFrederick Douglass: “Marriage as imposing obligations on the parties to it—has no existence here, except in such hearts as are purer and…”
Editor's note · Context
From his autobiography, Douglass reflects on the impossibility of true marital bonds for enslaved people due to the corrupting influence of slavery.
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It was perhaps better for the country and for mankind that the good man could not know the end from the beginning.
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The anti-slavery platform had performed its work, and my voice was no longer needed.
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