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From: "Fran Warren" <>
Subject: [AR-OLD-NEWS] November 26, 1881 Van Buren Press
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 16:25:51 -0800


Van Buren Press
Crawford County, Arkansas

November 26, 1881
NO MARRIAGE AT ALL

Fort Smith Herald: It may be of interest to those who contemplate entering
the state of matrimony, via the "Green", to know that there is no law, save
the common law of marriage, governing the marriage of whites in the Indian
Territory. The only laws of the United States or the Territory in existence
in the Indian Territory, are those governing the marriage of Indians, or
whites to Indians or vice versa. Hence, such a marriage as that of yesterday
is about as much marriage as if a couple stood up together, and said "We're
ours. Let's be man and wife." Some of the "green' uns" will come to grief,
someday, when they are called upon to show their credentials as to what
authority they have for living together as man and wife. We notice they skip
out as soon as they have "jumped the broomstick".

The next session of the legislature ought to pass a law making it a
penitentiary offense for any person claiming official capacity to perform
the marriage ceremony in Arkansas, going to the Indian Nation to perform
such ceremony, contrary to the laws of Arkansas. The laws of the state have
been notoriously violated by so-called preachers at Fort Smith, for a long
time.

Fran Alverson Warren
e-mail:
501-369-2703





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