Marriage of the “Friends”
By Lucretia Mott
(One of the early leaders in the Woman Suffrage, Anti-Slavery, and other progressive movements of her time. A member of the Society of Friends—a Quaker. The following is from a letter written in 1869 to Josephine Butler, of England.)
In the Marriage union, no ministerial or other official aid is required to consecrate or legalize the bond. After due care in making known their intentions, the parties, in presence of their friends, announce their covenant, with pledge of fidelity and affection, invoking Divine aid for its faithful fulfilment. There is no assumed authority or admitted inferiority, no promise of obedience. Their independence is equal, their dependence mutual, and their obligations reciprocal. This of course has had its influence on married life and the welfare of families. The permanence and happiness of the conjugal relation among us have ever borne a favorable comparison with those of other denominations.