Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-07-20
WHOLE No. 693.
From the Philadelphis Inquirer.
Divorces, COnrtshjP, Mar
ringe, IiI-AssOrtcd
Matches.

very frequent ol lhie, IN CERTAIN parts OF
the country. Matiimony is most sa"
cred contract Ii should not he enter
ed into without due deliberation. and
the knot once tied and sacrificed as
well by the laws Of God as Of man, the
husband should not be permitted to put
away his wife, or the wife her husband,
for any but the most important conside-
rations. Nothing, Us it seems to us is
more calculated to unhinge society, to
corrupt the heart, and TO weaken the
obligations between parent and child,
than discomfort and discord in welded
life, and as consequence, efforts at
disunion and divorce. Perhaps great
error NY be attributed in the first place
to hasty marriages, and in the second,
to an indisposilon after marriage in the
parties to amend their faults Of temper,
and 10 overlook imperfections oi char>
acter in each other. How many ill-as-
sorted matches are there 10 the world
How many couples enter into con
tract for life, who know little or nothing
of each others character, mind or IN
irinities. How many, moreover, are
there, who, imperfect themselves cannot
overlook or forgive the iinperfcctions Of
others! What rashness, what mPro-
priety, what wrong. characterize the
system Of counship, as too generally
carried on in this country! How fre-
! quently do we discover that matchcs
made in moment Of haste, and infu-
enced altogether by mercenary motives,
terminate in the most iiightlul family
chaos. Young people are too apt to
look at the world through false meqi-
um. Young females especially. are
taught in many cases 10 believe that an
earl y marriage is the great aim Of wo-
mans ambition. A lover is a darling
object Of their dreams, long before they
have passed their teens. Mere lads
are sometimes permitted to address them
for years, without the ability in the first
place to decide as to the nature Of their
own feelings, as TO the erials and vicis-
STUDIES Of the world, or as 10 their pros
pect for discharging tie duties which
devoye on The head Of family. Pa.
rents are often to blame in these cases.
They permit their daughters to associ-
ate with those whom they would not
choose as husbands for their children,
and yet are surprised when, under such
circumstances, attachments are formed,
and runaway matches take place. They
subject the young and inexperienced to
influences, which are calculated TO touch
the hearts and bewildcr he minds Of
such, and yet are Mortified when the
result is love-scrape and an ill-advised
marriage.
Bat older heads are frequently in
volyed in matrimory, without due CON
sideration. Too few seek for reoi-
procity Of taste, disposition, morals and
manners in the partners of their mairi-
moniol engagements. Impulse, ,nomen-
iary feeling, hasty fancy, or mercenary
motives, govern and con,ro! too many
couriships in this country. som. one
has said that "ill-assolted matches are
generally early ones, and that court
slips carried on under tho sanction OF
friends, are seldom broken off, except
it be wise they should" There is truth
and force in this. We see it realized
almost every day. Sometimes, we ad-
init, parents are too obstinate, and con-
suit ambition, rank 10 life, and pecuni-
airy considerations, rather than the real
welfare aud true happiness OF their chI-
dren. But these instances arc rare,
very rare. The happiest marriages in
the vast maturity of cases, arc those
which secure The brightness Of a pa
rents approving smile. Hasing lived
longer and seen more Of the world than
their children, and feeling too, that III
the JOYS aud sorrows of those children
they will deeply participate, and live
over, as it were, second life, the ia
lher aud mother arc seldom apt 10 form
an erroneous judgement.
We would not have mamrnon TO enter
too largely into considerations connec-
ted with matrmony. Far better for
female To bo blessed with husband,
who. kind and unliring in his atlenions
TO her, is also temperate, intelligent,
prudent and aciiye-who never feels
happier than when at home, or in tho
pursuit OF his proper ayocation, lar
better, we say, for a woman to choose
surh a comnauinn tLnn nuc ,,,nro m,