New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-01
Marriage and Divorce.
10 IA Elisor Of IAs Irtsrasi


-.rr,.,os n.trimopy these words are hastily pernfd.
I r. come directly to the point, would AK Whistler
c,xa Criminal or Natures laws 10 be guide In
ri. rnornsntous ard solemn contract II Il estso
H.bed principle this, ike always produces Ike or thss
certsin traits feelings &c when possessed By the has
band when actively exercised will arouse correspond
ing FEELINGS In the mind OF the wife. and rice r1ss.
Admitting that one person can 10 very considerable
extent succeed 10 moulding the character Of bs partner
into accordance with his own. after long continued
effort the principle implies yet ii does not
10 the least ,ssh With The equally evident fat that t=o
persons possessing widely ceren, feelings desires ard
passions will Be cortnusy s.least generally a. var
lance, and accordingly unhappy Nov. though sun
per.ors ere bound By the eis sr 10 submit patiently
70 the YOKE Of Marriage without daring 70 den4nd de-
llv.rsrcs from the uDbsppy ssuston they bsvs been
placed n 0r far Of being charged With Lcenious IN
,ep,ons yet the laws Of Nature teach doctrine fer
diserept TneT teach hat The rnstriuoalal relation
msy-yes thst n ,lo1ld-be Dissolved IN eTtryc-'1
where there widely different ard sutAsonsuc ~
irstons AZ promptly ss when etoer party pro,.'
unfsthful becsus@ the intent cesre CONSTITUTES w
crime and when husband wife 10 dif2lesseo Ol a.
contented will not he OF she desire 70 % -
from bis or her present companion 700 csAeoJ an III
10 snotheri But sgsin would ask "a u Oene.el "
Soc.V and Morality or reasonable 10 Ire ntuiufe PEI
cepron Of free snd iDoepsDdent minss 70 he.P
chained 10 torment against their incinenon io' no Psl
to,e al complying With the d msncs Of former sg-s
But 10 this mehinks hear the answer tnat we -"
I, a. ts tendency MAXI s classes Of persons content
and subnissive their lot, however seYgraoe II nsy
~ which is about rational snd phiosophic.i 70
reasonable mind. - the present. era a. II you'd
be- 10 propose the pssssge OF an ACT pronioiilLg
the Wind from blowing In eertsin direction
or the tide from eboing or rowirg. becsuse
IL hs. In very many instances, been proved that
coercion will not and cannot eject reformation
Ia the human mind. and there 10 no Vsy ~ maxi
laws really th-ctus unless they framed siih par
tculsr RET renee 20 the physical and meuts orssnzs
tion Of thofo 90 whom tie laws sire 20 operate.
Having thus briefly stated my solemn belief concern-
log ibis sitter for the purpose shove mentioned Rave
subject open for discussion or comment begging al
the ne 70 be excused Tor asking place u your
paper for such broken remarks
| cannot reffsln from expressing the sincere rope,
which and ever rises 10 my soul tha ths SUD CT
may receive suitable attention from the Press than vnch
no moral lever "a "a ent IN reformation ara pro-
erosion. which 10 snd ever will be- the motto 81 er-
hshteped minds ND.
Reply 10 the A5ore.
The great importance Of the matter agitated by
our correspondent and the general prevalence and
spread Of mistaken and perniciou' notions with re-
gard o it, impel US to overrule our rePugnsnce
and endesvor to point out bis error
His essential mistake lies in forgetting that we
are all members Of one great family, and that the
welfare not merely Of the contracting parties bat Of
the entire community is involved in their conduct
involved, we say, in the purity and permsnence
of the matrimonial connection. This is no mere
guess or ssyso-t is the dictate Of History no less
than Of Religion. Gibbon, deadly in6del, never
married and not at all scrupulous in bis notions pro
nounces the facility Of Divorce accorded by the
l. ter laws Of Rome one Of the vital and palpable
II 81. D.
man Commonwealth. so in the French Revolu'
ton, when during the fearful reign of Atheism aud
rror legal Freedom of Divorce was decreed,
the consequences says Alison were fearfully aud
endurinely pernicous. Lcentiousness, long prev
slent in France, was not checked but immensely
increased and the dissolute habits which had been
the scandal Of the cities and the more fortunate
classes became all but universal. poisoning the
whole social atmosphere doubling the num-
Der of deserted wives, uncsredfor children and
sowing far and wide the seeds Of echery, immoral.
ity and crime.
The reason Of this is obvious, unless to the spirit
ually darkened. Man is a moral being, and in all
bis acts and emotions must have respect to moral
laws and moral ends or he goes astray. He ought
TO do this and avoid that, for reasons independ-
ent of bis own personal advantage or gratifcs-
ton. True, we believe the time will come, must
come, when under the influence Of a truer Educa-
tion and Of more harmonious Relations. Desire ard
Duty will harmonic to an extent now anticipated
by few; but laws must be made for and adjusted
to the world as is. Wheneverit shall have been
improved, let the laws be amended couespondingy
Now the union Of man and woman in wedlock Is
not mere arrangement for their mutual benefit
but an act which involves iar.reaching and eyerex
panding consequences Do the parties fairly con
template all these and have they truly and firmly
resolved 10 discharge in good faith all the respons
blites they thus take upon themselves II yes
their union is Marriage II no, let some one else
give it a name.
The natural consequences we have said, are a'
enduring as life can the engagement have short
er teml Suppose the husband and wife should
tire Of each other, and mutuallyprefer new engage
ments but they have children who require the
| care and training OF a father and mother-care
which none but parents can be expected to bestow
| Who will say that they have a moral right 70
crafty their own inclinstions aud thereby deprive
these children OF the providence and guidance
I 10 which they are by nature entitled Who'll
! Now il need not be urged that many marriages
are made on earth thst never were in heayen-thai
the world is full OF ill-assorted pairs, who worry
and torment each other. All know this. But may
we not fairly urge since men and women are ImPel
ed by sensuality, or tboughtessness, or the mean
aspiration for wealth ease, or the importantly Of
relatives TO marry thus improperly IN defiance Of
the Laws stern decree that the connection once
formed is all but indissol uble, that they would be
likely 10 do so far oener if the marriage tie could
be snapped a, pleasure Who does not see that
this would be the inevitable result Who doe.
not know at least half a dozen who would take
new wife at least once year under such a dispen
sationl Ifany doubt this point, let him inquire
whist is the average duration Of unions formed on
the principle Of III love you as long as | m able
and swear for no longer than this, even in Paris
where Libertinism has been reduced to a system
We cannot doubt that the only touchstone which
the Law can apply to test the essential fitness o
two persons to enter into the matrimonial relation
is the requistion OF their solemn engagement 10 bs
faithful and devoted to each other 50 long as they
two shall live. Those who truly promise this are