Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-06-22
Dancing aud Marrying a sisters
Daughters


The Presbyterian General Assembly
{ New SCHOOL, lately in session in Buffalo,
has had under consideration two question
OF considerable interest; LIST. Is it consis
tent fora church-member to engage IN
ptomiscuous dancing? Cd. Is it allow
i ed for a church-member to marry the
daughter of his sister, his niece The
first question the Assembly answered
promptly in the negative. but the second
they begged badly.-Dr. Cox. in report
ing the question. thus presented the mat
ter: The question, he said, was two-fold {:
'.First. Is it lawful for church mem
Der to marry the daughter of his sister I?
Second. After such marriage is eontract-
ed, can the person contracting it retain his
standing in the church 90 His conclu-
sion were thus stated
"1st. That what is either lawful or pos
lively forbidden. may be different mat
ter. and often is a very different one from
what is expedient. Cd, No legislation by
the church can bind the conscience of a
man, and God does not forbid the relation
| Cd. Nearest of kin should be preferably
avoided. 4th. That the proper liberty of
individuals on the subject of marriage
should be carefully guarded and establish
ed, as we'll as the violations of Divine laws
sacredly prevented. 9Th. No forfeiture
of church standing ought to result from the
mere circumstances of the above rela
ton"
The Boston Traveller remarks: ''We
have always regarded it as thing barely
allowable for a man for man TO marry
his aunt's daughter-his own cousin but
this is even worse than that, it is bring
ing the relationship one step nearer. This
commingling ofblood relations is the fruit
full cause of much of the physical and men,
tai imbecility with which out modern race
is being cursed. Let one read the report
of our asylums for the insane and blind :,
and especially IDIOTS, and he will certain
lY pause before he forms matrimonial al
lance, which is shown to be the produ-
cling cause of a very considerable part of
those awful visita;lons on the sons and
daughters of men. If a man will read
DIR. Howe's reports on Idiocy, and then
consent to marry blood relation, he must
be thoroughly blinded by passion or reck-
less of consequences. He must be in a
state of mind to regard his present graft
tication as more important than the health
and reason of his posterity."
The New York Evening Post, in speak
ing of this decision of the General Assem-
bly,, utters the following emphatic opin-
ion.
"Let us however seriously inquire of
reverend Snyod whether they do not know
that, if such close marital connections are
not forbidden by the Bible, they certainly
are by the instincts of nature, by the laws
of physiology, and by the common sense
of mankind. In our estimation, the
tmarriage Of a man with the offspring
OF his own sister is quite as revolving as
incest; it is only one degree removed from
incest; and to refined and delicate mind
presents itself as positively loathsome.-
At the same time, he facts of science de-
monstrate that these ties of kindred entail
the most terrible consequences upon pos
terity; that they have direct and perni-
cious influence upon the nervous system
of the children, softening the brain and
producing weakness of mind, if not in all
cases idiocy. Every breeder of animals
is perfectly familiar with the law, and
crosses fiocks with as much conscientiousfi-
delity as gives them food, or shelters them
from the tempest"
The subject was finally disposed of. by
the passage of Il resolution, almost unani-
mously, declaring such a marriage contra
ry to the laws of God. and revolving to hui
man nature.
The Assembly also adopted resolutions
in favor of the colonization cause, and the
Maine liquor law.
1t adjourned on Tuesday evening, May
31st, 10 meet next year in Philadelphia.