Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1854-08-09
|Duxoo.

In he 6D,y Justice WILLIAMS,
riven in the case Of Hunt W. Hunt andto which
We refer our readers upon the first page, We
aud several humane and judicious suggestions,
relative not only to the facility with which d.
vorces may be obtained under the statute, but
also to the laxty of construction not infre.
aueutly given to statutory provisions in our
Courts, thus lending undue sanction to ques'
tionable enactment and opening wider the way
Of ipdiscriminate release to indictments OF the
marriage yoke.
This facility aud this laxity are both to be
strongly deprecated. tits true that IN ques-
lions Of divorce, we should bear in mind how
far uncongeniality of disposition and character
may dictate great liberality Of legislation, but
in our sympathy for parties, we should never
lose sight Of the sacred principle involved in the
marriage contract ard relation, gor forget how
often its sacredncss may be violated by causes,
hasty in origin, trivial in nature. and unless
subjected to remedy. tending directly to NOR
al obliquiLy of sentiment upon the hottest un-
ion Of humanity.
Under our law, petitions for divorce have
alsrmingly increased; the looseness Of con.
stfactiou put upon the stat1ke is matter Of
sp1S l. kfcflety 1t mn oYsGge Apash TO ths
|indo1gencs ofoppfesSion, Of wrong, Of licen-
tlousness; individusls como even from otter
States with the manifest and undisguised in.
tentIon Of eluding solemn obligations and de-
frauding innocent dependence under our law
which they we're unable to eject elsewhere, and
cases are within our hearing where the rur.
poses of cold blooded rascality have been for
warded and coun'enance been lent to the mos,
damnable schemes of social infamv, ty tn,
nature of the statutes, that permit such dan
gerous and unchristian latitude Of construc-
ton at the hands Of our legal Interpreters.
We are aware that Mrs. Cove Nichols Of th,
Water Cure Journal takes ground in favor of
very small sum Of legal restriction 10 marrying
and marrying. We are also aware that sh'
takes a questionablesgro in favor Of |
| sound, social morality. Mrs. Cakes Smith
also, who has cmbittered the life Of an anna
BILE and affectionate husband by her nauseat
| ing "strong. mndedness.' holds to like libe
| raj view, so essential to the reputation Of wo
men Of that stamp. A correspondent Of Gree
ley's Tribune, also, 1--WE think his name i
JAxEs)has adduced some very logical column
Of reasoning. TO virtually reduce our whole SC
cial system to tenfold worse than the BEAST
concubinage ofthe Sultan.
But public sentiment, in this age of tn
world and Of Christian advancement, canne
be eifectually tempered with by the plausibl
mouthings Of men aud women like these, an
the alurements 10 ice and impurity to whic
they give such scope And we hope that
the State of Iowa, such amendments may
made at no distant day to existing provision
as will be more consonaDt with a pure publ
opinion, a more sacred shield to domestic hor
or, q better guardian Of Preside joys and a SUI
or safeguard to dependent and trusting heart
Instances are not rare, however, where til
experience of married life has proven the pal
ties utterly unfit 10 bear its solemn bonds, an
here, let their own common sense dictate tn
necessity Of separation and the beneficel
} watchfulness Of law be made to see to u, th,
or outrage. But in how large a majority
cases, are petitions for divorce based upon Ii
most unworthy grounds? How often may the
be traced directly to the petitioners reckless
ness, folly aid inhumanity? How often al
they fled with The design of swindling the il
noccnt of their rights and property How o
ten with view to escape the merest SELLS
reluctance to fulfil obligations. rendered irl
some yet none the less sacred, by time and il
difference? In how many instances like the.
has the Law, itself, been as it were co-adj
tor Of nfamy?
We want a law which, while it shall give Il
oppressed every possible avenue Of release fro
bonds that but bind dozen 10 oppression, sha
on the other hand close the channels of desc
ton. extortion and neglect, and ensure pc
feet Justice 10 all