New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-28
New4lork Dailp Gribm,te
DIVORCE.

the Word of God, you mast admit thai the jews" o
of.dlyorement law was framed, not oy iSn'Oi1 "a"
eiver, but by the Deity himself, Moses oei's o"' "'
n ediuln Of its promogation
If Won accept the authority Of Gesenius, Oh h",''
ard of Luther, you must further concede 10 me .ha'
that bill OF. enforcement law permitted husoanu !"
put away faithful, wife in any case in when sne DE-
came personally disaneeabe, or in her department o'-
noxous TO him, and that he was sole judge whether
che found favor in bia eyes or not.
These premises conceded it follows that upward OF
three thousand yesrs ago God sanctioned law when
permitted husband to put away his wife when she
displeased him, by means of simple bill of divorce
me Mt drawn up by the husband himself.
The New Testament informs us, and you remind ns,
that jesus fourteen centuries later disallowed that
law. But he did not corde mn il as law which ought
never 70 have existed he iniimates that it was r'-
dered necessary by the "hsrd hearts of those for
whose guidance it was framed.
Then the law of God, enacted thirty.two centuries
ago. was declared by Jesus, eighteen centuries ago. to
be no longer adapted to the state of human society
What follows That there is no positive good or
evi-no absolute virtue or vice? Far from 1t.
There are principles permanent rs the everlasting hs
mmuable as the laws that hold the planets TO their
course; principles that depend not on times and sea-
sons-that are the yesterday, to-day aud forever
Such to reject eminent example, is the declaration,
owe IL the fulfilling of the law" 1t was true from
the creations it will be true until time shall be no
more.
But the details Of law are one thing and great,
eternal principle ia another. Laws properly change
"a the ord chaBges But the master principles un-
deriving laws--the claws of TIE laws" to adopt
Bacons phrase-enduTe while the world last'.
Beyond the general rule, however, sc have, in this
particular case the direct authority OF Jesus Tor II,
that divorce law adapted to one age may cease to be
sui able in another.
But if the details of a divine law three thousand
Year, old were properly rejected in later stage OF go
ciey is it not certain that the same may be true In our
age of other details put forth by Jesus as suitable Tor
the Jews of bic day for men SO low IN tue SoSiai
scale that they found in his teachings nothing bu. bias
pbemy and rewarded them by mock ngs and scourg-
ings and death Of torture on the cross.
II follows, past all denial that while, as Christians
should be guided by the great principles taught by
the Author OF religion, we are not bound by the
details of law adapted for Judsa in the days Of Herot
the King; provided our moral sense, nodded aud
ouickened by Christian study leads us 10 the conclu
sion that weess hard of heart than those who cried
out Cruelty him can bear otner laws ana greater
liberty than they.
And thus a, last we thrown back, for guidance,
to the second whence your arguments are de-
rived. 80
H. In other words; What is the true morality of the
easel
"The divine end of marriage" you say, Z" is the per-
petuation and increase OF the human race"
Has civilization in day, reached no further than
this Do we find in the hottest OF human relations no
higher, Eobler object-no end more diylne-than the
operation Of that instinct common to man with the
lower races), which peoples the earth. God has, In
deed ordained that incidental to marriage, and In
separabe from il, shall be reproduction If, in any
sense it be true that this is the divine end OF human
marriage it must be in the same sense which applies
when the stag seeks his partner or the dove submits
10 her mate. But just in proportion as man ls nooler
than the bird of the al or the beast OF the held Is bus
marriage removed to infinite distance above theirs.
Wo to that BRIDE standing in her white robes before
the altar who is thought of by the One at her slde
only as the future bearer of his children! Wo TO her.
if she have not chosen spouse whose neart ID sweed
with aspirations that overmaser the seneua III whose
soul there burns not light pure enough and bright
enough to quench in such moment as that, the lurd
flames OF desire
II ia one of the most beautiful and benefcen arrange
nents which mark the Divine economy that an insti
tuition, physical incident OF which Is the propagation
of the race should in ,s higher and nober results be
the cans of calling forth all that B best and pures in
the inner nature of man. love- in the broadcast accepta
ton of that much proaned word; love that crashes
mans innate seshness and teaches him the great les
son that the best happiness is TO be found IN cares for
another not in thoughts for himself love that is hight
ened indeed, by the warmth of earthly emotions, but
hes an existence above and apart from these; tore
main when age has quenched passion; to endure be-
In that higher phase of welded life which bias it's
origin in sentiments and aspirations such as these, not
in the results OF natures lower Instincts will Gull
tivated mind, in its best moments, recognize the Di-
vine end of marriage" II, some day, released from
the daiy round and deafeniDg whrl of politics. you
give to your better instincts, in quiet fair scope and
free voice, think they will teach you this.
Meanw lille, we are here at ssue. You have one
conception of the Divine end Of Marriage; another
If YOURS be the correct idea then may he that moth
IN, dOubt the of
offspring should he valid cause for the dissolution OF
marriage. IT. the contrary, have more Justly in
terpreted the higher purposes OF that nstltoon then
whatever violates heee defeats the divine end OF ar
riage, and supplies rightful cause why the relation,
failing in its true ept should be discontinued. lie s
a sound principle jnrspTuo ence that, with the ter
mnation Of the for law. the La also should
cease
do not merely saw in cases where the hottest pur
poses for hch God ordained marriage frustrated,
It's diyines ends de aed aud its nmost sanctuary de-
filed by evil passions that the relation thus outraged
may not improperly cease: say that, for the sake OF
virtue ana for the good of mankind in all such demon
alzing CAGES, it ought to cease Household strife is
immortality; domestic hatred 10 minors atty; heAtless
selishness is immortality; nhuman treatment OF tue
weak by the strong is terrible im morality. And that
condition of thin 49, degenerate from noble purpose,
which fosters evils such these has become itself i'm
moral and demands abatement.
Why in its vice fostering perversion, should life Of
pickering be dragged on, till DEATH at last brings sep
arstion and peace In the interests OF the children,
perhaps But is that the atmosphere in viii :h their
Young lives should expand Or, is it in order that
that intangible generality called SOCIETY may be pro-
pitated and appsasedl But how Deg of you, the
true nlerests of Society be subserved by perpetusng
INN oraity among its members What sort of Mooch is
this Society that demands the immostion Of its own
offspring
What further objection do you interpose In sub
stance, this: that men and women about TO marry,
exercising deliberaton and discrimination ought never
Ill. do 10 ina
and the shame, and theirs should be the lifelong
"penalty"
II awgiver directly or virtually, demands impos-
sbtes, his laws will fail Of their effect. In making