New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-26


on sacred homes, where children sba be sure of loving
influences demands that everything which makes mar.
rage dssouble tie should be guarded against TO the
utmost.
agree with you that were II legal 10 drop ons
husband or wife for another on private indgnaent or
caprice, il would introduce unbounded licenonsness
Small causes of disturbance and difference unchecked
by the fear Of consequences would grow into
mountains; wandering and caprcious affections wouA1
prevent the married pair from ascending into those
nights Of spiritual life which make the love that mites
the angels in that world where unon Of souls foy tho
reproduction of truth and beauty entirely snpezsedss
the ends Of exclusive marriage. II il precsey be-
cause we marry for life and deah (which last rneans
for tfe after deoth) that marriage ministers 10 ON
spiritual being nothing eIse does and ustaes tho
definition Of being 4" Gods hottest temple on sathD
definition given to 1t, strangely enough, by some Of
those who believe in indefinite reputation until,
az the Countess Hahnhaln said "the rybs
one il found" When God leaves this temnls
or is driven from by the sel6shness Of either of the
married pair which the other one has not spritusJ
power either to cure or endure the whilom worsipers
must also leave the temple; but until God sets
his seal upon the separation by the death ~ one Of be
parties, there should be no second marriage Ana IL a
tecond marriage be thus impossible would not All tia
good that indissouble marriage pretends 10 effect be
brought abOut' Surely mistaken marriages would
then receive all the previous check that can Do given
by law for indssouble marriage, and there would be
tie possibility left for reunion in those cases where
temporary DISSOLUTION had proved disciplinary
to the offending party: For it il certain
any particular case, as well as marriage; and how
rcmedless is that mistake if another marriage has taken
place It may be said that the legal prohibition Of
marriage TO, perhaps, quite young persons, and not
necessarily wicked ones, would act hardly in some
cases. Doubtless. But the evil il not an intolerabc
one, like radically inhamonious marriage; for the
latter may involve spiritual ruin, and certainly would
involve i.born and ill-bred children; while celibacy
still leaves to the parties all human relations except
the marriage and parental relation, with the possibility
of the development and exercise Of such love "a
Christ exhibited and enjoyed 10 say nothing Of tts
spheres of art and science, together with
Contemplation,
That day without light"
Possible divorce, with the impossibity Of another
marriage until God has sanctioned by the death Of
party, is then not only the right of imperfect
human beings, but the interest OF general society;
while the suffering Of celibacy which it may involve,
is no injury TO society, but merely personal trial;
which can be borne with the dignity of a social and
spiritual being, whose privilege il s by personal self
sacrifice for general interests 70 enter into continually
higher phases of development.
The damning evil Of the doctrines Of " Free Mar
riage and Free Love" is that they take from life All
spiritual depth and tendency and reduce woman to q
parasite Of man. And Mchelet has reproduced,
in his essentially immoral book, the old
doctrine which has made India intoerable
for woman, viz: that she has no immortal individu
atty, but becomes her husband founding monogamJ
The humiliation of her primal relation to nature anG
God.
The doctrine of Free-Love makes the reproduction
of the species the uhimdtum OF human love, and the
supreme happiness of woman; thus reducing love 20
appetite and woman TO "A animal. This doctrine
not only makes the sacred human home impossible, but
destroys the general social intercourse between men
and women which repudiates and ignores whatever
puts human beings in common with the lower orders
who have no delicate eXcusveness IN the sexual rela.
ton precisely because in their case there is spr
itua relation TO be developed and cherished as the PR
NAL end of their Society.
The doctrine of free marriage comes to the sand
thing at last, the doctrine of free love- for where it
il understood that there may be free scope for new
afnities TO develop themselves producing marital
suspicion will destroy the human home
for the fend JEALOUSY necessarily starts up at thf
right hand of the more constant and intense Of tht
parties at every friendly relation formed by ethel
with one of the opposite sex. What becomes Il
Friendship in these cases 7-trseadsh1p as important
relation TO the happiness of life and the development
of young human beings, marriage itself For
beautiful human home does not consist merely of hus
band, wife, and children; but of the aunts and unces
and cousins, and friendsmarried and unmarried-tba
mDgle around the daily board, or meet in the pursui
of the various ends Of pleasure and improvement, tha
distinguish human society from the gregariousness, q
occasional congress, of brute beasts.
Michelet is monogamst, certainly; but he does Md
base the necessity of monogamy upon spiritual eonsd
erations but upon at least Questionable physiology
This woman is essentially animal created for mani
peasure-a very delicate animal certainly and which
is to be treated with great tenderness, in order that
But her virtue is gift If GIVEN virtue is not an Hi
she may come to him innocent materially
speaking, provided her parents and guardians hayo
given her no material chance of becoming otherwise.
But even after the union with her husband (which
Mchelet makes absoute), she only remain virtr~
Gus by being tempted and whatever fall shs
may have, hchelet charges upon the husband imprs
ience in giving her the physical possibility of straying.
No friend of the husband, 10 clerk in his business,
must be permitted 10 have any unmatched access -
her society Michelet does conceive of the posi-
bility of womans being yirtuous by sef-respeet and
Independent relation to God. He has carried out 70
is most fatal consequence that most unhappy dcurr
If Milton, She for God IL HIM." How inevitable all
he rerbutiOns of error Man. by becoming the god q
" oman loses the spiritual companionship and the ee
lating influence of marriage. Marriage is no longer
he meeting of two worlds, each party being separate
nicrocosm and complete individual spirit, and, be-
ause obliged to die separately separately accountable
o God But we have no time here to review Mich-
lets bad book.
All mstitutions-even marrage-were made for man,
nd not for them. The law of their formation. as
we'll of their dissolution should be measured by
heir fitness 10 produce spiritual independence on al
mt God, and spiritual purity and development from
within; because, according as these obtain, the human
eing is well born well bred, and society advances il
ury, usefulness and dignity. A WoMAS.
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