Daily national Republican., 1863-05-21

IMPORTANT DECIsIOS.-This morning Chief
Justice Cartier, of the Supreme Court OF the Dis
tTict OF Columbia delivered the following opinion
in the case of General John NJ. BrannAn, vs. Eliza
BrAnnAn, his wife. The facts which induced this
prayer are somewhat familiar to the public and
the decision in this will therefore be read with
groat interest:
In the case Of Gen. Jno NJ. Brannan against Eliza
Brannan, the court has concluded to grant \ de-
cree OF divorce Ii there be any defect In the test-
muny at ALL II is in thAt branch OF the case where
II would have becu most easy to have acquired It,
viz; regarding the proof Of the marriage. But the
court thinks there Is sufficient evidence Of CO.
hahitation, and recognition Of marriage in the or
spring, apart from the proofs of the mother and
the brother to justify n decree of divorce.
The case briefly shows that in 1880 Jno. NJ. Brar-
nan married the defendant, then girl bearing the
name Of Crane, both Of whose nAmes are connected
with the military service OF the country, and very
respectfully connected. That they lived together
from 1850 to 1851, when the birth OF daughter Oc.
cuTTed the only iFuit OF this marriage. That they
continued from 1851 TO 1858 In the nOmn al relation
OF husband and wife. That the wife in 1885, und +
one of those strange and wicked eApFicea that
setd ut defiance the VOWS Of marriage, and the
obligations Of honor oi respectable parentAge and
respectable kindred broke loose from her maj fiAge
relations and took up her abode with Mr.. Powell
T. WymRn, captain 10 the United States army
wArds resided In France, and during this period
lived and cohAblted with and married the said
Wyman, taking his name, and returning to this
country under his title-brAvlnB public opinion
and withAl disregSFding the moral sense Of propri.
ETY. OF society in the country in which size was
raised.
1t appears that Gen. BrHnnan-And this Is the
most painful feature of the whole casc-regAFding
his wife with confidence and Affection and suppOE-
ing her to have committed suicide In \ pAroxysm
Ofinsanity, or to be wandering about in a dement,
ed state, exhibited the greatest anxiety and agony
at her mysterious diIAppeAFAnCe and expended his
time and money in raking the lakes and advertis-
Ing in the highways to ascertain her whereabouts,
and II possible, TO recover her, in which efforts he
was actively assisted by his wifes mother and
brother.
During all this time, 1t appears she was coolly
specializing in prostitution on the other side of the
Atlantic; that, knowing Of this great anxiety and
agony on the part of all her kindred and husband
she refused to disclose her whereabouts. II was
nearly two years before the facts came to light.
look upon this AZ one of the most aggravated and
one of the most cruel instances OF inhdelity upon
record, and do not hesitate to decree divorce TO
Gen. BrAnnAn, with the restoration to him of all
the rights of an unmarried man and the custody OF
the only Offspring of this marriage. The decree
however, hAdbetteT, perhaps be ROminRlly amend
ed-nOt exactly rejecting the Latin, (oF that mode
OF expression does not add any fOFce) hut setting
forth that he Is restored TO all the rights of single
man, Ia plain Englishi for a hundred years hence,
every person may not understand what "d UinCiIo
mat InlOHH means.