The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-03-20
THE DAILY EMPIRE.
II; n. ROBINSON,
PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR.
Marriages ON the Decline in New
n et .fW0tiul York (utv. .Il '7'

One Of the phenomena Of the times is 2
growing unpopularity la the marriage in
i stitutlon. The number of marriages Is re-
iatiysly growing less every year, especially
| "a citles, New York correspondent OF
the Illinois Journal gives the following AZ
the result of his observation on this i'm
\ portant subject. ~,
~ fhere have been no marriages of conse-
9uence IN What may be termed ''high llfe''
| thls season, nor anything like the usual
number among the middle clasaRs.., Now
anu then we zee wedding cards. or bride
az the opera or evening parties, but the
number Is astonishingly small Peonle are
OF course marrying ali the time. but who
are theyp People whom nobody knows.
me everlasting poor are tying themselves
up for life as USUAL
When man reaches that deplorable con-
ditlon that be has not change Of shirts to
MS Dafk. ne Il 10 4 III condition for the sac
rllice. That has always been a strong In
ceiltiye 10 the altar-b bound that when for
tune frowns her hardest, and when things
have gone to their worst, many a man de-
iles tate and takes wife. If Ills lot In life
Improves, and 1t can hardly do otherwise.
ne gives the institution the credit In bus
lliess circles and in the social scale there has
Always been premium OH marriage. The
man who takes wife gives hostages to for
tune; and has bound himself more firmly to
ers raise the salary offs young man when
ne marries, and frequently refuse to do II
until then. IL has passed into proyerb
tiiat II man do not marry young, Ii grows
less and less probable with him, and this is
perhaps, after all, the best argument for
early marriages
y There ia lesson IN this state OF affairs
important for us to learn. 1t is by no means
novel thing under the SUM- and is not alto
gether len TO human caprice. Ii is synp-
tom OF the civilization Of the time and
country. Not only has poligamy lost It's
attraetions, monogaIny Is growing into dis
Iavor. A similar state of things Is recorded
OF Rome under Augustus, who found it
necessary TO put series OF penalties upon
celibacy and prevent unmarried persons
inheriting their parents property. so that
In the words OF Plutarch, '.the Romans mar
ried 70 be heirs not to have them.' 1t was
AZ q time when the eternal city WAS rolling
IN riches, Dissipation aud extravaganza
acted.
AT the same time the fashion of dress
adernme,ft had been carried to an unparali- |
ked iheight, Compare this state Of things
with that which has prevailed in Paris Sor
years and which Is now manifest In New
ork. Concubinage Ia one of the conseqen-
ces, and now the prodigEi lorette exeItes tile
envy and patronizes the grand ladies of the
city. Public celibacy Is private shame,
true we have not yet reached the climac-
Leric OF Paris and London indecency. We
nave no Teresa, Olympia, Annonyme. or
heads OF our young spendthrifts. and
out dazzle the women of fashion with their
own tawdry grandeur. Our Loulsas, Mad
,ilnes and Josephines have u more private
'ofe as yet They have their little crowd
u admirers. They strip their friends" OF