Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-11
graafora @eparter,
Towanda, Thursday, April II, 1852.
INTERMARRIAGE.

SChI AOPOib oiS hSN " hbS SohhAo-
sioners of the Kentucky Institution
for the education and training of fee.
BILE minded children, against the in
termarriage of persons nearly related.
The action of the State Senate upon
this report caused quite a futter
throughout the commonwealth, and
the sensation, with the discussion of
the question, has extended to every
State in the Union. AS the subject
of intermarriage is one of very
great social Importance, we make an
extract from thr report =
1--WE deem it our duty to the inter-
ests of humanity, as we'll as to the
pecuniary interests of the State, to
bear our testimony, in addition to
the abundant statistics heretofore
collected and published by physi-
clans and philanthropists, and to the
observation of every close observer,
US we'll as to the general considera-
tions of propriety, that a large per-
centage of deaf mutes and of the
blind, limited per centsge of luna
tics, and, no doubt, a much larger
one than either of feeble minded or
idiStic children, are the offspring of
the marriage of first cousins. Our
charitable institutions are filled with
children all the time whose parents
are so related-sometimes as many
as four from one family and we
have known in the case of idiots, of
a still larger number in a family. 1t
is fearful penalty to which persons
80 related render themselves liable
by forming the matrimonial relation,
and which they in nearly every in
stance, incur, not indeed in all, but
in one or more of their offspring. In
stances, we do not deny, may be
shown where a portion of the child
ren-one or m0re-may inherit from
both parents, where possessed of high
mental and bodily endowments of
common origin, enhanced and re-
markable qualities of body and mind;
but it is generally at the expense of
unfortunate and deeply afflicted broth
ers and sisters. We believe few in
stances can be given where such en-
HANGED endowments are common to
all the offspring while instances are
not unfrequent where nearly all, and,
in few, perhaps, every child is af-
flicted either in body or mind, and
sometimes in both. The State has,
in large majority of cases, to edu.
cate, and often support for life, these
afflicted children. Has she not then
a clear and indisputable right to in
terpose her authority to prevent mat
rimonial alliances, 80 productive of
private calamity and public injury?
The State is thereby not only defraud-
ed of the labor, usefulness, energy
and intelligence of considerable
portion of her citizens, but she has,
in addition, the burden of their edu.
cation and support, and, in the case
of uneducated idiots, their support
for life, thus unreasonably superin-
duced, upon her. The unfortunate,
by unavoidable casualty, she must
and ought cheerfully to provide for,
but surely she is not bouEd, in reas-
on and good policy, to legalize mar
riages so productive of private and
public damage. Indeed it is prepos.
ferrous, not to say wrong, that she
should do it, A law of a few lines
would cut off, henceforward, the ex.
penditure of thousands of dollars for
the support of the offspring of mar
riages of first cousins, as well as
prevent the burden of a lifetime of
sorrow and regret in many estima-
BILE families. We desire to say, en-
phatically, that this opinion is not a
theory, but is based upon we'll ascer-
tanned and indubitable facts"
While we agree with the general
conclusions of this report in regard
to the progeny springing from the in
termarriages of first cousins, we
still doubt whether the evil can be ar.
rested by legal enactments. If we
examine the higher, and the lower
strata Of society in our large cities,
it will be found that effeminancy OF
body and mind, weakmindedness
lDnacy and idiocy prevail to a fear
full extent. From the one, hot-house
plants, pampered with every indul,
gence, are sent out to wither down
SO soon as exposed and from the
other, cold-house plants, reeking
with disease contracting in filth and
wickedness, polluting the atmosphere
wherever they go !; and can these
pestilences upon the body polite be
reached by legal enactments will
cousin falling-in-love, as the phrase
goes. be deferred from marriage be-
cause of q law against it They
can remove, or be married in another
place. Our remedy is intelligence,
let a philosophical knowledge of our
physical being be thoroughly spread
through our schools and newspapers.
and these intermarriages,, I'VE believe
will soon cease.
A New INSANE ASYLUM. Miss Dix,
by YubOco avart;opc +ba oo,,I,,, u...