Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-23
From the Kingston East Tenn
MARRIAGE OF BLOOD RELATIONS
AN IMPORTANT REPORT.

The Commissioners of the Kentucky In
stiiution for the education and training OF
feeble-minded children, at Frankfort, have
Just made their annual report TO the Legis-
lature. These Commissioners are persons
thoroughly competent 10 Judge Of the mat
ter which they consider, being the Princi-
pals Of the Asylum for Deaf Mutes and the
Blind and the Superintendent of the
Eastern hospital for the Insane, at Lexing-
ton. Against the marriage of blood rela-
tions, which is much mole frequent in
Kentucky than north Of the Ohio river,
they protest in the following emphatic
terms:
A subject Of very great social importance
Is brought incidentally to notice in the re-
port the intermarriage of persons nearly
related. Owe deem il" says the report,
our duty TO the interest Of humanity, as
well "a 10 the pecuniary interest Of the
State, TO bear our testimony, in addition to
the abundant testimony heretofore collected
and published by physicians and Philan-
thropists, and 10 the observation Of every
close observer as well as TO general CON
siderations of propriety, that 4 large
per centage OF deaf mutes and Of the
blind, limited per centage Of luna
tics, and, no doubt a much larger
one than either Of feeble-minded or idiotic
children are the offspring of the marriage
Of first cousins. Our charitable institutions
are filled with children all the time whose
parents are 80 related-sometimes as many
as four from one family; and we have
known in the case Of idiots, Of still larger
number in family. II is a fearful penalty
10 which persons so related render them
selves liable by forming the matrimonial
relation, and which they in nearly every
Instance incur, not indeed in all, but in one
or more Of their offspring Instances, we
do not deny, may be shown where portion
of the children-one or more-may in
herit from both parents, where possessed Of
high mental and bodily endowment of
common origin, enhanced and remarkable
qualities Of body and mind; but it is gem
orally at the expense Of unfortunate and
deeply afflicted brothers and sisters. We
believe few instances can be given where
such enhanced endowments are common 70
all the offspring; while instances are not
unfrequent where nearly all, and in few,
perhaps, every child, is afflicted either in
body or mind, and sometimes in both.
The State has, in large majority of
cases, % educate, and often support for
life, these afflicted children Has she not
then a clear and indisputable right to in.
terpose her authority 10 prevent matrimo-
nisl alliances, 80 productive Of private ca
lamity and Of public injury The State
IL thereby not only deirauded Of the labor,
usefulness, energy and intelligence OF a
considerable portion of her citizens, but
rhe has, in addition, the burden Of their
education and support, and, in the case Of
unedncated idiots, their support for life
thus unreasonably superinduced upon
her. The unfortunate, by unavoidable
casualty, she must and ought cheer
fully 70 provide for; but surely she is not
bound, in reason and good policy, to legal
ize marriages so productive Of private and
public damage Indeed il is preposterous,
not 10 say wrong, that she should do it.
A law Of few lines would cut of, hence
forward, the expenditure Of thousands OF
dollars for the support Of the offspring OF
marriages Of iirst cousins, as well as prevent
the burden of lifetime of sorrow and re-
gret in many estimable families. We de-
sire 10 say, emphatioally, that this opinion
Is not theory, but is based upon well as
osrtained and indubitabe facts