New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-13

"
is their own. They, too, may decline marriage
on grounds of expense; but as their numbers are
comparatively small, and the instances of this
forbearance or avoidance, whichever it be, can
not be numerous enough to affect the general
marriage rate, the census tables can make no
account of them. There can be no doubt that
such cases do occur there can be no question
that they indicate deplprabe state of things, for
while with the middle class economy is an actual
necessity and abstinence, personal and social
duty, with the Opulent class economy is little
better than pretext and abstinence is whim.
Still, there is not enough truth or force in this
species of reluctance to marry to justify fear
that the institution is in danger.
Other signs of conspiracy under consideration
are more alarming than this one, which may dis
appear with change in the fashions or the
moods of the tickle world of society.
We know not how it may be in England, but
in France, and in our own country there mas
been remarked very significant and alarming
diminution in the size of families. Marriages
are less productive than they used to be; at
least. such is the general and the probably
well-founded impression There is no decrease
in the marriage rate of France; on the con-
trary, it is stated that throughout the Empire
there is constant and considerable rise Ill the
marriage rate. But the population of the En-
pre does not augment. 1t falls of, rather, by
some scores of thousands year. 1t has fallen
off by as much as two hundred and fifty thou
sand; and il would fail more pepceptibly yet,
were it not for the increased longevity OF the
people in our improved civilization, and the
II r
number Of early marriages. The smallness OF
the families is the fact that raises alarm; and
this is due to causes that are general IN
their scope and character-causes of various
kinds, partly physical, partly financial, partly
prudential, partly social, but partly, also, moral
causes of very subtle and insidious nature,
which it is difficult to trace, and yet more dif-
ficult to speak of than to trace, from the ex-
treme delcacy of the subjects they involve.
1t is here in this diminishing size of families,
that we seem to detect conspiracy against
the institution of marriage; for we can account
for such phenomenon only by suppOsing an
unwilingness to rear offspring; and as the end
of marriage is the rearing of offspring, an I'M
willingness to do it supposes to certain extent
the resort to means that reduce the number
OF births; and what is this but deliberate con-
spiracy against the institution of marriage
This is o point of exceeding delicacy; but 1t is
a point of so much importance that to pass it
by lightly would be objectionable. newspa-
per correspondent writing from Paris mentions
n prejudice as obtaining i'll fashionable quar-
ters-a kind of aristOcratic superstition in favor
of can only son" as heir Of the family wealth
and name. This may be the fancy Of the cor
respondent, who was drawing on his wits for
a reason, but that is not likely. The notion is
one that would catch and fascinate in an aristo-
cratic community, and exert for time and in
localities a most perniclous influence. For
clearly it could not be acted OH without resort
ing to artificial means of checking the increase
of progeny; aud nothing more demoralizing than
that can be conceived of. In our society. of
course, no such foolish idea as that could pre-
vail, but other ideas not less demoralizng might
prevail, and they would be sure to involve the
same consequences.
The last mentioned sign of conspiracy is ac-
companied closely by another sign of appalling
magnitude and prominence, the significance OF
which cannot be concealed or mistaken; and
that is the enormous number of children born
out of wedlock, in every modern community.
The figures here are teTTible-too terrible TO
nut down. Every child so born aflionts the
institution of marriage. The tens of thousands
that are so born annually in every civilized
country, in some places outnumbering the le-
climate births, are an evidence that, for some
reason or other marriage is not held in honor
as it should be. This fearful phenomenon
means unlawful qualification Of passion passion
unregulated by reason or principle unsanctioned
by morality or religion, vicious and degrading.
II means waste of masculine vigor and feminine
beauty, the decay of productiyeness, and the
weakening of social bonds. IL means neglect
of children, who are thrown uncared for upon
the world to supply the ranks of the perishing
and the dangerous classes. IL means suffering,
pauperism and crime. 1t means the practice
of abortion by vile persons who make 1t their
internal business to kill offspring in the womb
by practices deadly not only to the embryo
life, but to the constitution that engenders it.
1t means houses like that to which public
attention has been lately called in this city,
where babies are sent to be taken care of
81 until they de.n 1t means infanticide-the
slaughter of infants for whom no one chooses
to become responsible. II means the systematic
drying up of the sources of life, phys
zeal and social. There is an army large
appointed, organized, COMMISSIONED, Waging
ceaseless war against the marriage institution.
To this army-the vicious, the foolish, the
criminal, SO miscellaneous, SO adversely ac-
coutered-belong no small number of the peo-
pie who find marriage an expensive luxury
and great many of the people who consider
it inconvenient to rear large family. The
married do as much to bring marriage into
dishonor and reduce il TO ineflciency as the
unmarried. 1t is hard saying, but we are
persuaded it is a true one: The worst enemies
of the institution. which more than any other