Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-15

KnoxviIIe. Tenl.. JanuaTy =, :.
- rardle,.McGhee Ease.

..;r ,er;odicity so averred the late
a. axle in crimes sn1 scanoatsi Sao We may
"a - bigamy or an eiopenent ~ high lie at
looh - sls Of the social calendar, with eu;te as
s.ob conadence as they expect the Vomito 81 Vera
5, ~ earthquakes at st. Thomas. In accordance
;tb his theory we might, for some time past, have
boen reasonably on the 9iti eioe for notable scan
$40 in the sirv circles Of the British sristocracy.
since the Lady Florence Psget ran of 10 the con-
finent with the Marquis of Hastings and the incon-
tinent Young Duke Of St. Adams came into court
As the correspondent of Mrs. Braadwood now some
two years or less, we have been entertained with
very startling revelations Of domestic nfecity for
a new chapter in the Romance Of the Peerage'
But as the earthquakes have come round again,
and Vesuvius is once more iF eruption, so we have
a new sensation beyond tho powers Of Miss Brad
don, recurrence Of the ofrepeaied tale Of conju-
gal misdoing among the people Of fashion, N Eng
lish society.
In the summer Of 1863 the solemnization Of mat
rlnony was performed at Calvary Church, IN TINS
city, between Emily Florence McGhee and Eardley
Gideon Culling Eardley Miss McGhee was the
daughter Of James McGhee, for many years her
Brtanic Majesty's Consul at Mobile IRON which
Office be was evicted during the war by the Russell
Ministry for the offence Of having used or abused
his consular privileges 70 send out 70 England gold
to nav the interest on the bonds Of the State OF AL
ALBANIA Chem due 70 English bond-holders. The
Young lsdv was much admired for her graces Of
mind and person and had no lack Of suitors for her
hand The Young Englishman on whom she fool
ishlv bestowed Il the graceless ron Of Sir Cul
Ing Eardlsy, Baroneh well-knoWn IN Church and
STATE of great wealth. conservative politics and
strictly evangelical principles. Eardley fls before
his coming TO America, had gravely distressed the
soul Of Eardley peTe by his prohgscy and had even
risen through shameful courses, 70 the pillory Of
Punch But be was the heir to baronetcy, and
the title dRzed the youthful belle Of Alabama. Not
long after the arrival of the married coupled in Eng
land Sir Culling EArdley died, and the heir sue
eeedng 10 the title and property began to squanoer
She and 10 disgrace the other with the velocity
Of the hero Of any one Of "Ouda's romances. 1t
took Z. G. G. E. less than four years 70 bring him
self 70 beggary and this lady 70 wretchedness, and
then in October, 1868, formal deed Of separation
signed between the parties, wherein the baroneI
designated the lady my WIFE Eardleys life
thereafter much embittered by balliiis without
even the former Arrangements OF SKittlee and Cora
Pearl and be might have fingered for long time
in the iail Of Boulogne Sur Mer into which he had
been thrown by importunate French creditors, had
not the abolition Of imprisonment for debt 10 France
opened bis prison doors. Again At liberty, be re-
turned 10 the London which missed him, and there,
on the 18th OF September, 1867, at St. Georges
Church, Hanover Square he married one Elizabeth
Allen subscribing his name in the marriage register
IS bachelor" which pretty thing, indeed, for
an English bsronet, eyangelcally educated, having
already one wife, 70 do.
II not strange that Lady Eardleys father
honor and good fame Of his child, by prosecuting
the husband for bigamy, and accordingly we find in
the English papers account which has already
been transferred 10 our columns Of hearing be-
fore Magistrate Flowers at Bow street, which re-
suited IN the bigbmst baronets commitment upon
the charge. 1t would he inconceivsble that the de.
fence Get Up by the baronets counsel illegality
Of the New York marriage for THE is mere COMES
sion Of being scoundrel, we're il not that i. O. G
+. found himself in a situatiOn Of such grave en-
HaN-. III 4
Il wac stated 70 be sure, by counsel, that Eardley
had taken legal advice before entering into the sec
Dad marriage TO the legality Of The first, and had
acted thereupon but this is scarcely credible OF
credible only on the suppostion that the result OF
tHl einiTattsa judicial proceedings IN the OF
YEN eft9n IS Longworih had practically settled
that all marriages not solemnized according % Eng
lgh forms we're in England null and void
10 Coubt whatever can be entertained as TO The
decision Of English court upon the validity Of q
marriage performed in New York, either by civil
magistrate or by minister Of the gospel with re-
hgious rtes and should the prosecution Of Sir
Eardley Gideon Culing EBrdley stand or fall upon
this question: the marriage at Calvary Church must
be upheld as legal and binding Otherwise very
large number Of good people would be stigmatized
living together in adulterous intercourse whose
welded lives have been models Of Christian purity
and virtue. Every American marriage, the one OF
the other party 70 which has been Of English birth,
would be declared Of no edect--a thing too mon
strous 30 be apprehended for a moment
But American parents and the dear creatures who
are the bellies Of American society may read in
this latest English scandal another lesson TO the
impolicy Of marriages hastily contracted With for
cienors II Is az Old story, the moral of which has
been often pointed and is still constantly set at
nought The French comte, who turns out TO have
beer 81 hairdrceser la the Rue St. Honore, and the
English baycnei. who had been aforetime boot
black in ajgsst end Hotel have figured amusing
ly. and uS unprohtably, in fiction and before the
footiighs and sensible people have at last to
INQUIRE somewhat into the pretensions Of sol distant
noblemon before taking them TO their bosoms; but
the career Of Eardley teaches that is not always
safe FOR a young American girl 20 confde in real
heir 20 title or 10 commit her future destiny even
10 rightlul descendant Of the Plantagenets. And
81 viii not be for the lack Of abundant warnings, IT,
despite the risk involved the folly OF the adventure
shull be repeated, and shall be attended as ia the
o4sc we have just recited, with utter wreck Of
happnes-NclC FORK World