The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-06-09
MARRYING Your Wife's Sister


The Philadelphia Age has the following article upor
this subject, which we regard as conclusive The OPP
position to the custom, on moral grounds, we have
never thought enabe and if the objection be analysed
IL VIII pc seen That it more of unchase than
OF purely moral view of the question. Since the ar
tlcle from the Age written, the House of Lords
mas also passed the BILL which occasion, there were
demonstrations Of applause in the ladies' gallery:
Parliament and the press in England are busy with
the discussion Of Interesting social question, May
man marry the sister of his deceased wfe?a The
House OF Commons have answered this question b,
passing bill TO egaliss such marriages; but in the
House of Lords the last stronghold Of old fogyisn,
the measure is opposed and delayed The newspaper
and reviews express various opinions the matter
and it is strange with what tenscity some cling to
rule of the English Church which has no support III
reason or religious principle Henry VIII wanted to
put away his old wife and take young one H..
trimped up the that Catharine OF Arragon had
been in her YOUTH married TO his brother who died il
hoyhood; though in royal fashion, he had been wed
ded to the Spanish Princess. The Pope would not Oh
This ground declare Henrg's marriage void; but Gran
mer and the other English prelates were more obse.
9uious to their King. 1t thus became canon of the
English Church and rule of the English law that
shall not marry his brothers widow nor his wes
sister But the American branch of the Church OF
England never adopted this canon, and no American
State, We believe, has enacted it, law There has
been good deal Of discussion on the subject how
ever, in the Americas churches. We never heard
good argument for the prohibition of marriage with
sistern-law. None cap be drawn from the Scriptures
To marry brothers wife ia, in certain case posi-
lively enjoined by the Levitical law. brother is
commanded, expressly to espouse the chdless widow
of his brother. litigation in one of our city
courts years ago. incidentally exhibited the fact
that, to this day, among Israees, formal refusal by
the surviving brother TO marry his sster-in-law is
necessary preliminary to her marriage with any one
else, according the ceremonial of the Jewish church
We of any different rule laid down in the
New Testament. The suggestion of Christ OF the
of woman thus marrying seven brethren, drew forth
no apprehension of it. There is no prohibition at all
of marriage with the sister of deceased wife. As a
matter OF feeling and social proprety the argument
those who condemn such marriage seems to us
strained and far fetched 1t is objected that if NAL
may marry the sister of his deceased wife, he will b.
harboripg thoughts Of doing in his wifes lifetime
This is gravey alleged in the discussion and some
people attach weight to it. 1t has foundation in
nature experience. Men do not we believe in our
state of society," look for future wife when they
already have one. 1t is the widower the widow to
whom the thought of new tie suggests ITSELF II,
however there those who do take time by the |
forelock, and "court second while they have the
first, the prohibition of rriage with wies sister is
no sufficient remedy "A man of such forecast must be
prohibited from marrying any woman, in order to re
strain his rowing fancy But the objection is chmer
ica observation does confirm it, but in fact shows
that marriage with tie late wifes sister promotes the
happiness of families than other second marriages.
There is already sympathy and affection between the
children and the stepparent which prevents the anag
onism that sometimes attends that relation. We be |
lieve among women there is repugnance to the sis
terin.law taking the place of the wife removed by
DEATH 1t is in apr ropriate circumstances very NAT
nral succession. We see no ground at all for preju.
dice against it. |
EXCESSIVE IMPoRTs.-The following table shows the |
imports at New York for the first four months of the
year. II will be seen, as have before stated, that
the imports of dry goods only about onethird of
all the foreign products for which we have to pay |
The excess of imports of sugar for the year 1869
those of 1857, will be seen to be more than double
There is this consolation under aflction" that the
Saints have to pay for the disturbed condition of labor
at the South wrought by themselves in the advanced
cost of the sugar they put in their whisky-ab! as
well as of the cotton goods with which they conceal
their physical nakednessther moral nakedness moth