Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-08
DIVORCES.
Shall Wen be Divorced Because theiI
Wives are Sick

DlFODOESs
Shall Nen be Divorced because their
Wives are Sicki
To the Editors of the Union and American:
Many have noticed, and with how much
pleasure or disgust it is needless to say,
but they could not fail TO have noticed the
introduction in the Senate of Tennessee,
of a bill making permanent insanity
sufficient cause for divorce.
Some of US, in the sincerity and sim
plicity of our heart, took our partners
for better or for worse, and promised,
solemnly promised, before God, and in
the presence of witnesses, that we would
love, honor and protect, each the other,
in sickness and in health. We knew then,
as now, the chances for poverty; and
that sickness-personal afiiiction-was
absolutely certain; and though we could
not know in what form affliction would
come to the partner we had chosen, our
pledges were nevertheless made with
full knowledge of the fact, that III some
form or other it was inevitable.
We knew that under the Christian code,
crime, and only crime of the baser sort,
was sufficient cause for divorce. And
we could not have known that sickness
was criminal, or would ever be so regard
ed. Neither could we have known that
grave Senate would pass by first
reading, or that such body would listen
at all for moment, to the reading of
bill providing divorce because of sick.
ness.
1t is undoubtedly true that many mar
ried people are associated with unhealthy
companions. A few comparatively have
disease of the brain, and hence the func-
tions of that organ become deraDged.
Some have endogastritis with functional
arrangement of the stomach. Others
have consumption, ETC., etc. But in con-
sumption the skillful, the practical ply
stefan by auscultation and percussion
may determine definitely that the patient
cannot recover. At present, however,
no such diagnOstic certainty obtains in
disease of the brain, and hence
no man, or set of men, however expert
in psychological science, can determine
with anything like certainty, who has, or
has not permanent insanity"
When three fOurths or nine tenths do
recover, what presumptuOUs man will
dare affirm others will not?
Messrs Editors, will you not print this
very remarkable bill! Bring forth this
moral monster of Senatorial birth, that it
may be contemplated in all its unnatural
and hideOus proportions, for
go be hated,
1t needs but to be SEEN"
If disease and trouble, which 'spring
- ahon
be deemed criminal, and sufficiently so,
for divorce, in Tennessee, we hope TO be
pardoned, for meekly suggesting to the
law makers, that the brain-the great
stOrehOuse of mental powers prOmi-
ncnt, an active portion, of the human or
ganism, itself in constant communication
with every other organ, and may as in,
nocently, as rightfully, and as honorably,
take on disease or reflect sympathy, as
the lungs, the stomach or bowels; and it
is eminently unwise, unfair, if not
presumptuously wicked to single out
one manifestation of disease, and but
a supposed condition of the type, and
then proceed by legislative enactment,
TO make that infamous above all others;
Such partial legislation, to say the least of
ii, does not commend itself to thought
full minds. Why not provide at once,
literally, magnanimously not only against
insanity, but consumption, scrofula,
cancer; aye, against disease of every
kind, which dares invade the animal
economyl Make not only one, but every
unavoidable type of 1t, infamous, but oil
equally infamous. And to avoid partial
legislation, for the sake of consistency,
and to provide upon physiological princi-
pies, for the many as the few, enact that
from henceforth, an ache or a pain of
head, heart or tooth, shall he deemed suf-
ficient cause for divorce in Tennessee.
Provide that where Christian amenities
come in, manhood may step out
If the precedent contemplated is to be
established, why not extend your philan-
thropy. and enable all men, (for women
don't ask anything of the kind why
not enable all men, weary of the objects
of early love, and wanting other wives
to say unblushingly 10 those they have
''Thc pledges of lifelong affection
which / made you, when you gave me
your hand with your heart in it; and
which l so joyously repeated at the ny
meneal altar, l now legally withdraw, to
bcstow for few fleeting days upon one
in youth, beauty and in health. Those
earthly goods, with which, l thee en-
dOwed, shall be the joy, and enjoyment
of another: and by whatsoever, thou
shOuldst have been profited by me, wheth-
er OF wealth, or affection, is "a gift to
your more favored successor. IlOYrd and
enjoyed you in health, but now that you
are sick, though may have caused it,
l loathe, dcspisc you"
Enable those oslersibly happy, though
covcting variety, by ccnsure and neglect,
to hound IN to disease and insanity the
too irustful, loving, but faded ones of to-
day, that they may wed youth, beauty
and fortune tomorrow
Do all these things, and more, if you
Will but before doing so, pause, beg
you, and rightcously discriminate between
mfimity and DErRAvITY between
djs~~@r and CEME!!
Lean IN the Bible and South Caro-
ina that crime, and crime only, Is ''suf-
ticient cause for divorce" and that "men
ought to love their wives as. their own
bodies, and this, too, without regard to
health or disease. STRAW.
A severe rain and kali storm prevailed in
i:.o vicinity Of Chattanooga, on the % inst.
Awnings were torn to shreads, doors blown
from their hinges, and considerable damage
was done in the city. 1t is feared that ths
,,,b.ot hoe baap iDiuraI in that raUiOD HV