The New York herald., 1870-10-22
NEW YORK HERALD SATURDAY OCTOBER SHEET

children. This began In time to regulate marriage,
many countries, were always carried out with re.
gard to the selfish interests OF man. polygamy being
the universal rule we had no record OF marriage.
as q system until II was established In pagan
Rome TOO years before Christ after which
date and for some centuries 1t was m. re strictly
observed than II had since been. At that early
period civil law did not attempt to regulate mar
rage as this was done by family consent and this
might account for the equivocal assertions so often
heard that there were no divorces In Rome the first
five centuries OF her national history. AS divorce
was unknown to their civil law, OF course there
were no divorces. There for the first time the
nuptial ceremonies were solemnized by the
infusion Of the religious element and in
presence OF the priests. 1t was not considered
duty to employ priest q. a marriage until about
one hundred and seventy years after Christ. The
next step In religious marriages was the perform.
custom was continued In England up to the time Of
Edward vi. Edward |. was married at the door OF
FTanss the n se1 Ills Of
OF Bath" said .There was worthy woman
who married five husbands at the church
IN the thirteenth century by the decree OF Pope
Emanuel ILL.,, and thus a custom originating IN
paganism became a sacrament OF the Church,
designed specially. no DOUBT to impress women with
the sancutv OF marriage so far as she concerned
and to secure on her part fidelity to the marriage.
Not to go out OF our own country, contrast the
dltion OF society In Indiana, where liberal laws
rendered divorce possible. In New York. where
mad been made to license prostitution by the State.
In England, where they are equally strict, a
contagious M disease act has been passed BY the
lation maintained, was not an indissoluble tie,
but might be sundered by decree or the courts;
that IL was not a sacrament OF the Church, but
civil contract between two parties; the one involved
the other. Our laws were based on the old common
laws OF England and hence 1t was that as the state
could not take cOgnizance OF the ideal or inner mar
rlage, she dealt with 1t simply as question OF pubic
policy. Though we were
TAUGHT TO REGARD FRANCE
OF all European nations most lax III social morals.
yet ner Legislature would not recognize the validity
Ol q marriage between boy OF fourteen and q girl
Of twelve, In this State and the laws or her
legislature are far more stringent regarding
clvn contracts than ours. BY French law
fifteen the consent OF parents and guardians Of both
parties was required, and In case OF their refusal
tho contract cannot be made until the is twenty
five and the woman twenty-0ne, and the marriage
must be preceded by the publication OF the bannS
and the ceremony performed by public Official at
ord OF the proceedings placed In the archives OF the
State. 1t was maxim in Roman law that no obsta-
desiring to be divorced by mutual consent
PONTUS EhILIUS,
the noblest and worthiest OF his time being asked
why he put away his wife for no visible reason, re-
piled tnat the ''shoe welding cut his foot and none
knew the particular spot better than he.n Without
entering into the history OF marriage In different
ages she desired to see how it was viewed
by PrOtestants in our own country The Mehodists
by an ecclesiastical rule Of their Church had taken
the leading clergymen OF all other denominations
except the Episcopallans omit IL at pleasure, thus
recognizing the equality OF the relation The Pres
byterlan Church granted divorces for two causes
adultery and desertion-thus making marriage
dissoube tte BY the laws or the several States OF
the American republic. made by Christian represen
tatives OF the people. divorces were granted to-day
for the seventeen following reasons
THE REASONS FOR A DIVORCE
Blgamy, adultery, voluntary desertlon from one to
five years, continued absence, imbecily, vagrancy,
cruelty, refusing benevolence habitlal Drunkenness
use OF opium, imprisonment, impotence, refusal to
provide means OF subsistence, immortality wfe's
fusal to follow her husband. &C., &C. Kentucky had
gone SO far as to make law that where
a husband announced in the newspapers his inten-
tion OF not paying his wife's debts she had
tions were nowhere 80 little regarded as In those
countries where marriage was held to be religious
ordinance and divorce wholly forbidden In 1857
two young girls under fifteen, in New York and
Boston, elOped with their fathers coschmen and
were legally married, with the consent and know
ledge OF their parents and In order to obtain q
divorce they were compelled to 20 through certain
forms OF laws In other States. One evening young
lady in the State of Pennsylvania was married to a
Mr.. b by the pastor In the neighborhood, and
when
THE KNOT WAS TIED.
the husband saw fit to take the mock marriage in
earnest: but the girl reserved her presence or mind
refused to see It. and, In order to obtain her free
dom again, was obliged to get divorce. Mrs. Stan
ton then.referred to many other matters, touching
at great length upon them and at their conclusion
the proceedings were terminated by Mrs. Olympia
brown in prayer.