Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-11-23
GsIts a1ro Skfifbes.
TIL Death Do u Pan.

III there ever was a cause which need
ed no advocacy it is that of free divorce
Divorce is certainly free enough in this
country, and men and women who have
pledged themselves to each other for bet
ter or for worse until death shall part them
are ready enough to seperate on slight
provocafion, the lives which have never
been truly interwined. In an ideal mar
rage the two lives and natures flow to-
gether like the waters Of two concurrent
rivers in an undistinguishable stream
The records of our divorce courts show
that ideal marriages are decreasing in
number, and that partnerships formed on
commercial principles, without the fear OF
God and for pleasure, and therefore dis
solved without the fear Of God and at
pleasure. ARE taking their place. But pas
sion and self indulgence have never lacked
for respectable advocates, and. since
slavery found defenders in northern pull
pits, it ought not. perhaps, to surprise US
that an ex minister has been found to ad-
vocate the return OF that barbarous con-
ception Of marriage which was one OF the
chief causes Of the disintergration Of Ro-
man society and the destruction of the
Roman State,
Marriage is not mere contract. Any
community which does 50 regard it does
thereby sow the seeds OF its own dissolu-
ton in its own organic life 1t is true
that there can be no marriage without con-
tract but there are very few civilized
communities that regard contract alone
as a marriage. And even those that do
New York Stale, for example-have
adopted this view in order To guard
women from defrauders who inveigle them
into a semDlance of marriage and by some
cunningly contrived fraud rob it of its reali-
ty. Something more than mere agree
ment-either the sanction of the State.
expressed through an appointed official.
or of the church, expressed through its
minister, who for this purpose becomes
an official of the State-is generally re
quired to make marriage legal. And
there is no civilized community which
adopts the notion that marriage is a mere
civil contract which the contracting parties
may dissolve at their pleasure. Every
community above the moral condition of
an African tribe requires the appreciation
oil some disinterested tribunal before the
marrige relation can be Dissolved.
The reason for this is obvious. The
marriage contract is not one which affects
H1tTtIV tUt lfttcTtStS VI buC pdfuCS 1uc
welfare of the children depends upon its
sanctlty and perpetuity. The stability
of the state depends upon the stability OF
The family. The state is made up not OF
individuals but OF household. The head
of the household represents ii by his vote.
He defends it by his arms. He enriches
it by his children. A community OF bach
eors and old maids, even if it could be
kept alive by immigration. would disin
tegrate from the mere lack of moral and
social cohesion. What molecular at
traction in the commonwealth. 1t is
he force which binds men together.
Whatever weakens the family tie impairs
industry for all noble industry is for the
family not for self 1t weakens the state
for il is the thought of his home witch
nerves the arm of the soldier with a sa
cred patriotism. 1t breeds ignorance; for
the family is not the only the first and
fundamental educational institution, but
it is family affection which keeps alive all
other educational institutions. 1t men
had their own children to provide tor.
they would not consent to the tax neces-
sary to support public schools. nor be in
spired to the benevolence necessary L.
equip endowed schools and colleges.
The basis OF marriage is not a cotract;
though without a contract there can be
no marriage. The basis of marriage is
the ordinance OF God. Not written in
book, though the Book interprets
it not authoriiatively declared by Jesus
Christ, though Jesus did recognize it and
declare it but written in the constitution
of things; in the nature Of man and wo-
man; in the fact that God created them
to marry, and set them in families, and
gave them the sacred trust of children.
and made the church, the state, industry,
life all welfare, depend on their fidelity
to one another, tor richer and for poorer,
for better and for worse; till death do
them part. Whoever endeavors to weak
en- this bond of loyal fidelity, by word or
example. sets himself not merely agains,
the authority of Jesus Christ and of the
Bible; he sets himself against the highest
moral and spiritual instincts of mankind,
and does what little lies in his power
happily not much-to undermine the very
foundations OF society. to dissolve it into
the anomaly of individualism to substi-
tute lust tor love, and self-indulgence for
patient fidelity, and to degrade humanity