Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-05-06
MARRYING ABROAD.


How Weddings are Conducted at Ameri-
can Legations.
To the Editor of the Globe:
would not reprint of the following
extracts from ga caution to Americans
marrying Abroad" recently printed in the
GLOBE, together with the appended COM
ments enable your readers to form a more
just estimate of the value of said "cau-
tion?"
Inc Parls correspondent of the New York
Wortd says: short time ago. wrote rather
alaTniSt article IN the World on civil marriages
III france headed "a Caution to Americans
Marrying Abroad MY conclusion, from some
Information which had reached me, was that
persons VINO had gone through the ceremony of
marriage at the legation could not be quite sure
thst tney had been married at all according to
american amer law, because they are not married &C
corning 70 French law, the sole marriage recog-
mayor"
This paragraph seems to have been
written, by one, who even if brought up
at the feet of Gamaliel, is not quite per
tectly learned in the law of his fathers
touchlng the institution of marriage, or
tne testsiby which the legal status of acts
performed by accredited agents of the
United States under the shield and panoply
OF the nation, in foreign lands, must be
tested.
The validity of marriage contracted at
the United States legation or consulate in
Paris, by parties competent to contract.
Will be held valid by the highest legal
tribunal of both nations.
Here, as in France. marriage is reDarded
as civil contract, so held by the courts of
last resort.
No particular forms or ceremonies are
requisite. The consent or declaration of
parties competent to contract, in presence
OF witnesses, for now as of old, ''by tie
mouth of two or three witnesses shall every
fact be established" is all that may be re-
quired. Hence
Aaron viii lay his robes away,
His mitre and his vest"
Experience having taught our people the
superiority of substance when contrasted
with forms, ceremonies or shadows.
While France conducts her marriages in
strict conformity to the law of the empire,
every register throughout the empire
or republic, presents the same
character of entries by the same
class of officials; in this country, our
statutes, registers and general manage
ment OF the subject, may remind Us of the
story of Joseph's coat of many eolors, and
| are attended, in many cases, with equal
misfortune; the number of crimes and
otenses perpetrated against our marital
laws, probably exceed those in France, in
the ratio of ten to one. These checkered
laws are so disregarded and evaded that it
is not uncommon for party mot residing
IN Utah) to contract from two to half
| dozen illegal marriages within the period
of few months.
The government of the American colo
MES was that known as 'Church and
| State" under which it was deemed by some.
ut and proper to exemplify in marriage
ceremonies or contracts, as much of the
sacramental as was practicable under the
| circumstances.
BY the adoption of the federal consti-
tuition, these pretensions were measure
bly, disregarded or virtually ignored, to
| adopt = 'Gnguage of the purely orthodox
and holy men of that day:
The men of '76 and '87 did not ''put
God in the constitution" Thus did these
malcontents create ripple in our Repub-
llcan waters which has not fully subsidized,
| even unto this day.
The following clause, so dear to the men
who achieved our national independence:
but no religious test shall ever be re-
| CURED as qualification to any Office or
| public trust under these United States"
| has been regarded by these gentlemen of
the cloth as reproach both to God and
man. These sentiments have been ex-
pressed by parties who had taken an oath
to support said constitution.
Influences alien to or ignorant of the
spirit of that instrument and the genius
of our government may be detected by an
| inspection of the statutes of the several
states of our Union upon this subject.
While the legal requirements of the insti-
tutlon OF marriage are, as they should be,
| simple and easy of comprehension, they
have, apparently, been rendered obscure,
complex and multifarious.
believe that most of the trouble
experienced at our legations and consul
ates in this behalf, land there has been
trouble) has resulted from the attempts of
sectarians to have such marriages as are
contracted under the @gis of the United
States in foreign lands accompanied by
forms and ceremonies neither fitted TO the
place nor proper to be exemplifed by our
ministers, secretaries Of legation, or con-
suls; these being civil officers, clothed with
ample authority to legalize marriage SC
cording to the genius of our government
and the national statutes, if not in acoor-
dance with the so-oaIled laws of Maine or
Texas.
The impropriety of an attempt of our
representatives in foreign lands to CON
vert the legation or consulate respectively
submitted to their charge into chapels and
sanctuaries, wherein to celebrate rites and
ceremonies unknown to the spirit of our
constitution, need not be further comment
ed upon. The loss of time and derange-
ment of these Offices in fitting them for
purpose so foreign to that for which they
were established, coupled with the greater
length of time incident to the celebration
of a marriage conducted upon the ecclesi-
astical plan, it would seem on the score of
economy, if none other, should be discoun-
tenanced. 1t is we'll known that one of
these ceremonies occupy more time than
ls required to render a dozen marriages
legal by our accredited functioLaries. And
1t would seem a difficult task to find a law
by which the Rev. Mr. Jones, pastor of a |