New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-13
DIVORCE IN FRANCE.
BEARING AND EFFECT OF TIE NAQUET
ELL.

The bishops who calico on the President of tho
Republic to raiae in his hearing voice. aaain't tho
divorce bill were moro naughty in their attitude
than any members Of the eptscopacy have been
since the retirement Of MacMahou. AZ they prs
docilc in following instructions from Rome and ~
tho Pope haa boon anxious for hc sake 90 tho con-
cord,t Ia keep on good term, with tho Republic
cans their protest against Naquot- beg Station took
Tho government by surprise, ~ ~
thought that tho BELGIAN elections have
embroidered them and tho Vatican
and that, perhaps tha ultri-ci'holic, horrare n,i
itating fresh campaign against the Republic Is,
this as IL may th- protest Of The bls iops VIII not
now initiate against the Naqurt bill. The measure
deserves the name Of q measure Of public health.
IL will elevate marriage which had become in thu
wealthy class purely mercantile affair. Girls vera
entirely disposed Of by their parents ani guar
dams There was no such thing a. colrtsnip 1t
never occurred 10 any Of the dispOsng
parties t. make SIRE that the young
folks who were to be joined in matrm1ny wero
likely 10 get on together As the marIilg' tie was
indssOluble, the idea was III t the complies brought
together entirely through the agency Of match
making friend. would make up Their minds 70 pull
along together as we'll as they could. Whero
there fulness of bread aud illene-s, the wife
went her way and the husband had under the con-
juQal roof separate establishment. lie deliberate
"
she sinned too publicly. when hs was
obliged to fight dues and pleai for
separation. Thus the COmte do
Beaumont in one week called out three friends
OF his wife. Oae Of them va, Prince Richard Net
tennich, the Austrian Ambassador here from 1850
to 1871 Ii was held ungentlemanly for a husband
to make noise about his coniugal misfortunes. so
long as the wife was not outrsgeously brazen.
" lie is jealous petty tradesnan,' said Comte
de Dion of the late Duke de CLEANLINESS.
Ionce knew alady who without bengeither hand
some pretty had extraordinary personal magnet
ISM Her marriage was intended by her relatives and
those of her husband To be above ali things a uai0n
of two great fortunes She consented to be married
because it would have been held unseemly 20 DO
otherwise, and to be emancIpated from the per-
petusl surveillance of her mother aud governess
The person to whom she was mated was about
forty and had had many amorOus adventures OF
which he made secret. He was gentlemanly.
went into the best society,", and 1t was calculated
would make an excellent guide in the fashionable
world for the inexperienced young being who was
to take his name and share his fortune. Nothing
more was expected of him. She Liked
HIM well enough as friend. Bat 10 her
great CONSERVATION he fell in love with her after
they we're married. rhe fact of his doing ap-
peared to her a horrible breach Of faith The mpre
Jealous of her winch she bitterly resented. Quar-
rels took place. The wife attempted 70 CON ait
suicide by drinking audanum. Eventually they
separated She be ,ame attached 10 the lawyer
who pleaded for her and went 10 live with am.
None of the children she had by him
wcr. legitimate or could be legitmized.
The husband eventually cOnsoled himself
with pretty shop-girl with whom he wa fairly
happy. But their otfsprngs were classel as
adulterne children. Tie dying suddenly and
lntestate all his fortune went to cousin, aud the
mistress aud her three children found Themselves
destitute. They would have probably starved Il
the legal widow, who had long ceased to be wife,
had not taken pity upon them and granted the cx-
shop-gIrl a small annuity and given her \ sum Of
money that suliiced to set her up IN business
The history of the late Madam jules
Favre was analogous to the one that have been
relating.
1t was very rare. indeed. for married men VINO
had separated from their wives not to have what ~
here known a. ftar HeldJcs. The wives were not
suffered by the of the country unless very
low down to have irregular establishments Bat
they had clandestns friendships" The ties they
formed were too easily broken TO be lasting and 50
they easily drlfted INTO the dsmi m0li. A sepA-
rated woman was if she wished 10 continue respects
able Obliged to affect austere manner, and to
live like a widow who had been devoted
to her husband or did not wish 10 marry second
time. The Princess de S3gan and the Marqa, do
Gaifet were brilliant exceptions. And although
they go into very fashionable society it caunot he
said of them that they are highly respeciel ali.,.
Pastor Pressense took leadIn. part IN he debate
on the second reading of the bill French leyisia.
tors have hitherto been more severe on wives thal
husbands The latter could break with impunity,
until quite recently, their marriage VOWS.
provided they did not do 50 under the roof
of the conlugll domIcile Of late II has
been decided by the higher tribunals that I
the cOnjugal dOmicile IS " Lerever the husband
sleeps Naquet did not try TO renOer the woman
equal 70 the man before the divorce Judge. Pastor
Pressense demanded that she should be on the very
same footing: and To the surprise Of many tina
Senate voted his amendment. The eloquent and
venerable Pastor insisted that husbands SIN Was
attended with not only as bad but worse conse-
quences than a wtes sin. II he had adulterlne of.
spring he either CAV. them What he owed TO his e-
gitimate family or in gectIng them forced them
10 ION the criminal classes He either depraved
the woman whom he had for concubine, or sho
depraved him.
wrote about the effects of the gallanrles Of IOus
QuartOrze on the royal progeaiture and IN society
n probably also thought Of the state o. which the
disspated life of the King Of the Netherlands hai
result of the divorce law will be 10 oblige novel.
ists and playwrglts TO cease from making breaches
of the Seventh Commandment the pIy0ts Of then
plots. IL will make jurors less ready
10 acquit husbands whom jealousy has pushed INTO
homicide and wives who are moved by that passion
10 vItrolize II good thing for the children IT
ilI-assored couples wanting to sever the marriage
tie that divorce suits not To he reported int IL
IL a bad thing for the high life journals Figaro
promises its readers to give them the fruit which
the senate fOrblds the journals to Gull. .
There are enough Of judicialy separated" men
and women in Frasce to people a lar e city. For
the reasons | have explained they are an evil
ferment. In the country and especially
IN the peasant class. separation suits
are rare. The wife ~ essentially helpmate, and
having more practical shrewdness, heXibity Of
mud aud more brightness than the husband. enjoys
the xhne the prelLer lmiLmLLfN- He Inea