Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-17
Marriage and Divorce.


The unanimous report of the JOINT COM
mittee on marriage and divorce, read at
the General Convention OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church at Chicago day or
two ago, will doubtless be very generally
!pproved by Christians OF all denomina-
tiOns. Much Of the immortality, crime
and misery of the world are directly
traceabe TO the loose notions which pre-
vail with respect to marriage and divorce.
Young people who have no idea Of
the responsibilities of married life,
and who have not reached an
age that justities them ia en-.
ter'ng into the marriage relation, have no
ficuty in finding clergymen willing to
unite them in marriage, even when they
have not the consent of their parents or
guardians. Marriages of this sort gene
rally prove to be unhappy ones. The
husband becomes restless under the re-
spOnsibilitles which he has assum I'd be-
fore he is able to bear them, and grows
careless and Indifferent, or the wife, find
ing thai she has made a mistake, seeks
pleasure in society other than her hus-
bands. The Protestant Episcopal church
proposes that marriages of persons be-
longing to it's congregations shall be sol
emnized within the church, and that
Episcopal clergymen shall not
unite in marriage any one
who is not IS years OF aye, unless a guar
dian or parent Is present The tendency
is to think too lightly of the marriage con-
tract. The marriage c. reHOny ought to
he impressive, not with the idea of
making display, but to make the con-
tracting parties realize as fully as posi-
BILE the Importance of the step they are
taking.
The propositions relative to divorce are
in the line OF reform. Divorce is to be
granted only for adultery, and the guilty
party Is not permitted to marry again
during the lifetime of the innocent party
to the divorce. There are certain cIrcum-
stances under which divorced persons
cannot be remarked.
The whole question OF marriage and d.
vOrce, so far as the laws of the d. fferent
States are concerned, ought TO be thor
ougnly overnauled and something done
towards securing harmony in the laws.
The confusion of the laws, both as
regards marriage and divorce, is so
great that the ablest lawyers are often in
doubt whether a man Is married or not.
That which is a marriage In one state is
not so in another, and the same is true
with regard to divorce. A few DAYS ago
a case came before a New York Judge in
which it appeared that there had not been
any formal marriage contract, but
the man for three years or
more had openly acknowledged the
woman to be his wife. The Judge decided
that there was no marriage. A case,
similar 10 every respect, about the same
lime came before a Pennsylvania Judge,
and he decided that there was mar
riage. 1t sometimes happens that a di-
vOrce secured In one State is not valid in
another, and person who has been
legally divorced by a court of competent
jurisd ction may, by marrying again, be-
come liable to punishment tor bgamy.
The action OF the Protestant Episcopal
Convention may so arouse public sentI-
ment relative TO marriage and divorce as
to start an agitation that may result in a
sslutary reform with regard TO them,
There is no doubt that a very wholesome
feet will be produced on society by in
spring a greater feeling OF sacredness
with regard to marriage, and by making
it more difficult TO get divorce.