The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-29
THE MARRIAGE OF NEAR KIN.
Something About Tainted Royalty
and Degenerate Nobility.
Erona afadi-oT rgo.,s..

From Medical Classics.
The mar ital relation underlies all our
social system. 1t is the creator Of society,
and upon its purity and holiness all our in.
situations depend for permanent existence.
What, therefore, poisons this fountain
ought to be searched out with the most
scrupulous carefulness and removed. Con-
sanguInity, or the marriage of relations.
las from the most ancient times been de-
nounced as unwise. Scientific men in all
ages and in all chimes have contended that
intermixture of one strain OF blood not only
tends to destroy the vital forces, but causes
loss of intellectual power and Produces
physical decay and imbeciity. and dwarfs
the growth OF the progeny; that the in-
evitabe result is a degenerate race.
There is much that tends to hear out this
belief; but facts are stubborn things, and
there are apparent evidences to show that
mental or physical decay does not always
follow.
An examination of the marriage customs
OF different races and nations of both
ancient and modern times only serves TO
inform US that these were aud are as
diverse as the genius of the several popula-
tions.
Not only can every conceivable stage of
domestic grouping be discovered in the his
tory Of tue ancient nations, but the moral
sentiments Of men can be seen improving
with the domestic institutions 1t is a
favorite idea with some that mans progress
has been material merely; that as a moral
being he has made no progress. 1t may be
question whether he is reader now than
formerly to observe the standards of pro-
priety established in the society of which he
is a member. We incline t. think he has
impr we'd even in this respect. Public
opinion, which applies the severest sane
lions of right conduct, is more searching
and powerful now, and, other things
being the same, the disposition to obey the
dictates of conscience may be assumed
stronger the sharper the penalties of disobe-
dience are.
1t matters not what moral Standard we
| take, when we study the history of the rules
| now constituting marriage we shall have a
| similar account to give of them. They are
the lower the farther back we go.
or the improvement of the standards of
propriety there Is no doubt Look to the
rules related TO domestic grouping which
constitute the standard of purity-lhe lws
regulating che relations of the sexes gen.
orally.
| There are marriages that ace declare
incestuous, and to be capital cri nes An
GENTLY they were all right-agreeable to
| the moral standard; it is the standard of
propriety that has changed with the nature
OF domestic grouping
The records Of the Old Testament show
that marriage between persons of cl se con-
sanguinity was regarded as mertorlous,
while alliances with persons of an alien race
were denounced. and even required to be
dissolved Ezra, who conducted a colony
OF lsraelites TO Jerusalem, vent so far as to
compel all Jews who had married strange
wives" to divorce them, and send away
their children, on the ground that a mar
rage with person of another race was a
violation Of the commandment of God. and
sure to make an end of them, s. that not
even remnant would escape" Nehemiah
also banished priest from Jerusalem, be-
cause he had married Samaritan or
Toronto woman of high rank. King Solo
mon was denounced for having taken wives
from among foreign nations; the patriarch
Isaac is said to have been grieved because
Esau, his favorlte son, married HiUtite
women, passing by his own kindred.
Ga the other hand, there was hardly a
restraint in the matter Of consanguinity.
Where is the ancient nation that was mo-
nogamous2 The Jews certainly were not
Toey recognized concubinage as well as
polygamy. Jacob had two sisters to wife
at one time-a thing subsequently forbid
den. polygamy being recognized in the
| prohibition.
1t is disagreeable to recall such facts. but
they are necessary for our argument; and
70 clearly UNDERSTAND what moral standards
have been reliuquished by men W thin the
historical period, a wide survey would ave
to be taken Of ancient facts Of a nature
still more disagreeable (see Levlticus, chap
ter xviii, verse ~; also book XIII, Of
Mishcll-ul- Masabeh on TIE points relating
| 70 marriage on which Mahomet vas con-
suited by his disciples, vol. 2, p. 76)
| Tire eldest son of King David desired the
company OF lamar. his brother Absalom's
sister, who was the daughter Of the same
father with him This Is the same re-
la1onship in which Lady Augusta Leigh
stood with Lord b ron; and IL shows that
the alleged connection between them IL 10
had been consecfated by a marriage
alliance, would not nave been regarded as
iucestuo1s or Objectionable by the old
Hebrew law and custom.
The patriarch Abraham, and his brother
| Major, married their own klnsW0msn, Ma
hor taxing his own niece Micah, his brother
| Haraus daughter. while Abraham welded
Sarah, bis Own sister. J0ehsbei. the daugh.
Ter ~ Levi, was married 10 Amram. Der
onn nephew Exodus A., 7, aud VI, 20, ana
became the m0tnsr ~ offspring that were
thus the Issue ~ I've ~ siK genera ions If
coma lRpinsqus marriages, And whst we're
tpeyf Not idigfs, not blind psrsoas, seeofu.
lsus % doa rfluise, but iasJ-ad ~ Fueh.
/ q ,aHs ibe pfgfouudasi tate mao ~ zoe age.
I Aaron, 10 al04uaut hrgfiief, aad Miriam
a.