Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-09-20

Catholic country, since the Catholic
church has formally and firmly enunciated
its decision that "under no circumstances
can the church recognize divorce" Neith-
er does 1t recognize the civil marriage.
which Is the only one considered legal by
the laws of France. A man and woman
may be married at st. Peters In Rome. or
at the cathedral at Milan by an archbishop
or cardinal, and in the eyes of French
law they will be no more married than IL
they had dispensed with all form of cere-
mony whatever. This fact, too, little
known in the United States, has been the
cause of sore hesrt-break and infinite des-
olation to great many American girls,
who, having espoused Frenchmen in their
native land, they have come to Paris to
reside, only to find after their dowry has
been squandered and their beauty faded
the men that they had welded, and that
their children in the eyes of the law were
illegitimate. How many of these doleful
csses have come to the cognizance of the
American officials in Paris 1t is impossible
to conjecture. And there Ia nothing to be
done for the poor, wronged wife except to
send her and her children back to her rel
stives in the United States, she by the
| lava of America not being free to marry
| again, while, by those of France, her hus-
band can form another matrimonial alli-
| ance ss soon as he chooses
When irst the law of divorce was estab-
lished in France 1t was looked upon unfa-
vorably by the upper classes of society,
For the first two or three years 1t was ap-
pealed to simply to change certain cases
| Of separation of long years. standing into
absolute freedom. But gradually the new
remedy for conjugal unhappiness was
found to be convenient. Several couples
belonging to the highest sristocrscy had
recourse to 1t. Instances increased and
multiplied with every succeeding year, till
now divorce is as accepted an institution
in France as mstrimony itself. This was
conclusion to be anticipated in view of
the usual type of French marriages.
When two people are Joined together sim
ply as matter of business, with no ele-
ment of affection or even of congeniality
in their union, the drifting apart of the
husband and wife thus mated is by no
means a surprising result.
The Intervention of the church produces
In France complications, or rather pecu-
liarities, unknown on the other side of the
Atlantic. Catholic pair may, If not
Joined by any religious ceremony but by
the civil one, merely bind themselves, full
ly sanctioned, in a second union after di-
vorce by the religious authorities. A case
in point has just taken place in Paris. A
young society beauty sued her spouse for
divorce and obtained 1t. The husband,
being free thinker, had objected to sup
plementing the civil ceremony by reli-
gious one, and his bride had consented to
the omission. Under those circumstances
the Catholic church refused to consider
them as married at all Consequently,
when the divorced wife wished to marry
again she found all the ecclesiastical au-
thorities ready and willing to bless her
second nuptials, SO she is even "more mar
ried" than she was at e rst.
1t is possible for wealthy people to OBJ |
tain dispensation from Rome for the an |
nulling of their matrimonial ties But
the process is costly one, requiring the |
expenditure of some twenty thousand dol |
lars. 1t is also very tedious. There is |
host of formalities to be fulfilled, and a |
series of investigations and counter-inves- |
legations which takes up an intolerabls de- /
gree of time and which eat up a large |
amount of money. The influence of some |
powerful Intervention will frequently hast /
en- it. Such was the case with the decree |
that annulled the union of Prince Albert |
of Morocco and Lady Mary Hamilton,
both parties having since married again. |
Such, too, was the process by which the |
Princess de Scey-Montpeliard Miss Win |
marietta Singer obtained her freedom.
Suoh degree amounts to something more
than an ordinary divorce, being a total an
nihilstion- of the marriage. This costly |
and complicated method of dealing with |
obnoxious matrimonial ties has existed /
from time immemorial, but as it was only /
within the reach of royalty or riches 1t |
modified but little the trials of intolerable |
types of matrimony. Meantime parties /
parted by the ordinary legal forms of d. |
vorce are held by the Catholic church as /
rebels against her authority, and as living,
in consequence, In q state of mortal sin.
A comical state of affairs has Just been
made manifest in a recent Paris divorce /
case. The parties were both French, and |
the marriage had been contracted under /
the happiest auspices But the young hus- |
band obtained not long ago conclusive |
proofs of his wife's infidelity, and forth |
with brought suit against her for divorce.
The case has just been concluded, but
with the husband and not hi. errine spouse
set forth as the guilty party. 1t seems |
that after he had instituted legal proceed
ipgs against his wife he became acquainted |
with young and pretty widow, who SO
fascinated him that he determined upon |
marrying her as soon as he was released |
from his first matrimonial bonds In the |
course of his wooing he went one evening
to call upon his betrothed, who (very in |
cautiously under the circumstances) re-
ceived him alone in her tasteful drawing |
room. The wife bad him shsdowsd by de- |
tectives, and no sooner did he arrive to |
pay his visit than in walked the commits |
saire of police and Mortified the unlucky
little widow by informing her that the
gentleman ouoht mot tn be recAived nv sny
simple and perfectly harmless incident eff
fectually turned the tables on the husband,
and 1t is his very naughty wife, and not
his blameless self, that has secured the di-
yOrc9.