The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-27
THE Neutrality-suspicious. CASE.
A Spicy Controversy Likely to be
Preeiuitated,

Preetptt0ted.
New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.
The action of the Congregational Minis
ters' Association at New Haven yesterday,
after considering the marriage of Perry
Belmont TO the divorced wife of Henry D.
Sloane by the Rev. DR.. Barrows will UNI
doubtedly bring out some counter state
ments and create a controversy involving
a charge of prevaricadon similar perhaps
to that Which has arisen over the alleged
coloquy between Admiral Schley and
Commander Hodgson.
An erroneous impression is created by
the New Haven dispatch because il con-
veys The idea that DR. Barrows has been
censured by his church and that the Con-
gregational Church has adopted a new
rule which forbids it's clergymen hereafter
to marry the offending divorced husband
or wife. The Congrega tional Church can
pass no such rule. Each Congregational
Church is independent and that is the dis
tinctive characteristic of that denomina-
ton
DIR. Barrows or any other clergyman can
marry divorced persons without being dis
ciplined by the Congregational Church If
the particular church over which he is pas
tor does not see fit TO take action. Even
then its action must be confined TO its own
membership. The resolutions adopted
amount TO nothing more than an agree
ment on the part of the members of the
Congregational Ministers Association of
Connecticut, that they will hereafter mar
ny no divorced persons. 1t is no more than
a mutual promise or underst landing, and IL
il should be viola led the only penafty
would be the withdrawal of the association
from fellowship with the clergyman who
broke his promise
DR.. Barrows' church appears to have
stood by him since the most prominent
member of that church, the Rev. Dr.
Cnoate, defended DR.. Barrows before the
Ministerial Association yesterday. The
defense, however, seems in part, to have
been based upon the assertion that Dr.
Barrows was deceived by Mr.. Belmont.
Mr. Belmont's lawyer may not think it
worth while publicly TO defend Mr.. Bel
mont from this accusation, but he has
done so privately
His statement of what occurred Is sub
stantially as follows: That DR.. Barrows,
having at first promised to marry Mr..
Belmont TO Mrs. Sloane, afterward was
disposed to withdraw that promise.
Then Mr.. Sullivan, Belmont's lawyer saw
him and said 10 him that 1t was recog
nlzed that there would be perhaps some
criticism, certainly some notoriety, at
tending the ceremony and that this would
be considered in the fee. For that reason
the fee would be $780, When this eX-
PLANTATION was made DIR. Barrows again
consented to perform the ceremony and
did do so some hours later. That is the
lawyers side of the controversy. Dr. Bar
rows insists that he old not know that
Mrs. Belmont had been only few hours
divorced from her first husband when she
appeared before him with Mr. Belmont
for the purpose of being married.
When the Duke of Marlborough and
Mrs. Hammersley came to New York
about ten years ago with the intention
of being married here, tney first visited
the Mayors office, and were married by
Mayor Abram S. Hewitt who, though a
good Episcopalian, nevertheless saw no
reason why he should not perform this
civil ceremony. That ceremony was deem
ed necessary on account of property
rights, Mrs. Hammersley being an Ameri
can citizen and the Duke a British sub
ject.
After the civil ceremony It was the de-
sire both OF the Duke and the bride that
there should be a religious ceremony. and
the Rev. Dr. Potter. pastor OF one OF tbe
Baptist churches here, was asked TO mar
ry the Duke and Duchess. He was frank
~ told all the facts, there being no con-
eealment of the vital fact that the Dukes
first wife had procured a divorce from him
on scrptural grounds. Dr. Potter how
ever said that he was willing 10 perform
the religious ceremony. since it was after
all magisterial act DR. Potter when
somewhat reproached for having conse-
Grated, by religious ceremony, the mar
rlage Of the Offending party in a divorce
case. simply said that he had done mag
isterial act which the laws of the state
and the rules Of his church permitted and
the brief reproaches ceased.
What the social relations of Mr.. and
Mrs Belmont may be when they return
to Europe remains to be discovered. The
impression here is that ultimately society |
will. perhaps rather reluctantly. accent |
them. But the political effect, so far as |
Mr.. Belmont is concerned, may be highly |
disagreeahle 70 him. One of the most EN- |
inent OF the Catholic clergy of this civ |
stated this morning that If Mr.. Belmont |
were a candidate for public Office In a |
district in which a majority of the cleo |
tors are Catholics. he would be badly de-.