The sun., 1899-05-16

President PATTON, addressing the Prince
ton students on Sunday, referred in the
seyerest terms to the recent remarrlage in
Connecticut OF a woman of the fashionable
society Of New York Immediately after her
original husband had obtained divorce
from her in New York for adultery. He
described it as indicative OF degradati ion "
and said that " it is time Christians turned
their attention to questions Of fundamental
morals" He also instanced II as fragrant
example Of the evils due to the facility with
which divorces are granted in the various
States Of the Union, saying that they are
"a disgrace to civilizations"
hthe two exceptions OF South Carolina,
in which there Is no divorce and New York,
where full divorce is obtainable for adultery
only, such facility prevails in all the States
Of the Union, or at least various grounds
for dissolving the marriage contract are
allowed. Accordingly, liberality as to this
matter may he said to distinguish Ameri-
can law. 1t is no greater, however, than
prevails in Germany where wllful de-
sertion, cruel treatment, incompatible
ity, diSorderly conduct and other offences
are made grounds for divorce Nor does
there seem to be any probability that the
causes for dissolution OF marriage will be
reduced here, for in spite OF the example Of
New York in combining divorce to one cause
only, new States, as they have been formed,
have followed invariably the example OF
the States which have the most liberal
divorce laws. and in no such State is there
exhibited any disposition To harmonize
-
New York Attempts have long been made
TO bring about uniformity OF State legisla-
tion touching divorce, but apparently they
can never be successful unless New York
yields, in some measure at least, to the
prevalent sentiment OF the Union in favor
OF more latitude.
Moreover, in New York itself the social
sentiment, more particularly OF the circle
of fashion, has been proved by multi
tudes OF examples to be in favor OF
what is called free divorce, except in
the Roman Catholic community. The
dissolution OF marriages by the laws Of
other States, no matter how great the facl-
ity they afford for ii, is recognized socially
as sufficient, and subsequent marriages to
other mates receive countenance and ap-
proval. The opinion and practice Of the
society in New York, which is an exemplar
for the fashion ofthe whole Union, are there
fore in favor OF free divorce and against
the restriction by New York law To adul-
terry only. According to President PATTON,
then, that society is n disgrace to civliza-
tion and IL is time for il to turn its at
tenton to fundamental morals"
The specific guardian Of morals. however,
IL the Church, but how has il proceeded
in this matter Of divorce. with the single
exception Of the Church of Rome? The re-
cent marriage OF a woman just divorced
for adultery, which furnished the text for
President PATrONS remarks, was soIem-
nizcd by Congregational minister n
IL shall receive the sanction of the fash
ionable society IN which she and her
new husband have moved hitherto the
approval will come from social cir
cle chiefly made up OF Epscopalians.
with considerable minority Of Presbv-
terians. But even If its fragrant violation
Of sheer decenCy shall cause the condemnu-
tiOn q! the pair that society, 50 COM
posed, has already welcomed back to
its "nhrac" many men and women who
have had their marriages dissolved by free
divorce laws, though they returned To it
with new husbands or wives. Moreover,
il is rountenanrnd in the Iaxity of its prac-
ticc IN this regard by Bishops and clergy
men for they share in its pleasures and
Civ" the approval Of their presence to lis
functions They have ii in their power to
visit with their condemnation the social
liberation Of free divorce by refusing To
associate or c"untenanr" association with
those who exhibit ii, but do We find such
consistency even among conspicuous
"lcrgymen whose canon law furbids these
divorces and makes remarragc after them
distinctly adulterous? l. not. then, the
Church making itself substantially Il part
ner, an abettOr, Of iniquity through the
neglect OF It's ministers To drnouncc all such
marriages as wicked and spurious and
matchmaking as immoral and corrupt
the soricty which recognizes them?
The evil, il evil there h" is not in the
legal facility for divorce, but in the social
sentiment which iustines ii and thus in
fcrcntially demands it even in New York
where il is not allowed by statute law. 1t
Is the sentiment OF society, too, which
Processes obligation To Christian principles
or, at least, patronHes the Church, as re-
quisitc TO conventional respectabiity The
time was when divorce here and through
out the Union cast social cloud on all
those who took advantage Of it, more es.
peci'lly womet' A divorced woman. no