Year: 1868

The poor find the door-steps or the rich q con-
yenient substitute for founding hospitals where
these do not exist. The rich find other less
cruel means of delivering themselves from all
incumbrance which interferes with the enjoy
ment of their existence. These enjoyments
may not be coarse or low; they may be refined
and intellectual; but whether they be one or
the other, they are enjoyments, and are priced
as enjoyments. And as enjoyments they have
the effect to render distasteful the duties and
cares of married life. They prevent young
people from entering INTO wedlock, and they
tempt them, having entered in, to abuse it.


But behind this passion for pleasure is an
other feeling which we are deeply convinced Is
working against the institution of marriage.
We call it feeling, for with most it is little.
more than feeling, though with many it is a
faith and philosophy. Faith, philosophy, feel
ing, whichever it be, it amounts to an assertion
of the claims, not to say the prerogatiyes OF
instinct or of equal sanctity with those of con-
science. The element of passion has come into
honor; and as the law OF the passions Is law
lessness, it is not strange that 1t should lnau-
gurate its new dispensation by spoken as well
rs unspoken protest against an institution whose
design and effect is to submit the strongest OF
all the passions to regulation by calling in the
authority of the State and the decree OF the
Church to sustain its pretentions. All IN
stitutions and usages are assailed by
these powers of license with vehe-
mence proportiOned to their antiquity and their
repressive character. But no institution con-
fronts instinct so directly and so imperiously
as this institution of matrimony The doctrine
of elective afinities meets with ne mercy at its
hands; and the disciples of the doctrine are
summarily consigned to the worst perdition 1t
has at its disposal. One wife, and absolute
fidelity to her, in sickness and in health, In
"sorrow and in JOY, for richer for poorer for
"better for worse,n is the matrimonial require
ment, and very hard requirement it is for eager,
craving, restless tickle human nature to acqui-
esce in. Attraction does not pull steadily In
such long and narrow ways. The charm OF
variety makes itself felt. Stolen delights Will
be snatched at when possible, and qulck-wltted
imaginations will always be ready with good
reasons for seizing and enjoying them. There
is rush for Indiana. There are long files OF
divorce cases. separations are frequent, and
concubinage, outside of wedlock and inside OF 1t,
is so common that it is rarely mentioned. There
is no denying or concealing the fact that, under
our principle of liberty, which adopts human
nature, the lower elements in it which have from
time immemorial been repressed by arbitrary
rule, make bold to arraign the rule that
has repressed them, and insist on their right
to obey their own law of impulse, regardless
of consequences. Oneida communities and such
like experiments are legitimate outgowths
from this Shiny region of our theory-and they
have their genteel parallels in civilized society
which will practice what it will never avow.
1t is a phase of our social experience which we
must pass through, very disagreeable, very dis
gustng, very alarming. but incidental after all.
and transient We have no fear that marriage
is about to be abolished. 1t has too many
friends among the wise and prudent to be ex-
posed to dangerous peril.