THE LAW OF DIVORCE.
STANDARD—With respect to the law of divorce, we cannot help thinking that it is much more the conduct of Parliament in regard to the matrimonial bond, than the law of the country, which stands in need of amendment. Laws never did enforce, and never will enforce, conjugal fidelity by any direct operation. The guarantee of that earliest and most holy tie is to be found, not in the laws, but in the morals of a people ; else how does it happen that very nearly the same system of laws which concurs with a melancholy laxity in this particular, through North Germany, does not prevent the kingdom of Scotland from being less disgraced by cases of adultery than any country of Europe, England excepted F—Such different effects does the facility of divorce seem to work in the Northern part of this island and in Prussia, but it is onlyseeming: the people of Scotland respect the nuptial obligation, becausethey are religious—the Prussians treat it lightly for an opposite reason. But though legislators cannot, by any direct operation, very seriously affect the stability of conjugal obligations, they have it in their power to impair it, consequentially, to a very serious extent. If they suspend the common obligation of the laws in favour of wealthy
Previous page
