DANGER TO MORALS. 243 



presenting to them Aspasia, his own mistress, and the 

 mistress of so many others, as his legitimate wife — the 

 class of hetczrce then constituting the most distinguished 

 feature in the highly civilized society which had Attica 

 for its home." ' 



'* The tendency of legislation in this country has been 

 to a relaxation of the matrimonial tie, and this is a ten- 

 dency that there is urgent need of resisting." ' It indi- 

 cates a general relaxation of moral forces. We are creating 

 a state which is the least likely to resist this tendency, 

 and legislators as well as others are participating in it. 



Says Cardinal Gibbons : " In Rome adulteries in- 

 creased as divorces were multiplied." 



After speaking of the facility and frequency of 

 divorce among the Romans, Gibbons adds : " A 

 specious theory is confuted by this free and perfect 

 experiment, which demonstrates that the liberty of 

 divorce does not contribute to happiness and virtue. 

 This facility of separation would destroy all mutual con- 

 fidence and inflame every trifling dispute. The minute 

 difference between a husband and a stranger which 

 might so easily be removed, might still more easily be 

 forgotten." 



How apropos in this connection are the words of 

 Professor Woolsey : " Nothing is more startling than 

 to pass from the first part of the eighteenth to the latter 

 part of the nineteenth century, and to observe how law 

 has changed and opinion has altered in regard to mar- 

 riage — the great foundation of society — and to divorce ; 

 and how, almost pari passu, various offences against 

 chastity, such as concubinage, prostitution, illegitimate 



' " Social Science," vol. iii., p. 370. 

 ' New York Times, October 25, 1889. 



