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against them, or some vague notion of general policy. But prejudice, or ideas of policy should not make them commit the Injustice of actually promoting invalid marriages. Refuse dispensation or alter the law.
In the case of those who believe such marriages to be contrary to a Divine precept, we have no course to pursue except to endeavour to convince them of what we consider to be their error of judgment; but those who sanction and are instrumental to such marriages are, it would seem, bound irresistibly to consent to their being made civilly valid. To those who have contracted such marriages, their legalization must prove a precious boon, and the question arises, is their welfare to be sacrificed to extraneous considerations? I sincerely trust this will not be the case. I can suppose that Catholics, whether clergy or laity, have not fully considered the attitude they should, in consistency, assume toward a measure for legalizing such marriages. Let them remember, however, that everywhere else in the wide world, when a Catholic dispensation for such a marriage has been granted, and, when necessary, the Royal exequatur obtained, the marriage is valid. If any evils were found to result, we may be sure that the civil, as well as the ecclesiastical, authorities would cease to allow such marriages. As they do not, we may safely conclude they see no necessity for such a step. Then, why should not the same state of things exist here?
Let it, also, be distinctly understood, that those who seek to promote this measure have no ulterior aims, no party bias. They simply seek, for Protestants as well as Catholics, civil validity for this one marriage, and nothing more. They pledge themselves, that, when this object is attained, their organisation will be at an end.
And Catholics should remember what a benefit the alteration of the law would confer on thousands of families among their Protestant fellow subjects. As men and as Christians, they cannot be indifferent to this fact. By keeping the law in its
