The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-21
Sneaker I3laine,s RELIGIONS Faith

l
DR.. James King, one d the leading
physicians Of Pittsburgh, and widely
known in Pennsylvania MS Surgeon Cen
cral Of the State during the late war
writes the subioincd letter which we
feel sure will be read with interest, and
which will necessarily be accepted as
conclusive in regard to tho interesting
topic to which he refers:
az observe that anonymous writer's in
v,riom nan narts Of the country are furnish
inc what they term "reliablC informa-
ti9p1 in regard 10 ex-Spcaker Blaine'G
family and early religious education. As
NJ blainc's name is often mentioned in
Connection with public affairs, IN nu-
tbcntic statement Of the subject may DO
Of general interest. give 1t therefore
over my own name and from long and
intimate acquaintance with Mr.. Blaine
and with his family.
was n member OF the Faculty OF
Washington College when Mr.. Blaine was
a student there. He entered the Prepare
tory Department when only twelve years
OF age, and from that time until his
graduation he was q constant attendant
upon the service Of tho Presbyterian
Church, which had and still has the ex-
elusive control Of the College. There was
no Catholic Church in the town. Attend
auCe upon church service was required Of
the students, and their absence from il was
noted, and il was said, and believe it to
be true, that Mr.. Blaine never missed at
tending church single Sunday during his
College course. It was also true that he
never was absent from recitation during
his whole course; and this boyhood
punctuality must have followed him into
public life, for Ihavc often seen it stated
in the papers that during his Speaker
ship for six years he was never out OF the
chair for single day. Mr.. Blaine grad
uatcd in lS47, before he was eighteen
years old, at the head OF a large and well
remembered class.
Mr.. Blaine's father came from q we'll
known and distinguished Carlisle family
Of the old Colonial and Revolutionary
stock-a family specially marked in all
It's branches for strict adherence to the
Presbyterian faith. His mother, tai
ented, beautiful, widely beloved and truly
Christian lady, was from an equally
prominent Catholic family, and this fact
has probably given rise to all the un-
founded gossip about Mr.. Blaine having
been n Catholic. No one knew better
than his mother that he was Protestant,
for very frequently converSed with her
upon tho matter during the last twenty
years Of her life-for the greater part OF
which was her attending physician.
Mr.. Blaine simply followed the tradit-
onary faith of.his fathers family, and
when, in his early manhood, he settled in
New England he naturally attended the
Orthodox Congregational Church, OF
which lie has been q member for more
than twenty years.
As Jealous supporter Of Mr.. Greeley
in 1872, and Presbyterian, believing in
perfect religious freedom for all, it may
we'll be assumed that ! do not admire or
approve the tone Of political discussion
that renders these details in regard to Mr..
Blaine necessary. But since The question
ia raised, it is better that the actual facts
be fully set forth. All papers that have
copied anonymous communications on
the subject should, in justice, copy this
statement, the correctness Of which am
sure no one will dispute.
Very respectfully,
| LANES KING.