Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-11
Secretary BlaNne's Letter of Accept


The following is the full text of Secretary
Blaine's letter accepting the tender OF the
State Department made to him by the late
President Garfield:
WASHINGTON, December 20, 1880.
MY DEAR GARFIELD-Your generous in
vitstion to enter your Cabinet as Secretary
of State has been under consideration for
more than three weeks. The thought had
really never occurred to my mind until at
our late conference you presented 1t with
such cogent arguments in its favor and with
such warmth of personal friendship in aid
of your kind offer. / know that an early
answer is desirable, and l have waited only
long enough to consider the subject in all
it's bearings, and to make up my mind def
Ditely and conclusively. | now say to
you, In the same cordial spirit in which
you have invited me, that accept the posi-
ton. 1t is no affectation for me to add that
| make this decision not for the honor OF
the promotion it gives me in the public ser
vice, but because / think l can be useful to
the country and to the party-useful to you
as the responsible leader of the party and
the great head of the government. am in
huenced somewhat, perhaps, by the shower
of letters | have received urging me to &C
cept-written to me in consequence OF the
mere unauthorized newspaper report that
YOU had been pleased to offer me the place.
While l have received these letters from all
sections Of the Union, / have been especially
pleased and even surprised at the cordial
and widely extended feeling in my favor
throughout New England, where l had ex-
pected to encounter local jealousy and, per-
hsDs, rival aspiration.
In our new relation shall give all that
am and all that can hope To be freely and
ioyfully to your service. You need no
pledge OF my loyalty in heart and act. L
should be false to myself did not prove
true, both to the great trust you cOntide to
me and to your own personal and political
fortunes, in the present and In the future.
Your administration must be most brilliant
lY successful and strong in the confidence
and pride of the people, not at all directing
its energies for reelection, and yet COM
polling that result by the logic of events,
and by the imperious necessities
of the situation. To that most
desirable consummRtion | feel that.
next to yourself, l can possibly contribute
as much influence as any other man. l say
this not from egotism or vainglory, but
merely as q deduction from plain analysis
of the political forces which have been at
work in the country for five years past, and
which have been significantly shown In two
great national conventions. accept it as
one of the happiest circumstances con-
nected with this affair that in allying my
political fortunes with yours, or, rather, for
the time merging mine with yours, my
heart goes with my head, and that l carry
to you, not only political support but per-
sonal and devoted friendship. l can but
regard 1t as somewhat remarkable that two
men OF the same age, entering Congress at
the same time, influenced by the same aims,
and cherishing the same ambitions, should
never for a single moment, in eighteen
years of close intimacy, have had a misun-
derstand'ng or a GOODNESS, and that our
friendship has steadily grown with our
growth and strengthened with our strength.
1t is this fact which has led me to the con
clusion embodied IN this letter, for however
much, my dear Garfield, I might admire you
as = statesman, would not enter your
Cabinet IL did not believe in you as a man
and love you as friend. Always faithfully
yours, JAMES G. BLAINE.