The Portland daily press., 1881-10-07
SECRETARY BLAINE.
His Letter to the late President Accept
ing the Premiership.

His Letter to the late President Accept
ing the Premiership.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 5.-The Press to-mor-
row will publish the following letter of
Secretary Blaine accepting the tender of the
State Department made to him by the late
President Garfield:
WASHINGTON Dec. 20, 1880.
MY Dear Garfeld:-Your generous invita-
tion 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 last con-
ference you presented it with such cogent
ARGUMENTS in its favor and with such warmth
of personal friendship in aid of your kin
offer, | know that an early answer is desira
ble and / have waited only long enough to
consider the subject in all its bearings and to
make up my mind definitely and conclusiyely,
now say to you in the same cordial spirit IN
which you have invited me that / accept the
position. 1t is no affectation for me to add
that make this decision not for the honor Oh
promotion it gives me In public service, but
because | think can be useful to you as the
RESPONSIBLE leader of the party and great head
of the government 1 am influenced some
what perhaps by the shower OF letters have
received urging me to accept, written to me in
consequence of the mere unauthorized news
paper report that you had been pleased to offer
me the place. While have received these
letters from all sections of the Union have
been especially pleased and even surprised at
favor throughout New England where had
exneeted to encounter local jealousy and per-
hans rival aspiration. In our new relation
shall give all that am and all that / can hope
to be freely and joyfnlly to your service. You
need no pledge of my loyalty in heart and in
act. l should be false to myself did l not
prove true both to the great trust you conhde
to me and to your own personal and political
fortunes in the present and in the future.
Your administration must be made brilliant
ef,,1 oy,d orr n tho and
pride of the people, not at all directing its en-
ergies for reelection and yet compelling thai
result by the logic of events and by xthe impe-
rious necessities of the situation. To that
most DESTROYS contamination feel that next
to yourself can possibly contribute as much
influence as any other one man. | say this
not from egotism or vain glory, but merely as
deduction from plain analysis OF the po-
litical forces which have been at work III tne
country for five years past and which nave
been significantly shown in two great nationai
conventions. accept as one of the happlest
circumstances connected with this affair that
in allying my political fortunes with yours, or
rather, for the time merging mine IN yours,
nv heart goes with my head and that carry
to you not only political support but personal
and devoted friendship.
can but regard it as somewhat remarkable
that two men of the same age, entering Con-
gress at the same time, influenced by the same
aims cheriShng the same ambition, should
never for a single moment in eighteen years OF
close intimacy have had misunderstanding
or a GOODNESS, and that our friendship has
steadily grown with our growth and strength
ened with our strength 1t is this fact which
has led me to the conclusion embodied In this
letter, for, however much. my dear CARRIED,
1 might admire you as a statesman would
not enter your cabinet if L did not believe IN
you as man and love you as friend.
Always faithfully yours,