St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-09-25
The Blaine Scandal.
HIS EXPLANATION OF HIS FIRST SECRET
MARRIAGE.

HIS EXPLANATION OF HIS FIRST SECRET
MARRIAGE.
William Walter Phelps of New Jer-
sey gives to the public the following
letter written him by Mr.. Blaine from
Augusta, Sept. 8, 1884:
MY Dear Mr.. Phelps-I have your
favor of the 4th advising me that,
"The continuous invention and wide
circulation of evil reports render it add
visable lin your judgment) not to wait
the slow process of the law, but to
speak directly to the public i'll my own
vindication." In this opinion many
others, on whose Judgment rely, con
cur. | shrink instinctively from the
suggestion, although | feel sure could
strengthen the confidence of all who
feel friendly to me by bringing to view
the simple thread of truth which is
concealed in this endless tissue of false
hood. YOu can imagine how mex
pressibly painful it must be to discuss
ones domestic life in the press, al
though | think with you, under the
circumstances | count upon the gener-
osity of the public to justify the state
jectiOnable. can in any event safely
commit the facts to you for personal
communication to those friends who
have taken so delicate and so cOnsid
crate an interest i'll my affairs. The
leisure honrs of to-day when our cam
paign is ended and we wait only for
election give me an opportunity for
this prompt reply and for the follow
ing essential details.
At Georgetown, Kentucky, in the
spring of 1913, when | was but
eighteen years of age, first met the
lady who for more than thirty years
has been my wife. Our acquaintance
resulted at the end of six months in an
engagement which, without the pros
pect of speedy marriage, we naturally
sought to keep to ourselves. Two
years later i'll the spring of 1850, when
| was maturing plans to leave my pro-
fession in Kentucky and establish my
self elsewhere, | was suddenly sum
moned to PENNSYLVANIA by the death
of my father. 1t being very doubtful
if could return to Kentucky. | was
| threatened with an indefinite separa
ton from her who possessed my entire
devotion. My one wish was to secure
her To myself by an indissoluble tie
against every possible contingency III
life, and on the Both day of June, 1850,
Just prior to my departure from Ken
lucky, we were, in the presence of
chosen and trusted friends, united by
what know was in my native state of
Pennsylvania IA perfectly legal form of
marriage. On reaching home ] found
that my family and especially my be-
Teaved mother strongly discOunte-
nanced my business plans as involving
too long separation from home and
| kindred. | complied with her wish
that | should resume, at least for Il
time, my occupation in Kentucky,
whittier returned in the latter part of
August. During the ensuing winter,
induced by misgivings under new re-
| spOnsbilities, misgivings which were
increased by legal consultations, | be-
came alarmed lest doubt might
be thrown upon the validity of our
marriage by reason of Noncompliance
with the law of the state where it had
occurred for had learned that the
laws of Kentucky made Il license, Ger
titled by the clerk of the county court,
an Indispensable requisite of legal
marriage. After much deliberatiOn,
and with an anxious desire to guard in
the most etfectual manner against any
possible embarrassment, resulting from
our position, for which | alone was re-
sponsible, we decided that the simplest
and mt the same time the surest way
was to repair to Pennsylvania and
have another marriage service per-
formed. This was done in the pres
ence of witnesses in the city of Pitts
burg in the month of March, 1851 but
was not otherwise made public for OBJ
viOus reasons. 1t was sOlemniZed only
to secure indisputable validity, the
first marriage being by my wife and
myself always held sacred. At the
mature age of 81 | do not defend the
wisdom or prudence of secret marriage
suggested by the ardor and inexperi-
ence of youth but its honor and its
purity were inviOlate ; as | believe in
the sight of God, and cannot be made
to appear otherwise by the wicked de
vices of men. 1t brought to me a
companionship which has been my
chief happiness, from bOyhOOd years
to this hour, and has crowned me with
whatever of success | have attained in
life My eldest child son was born
in his grandmother's house on the 18th
day of June, 1851, in the city of Au-
gusta, Me-, and died in her arms three
years later. His ashes repOse in the
cemetery of his native city beneath the
stone which recorded his name and the
limits of his innocent life. That stone
which had stood for almost an entire
genIation has been recently defaced by
brutal and sacrilegiOus hands.
As Il candidate for the presidency
know that | should encounter many
forms of calumny and personal defa-
nation, but | confess that did not ex-
pect to be called upon to defend the
name of my beloved and hOnored wife.
who is Il mother and a grandmother
nor did | expect that the grave of my
little child would be cruelty desecrated
Against such gross forms of wrong the
law gives no adequate redress and
know i'll the end my most effective APP
peal against the unspeakable outrages
which resist must be to the noble man
hood and wOmanhood of Ameri ca
Your friend very sincerely,
JAMES g. BLAINE.
Mr.. Blaine's attorney has filed in
court at indianapolis, Ind, a sworn
answer to the list of interrogatOries
prOpOunded by the attorneys for the
Sentinel, in the Blaine Sentinel libel
suit.
The court of inquiry in the case OF
the sinking of the TallapOOsa express