The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-09-25


Walter Phelps takes the responsibility
~ giving Ia the public the following
private letter, addressed To him nearly
two weeks ago;
THH LsrrER.
AUuUsrA, ME., sept. ii, lSSi.-Mr u Ar
Pm I.rs; | have your favor "f the ilh,
advising me that the continuous lnvrn-
vcniiun aud Wide circulation oI evil re-
ports render II advisable In your JUG.
Incnt not u await tho slow processes OF
the law but 10 speak directly 10 the pub
liz in my own vindicitiun,
In this opinion many Others
In whose Judgment rely,
concur. | shrink instinCtiyaly from the
suggestion, although ! feel sure ] could
strengthen the confidence III those who
are friendly In ma by Bringing Ia view
tho simple thread Of truth which IL con
cealod la this end vsS tissue at false
hood. You can imagine how incxprcs'
sihly painful IL must he Ia discuss ones
domestic life in the pr, -, although
| think with you, that under u cir
cumstunces | could u upon the
generosity of the people 10 Justify u
statement which might seem objection
able, I can In any event safely commit
he facts Ia You for personal colnmnni-
catlua To those friends whu have tNkcn
50 delicate and ~ considerable nm interest
In my affairs. The leisure hours of to-
dny when u campaign II ended ANA we
wait only cor the election returns, gives
! ma AN opportunity Tor this prompt reply
aud for The following
ESSENTIAL pErAis.
A. Georgetown, Kentucky, in the
| spring Of Isis, when ! was but Is years
OF age. | first met the lady who for more
than lhirt y.fOur years has been my wife.
our acquaintance resulted, NJ the u of
six months, In an engagement which,
without the prospect III speedy mar
riagge, We naturally sought u keep 10
ourselves. Two years later, In the
| spring of 1880, when | was maturing
plan. To leave my profession in Ken.
lucky M established myself, etc., |
was suddenly summoned to Pcnn-yl
vsnia by the death of my father. II be-
ing very doubtful IL | could return To
kentucky, | was threatened with an in
definite separation from her who pos
se-sod my entire devotion. My n
wish was 10 secure her to myself 10y an
i~ndissuluhle tic against every possible
contingency ia life, and on the pth day
VI June, 1850, just prior 10 my
departure from Kentucky We were IN
tho presence of chosen and trusted
friends, united by what | knew was in
my native State Of Pennsylvania, u per-
fectly legal form OF marriage. On reach
INK home / found that my family, and
especially my hereaved mother, strongly
discountenunced, my business plans a.
involving too long separation
from home and Kindred. !
complied with her wish that
for a time my occupation IN Kentucky
whittier l returned in the latter part OF
August. During the ensuing winter,
induced by miSgiyings which increased
by legal consultations,
lBtCAME ALARMED
lest doubt might be thrown on the val
| idity Of our marriage by reason OF non
compliance with the law OF the state
where IL occurred, for | had learned
that the laws OF kentu Ky
made II license certified by the Gle"
of the County Court, An indispcnsibl
requisite of legal marriage. Alter mucn
delibcratiuu and with an anxious desire
to guard in the most eiicctual manner
against any possible embarrassment re.
sultiug from our position for which l
alone was responsible, we decided that
the simplest, and at the same time the
surcst way ~ to repair To Peunsylya-
MIA aud have another marriage service
performed. This was dOn in the pres
cncs of witnesses in the city of PlttS-
burg, in the month of March, ISL, but
was not otherwise made public for
OBVIOUS
1t was so!emniZ,d only to secure an
undisputable validity, the first inarri-
age being by my wife and myself al
ways h,ld sacred. At the mature age o.
81 I do not defend tho wisdom or prn-
ueuce Of u secret marriage suggested by
the arior anQ mex erioncc OF youth, but
honor and its purity We're inviolate, AS l
believe in the sight of God, and cannot
be made to appear otherwise by the
wicked devices OF men. 1t brought TO
me a compauionship, which has becn
my chief happiness from boyhoUu's
| years to this hour, and has crowned me
with whatever of SUCCESS | have aLt9lu-
ed in life.
As TIKI SENTINEL ALI.EduS.
My eldest child, u son., was born in his
Xrandmotber's house, on the 18th dAy or
June, 1851, in the city Of Augusta, Maine,
! aud died il her arms three years later, His
native city heneath u stone which re-
corded his name and the limits Of his
innocent life. That stone, which had
! stood for almost All entire generation,
has been recently detaced by brutal
and sacriligious hAul,. AS "a candidate
for the Presidency | knew b q
| should encounter many forms OF
/ confess that l did moi expect to be
called to defend the name Of u beloved
aud honored vie, who is u mother and
grandmother. nor did | expect that the
grave Of my little child would DO cruelty
dssscrnted. Against such gross forms
| of wrong the law gives no adequate re-
| dress, aud | know that in the end ny
effective spp9At against tne u~nspaaknble
| outrages which l resist must be to the
. noble manhood and noble wonsnhoUd
OF Americs.
Very sincerely your friend,
[Signedl JAMES q. u AlNE-
s"sgn AASsggT-kigg3S~g%3h y