The Red Cloud chief., 1884-10-03
LETTER F.nY RLaiNE.
In which lie psfatcs yarjous Charges Eed
a~eaninst Ills Character n. G citizen.

Hon. William Walter Phelps takes
the responsibility of giving TO the pub
lie the following private letter address
ed to him two weeks ago:
AUGUSTA, Sept. G., 1884.
My DEAR Mr.. PHELfs: have yon'
favor Of the Ilth, advising me that The
continuous invention and wide sprcs'
circular oi y ilrcpor;s make il advise
bic in vour Judgment no' 70 wsit -
slow processes ofthc law, bat speak IL
rectiy TO the public in my own virdi-
cation In this opinion. Many others
on whose judgment rely, concur. !
shrunk Immediately grom-'hc suGCes-
ton, although ! felt sure ] could
strengthen the confidence of AL wl.c
are friendly to me. hy bringing in view
the simple truth, which is concealed H.
the endless torture OF fal=ehood. ] can
imagine how incxprcss.bly painful D.
must he TO discuss ones domestic life
] think, with you, under the circrIa-
stances I could count on thercneroSltr
OF the public TO publish g statement.
which otherwise seems Objectionable. J
can, in any event, commit the facts to
you for personal communication 70
those friends who take considerable in
terest in my affairs. The leisure hours
of to-day, when our campaign 3 ended
and we wait only for the election, gives
me the opportunity foI this prompt re-
ply and for the fol!owinG essential de-
tails. At Georgetown, New York, IN
i'm the spring of lSiS, when was but
eighteen years Of age, first met the
lady who more than thirty-four years
has been my wife. Our acquaintance
resulted at the end Of six months IN III
engagement, which, without the pros
pect OF a speedy marriage, we natura!
ly sought to keep TO ourselves. Two
years later in the spring Of 1850, when
/ was maturing plans TO leave my pro-
fession in Kentucky and establish my
self elsewhere, / was suddenly sum-
moued to Pennsylvania by the death Of
my father. It Icing very doubtful Il /
could return to Kentucky, | was throat
ened with indefiinate separation from
her who possessed my devotion. by
one wish was To bring her to myself by
an indissoluble tie against every possi-
BILE contingency in life, and on the 30lh
Of June, 1850, just prior to my depar-
ture from Kentucky, were, IN the
presence Of chosen and trusted friend,
united by what | knew in my native
state, Pennsylvania, a perfectly legal
form of marriage. On reaching home
found family, and especially my be
reaved mother. strongly discounte-
nanced my business plans, as involving
too long a 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 of the same year. During the
ensuing winter, induced by niisgivings
which were increased by legal colnsu-
tation, l became alarmed lest doubt
be thrown on the validity of our mar
ria @. by reason of non compliance
with the law of the state where IL oc-
cured, for l had learned the law OF
Kentucky made licence certified by
the clerk Of the county court an lndls-
pensible requisite of legal marriage.
After mnch deliberation and with an
anxious desire to guard in the most eff
fectual way against any possible result
from our position, for which | alone
was responsible, we decided the simp-
lest and at the same time 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
yiuus reasons. 1t was solemnized on
~ to secure an indisputable validity of
the first marriage, being by my wife
and myself held sacred. At the ma
sure age of fifty-four l do no defend
the wisdom or prudence of a secret
marriage suggested by arder and unex-
p~ericnce of youth, but Its honor and its
purity were inviolate as L believe in
the sight of God and cannot be mad
to appear otherwise, by the wicked de
vices of man. 1t brought to cIe a COM
panionship which has been my happi-
ness from boyhood years 10 .AiS hour
and has crowned me with What success
/ have attained in life. My eldest chi,
a son, was born in his grandmother.
house on the 18th OF june, 1851, in the
city of Augusta, Maine. and died in
her arms three years later. His ashes
pose in the cemetery of his native
CITY beneath q stone which recorded
the name and limits of his innocent:
life. The stone, which mas stood al
most an entire generation, has been re-
Gently defaced by brutal and sacriiig-
ious hands. As a candidate for the
presidency / knew | should encounter
many forms Of calamny and personal
defamation, but l confess that | diG not
expect TO be called on to defend the
name of q beloved and honored wife,
who Is q mother and grandmother; nor
did / expect the grave of my child
would be cruelty desecrated. Against
ouch gross forms of wrong the law
gives no adequate redress, and | know