Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-09-25
BLAINE SPEAKS.

/
The Circumstances of His Marriage as Re
lated by Himself IN Letter to Hon. VIM
Walter Phelps.
New York, September 19.-Hon. VIM
Walter Phelps takes the responsible,
OF giving to the public the following pri
vate letter addressed to him nearly tw,
weeks ago:
AUGUSTA, Me-, September 6, "a.
My DEAR Mr.. PHELPs:-I have you
favor of the 18th, advising me that tn,
continuous invocation and wide circula
ton Of evil reports render it advisabl,
In your judgment not to wait the slow
processes of the law, but to speak direct
ly to the public in my own vindication
In this opinion many others ON whss,
judgment | rely concur. / shrink in
stlnctlvely from the suggestion, although
feel sure could strengthen the conf
dence of all who feel friendly to me, BY
bringing to view the simple truth which
is concealed in this endless tissue of false
hood. You can imagine how inexpressi
bly, painful it must be to discuss ones do.
nestle life in the press, although think
with you, that under the circumstances
| l could count upon the generosity of the
| public to justify a statement which might
otherwise seem Objectionable. can, in
any event, safely commit the facts to you
for personal communication to those
friends who have taken so delicate and
so considerate an interest in nv affairs.
The leisure hours of to-day, when
our campaign is ended and we
wait only for the election
gives me an opportunity for
this prompt reply, and for the follow.
ing essential details: At Georgetown,
KY, in the spring of lS4S, when l was
but eighteen years of age, l first met the
lady who, for more than thirty -four
years, has been my wife. Our acquaint-
ance resulted at the end of six months
in an engagement, which, without the
prospect of a speedy marriage, we nat
urally 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 N.Y.
self elsewhere, | was suddenly sum
moned to Pennsylvania by the death of
my father. 1t being very doubtful if /
could return to Kentucky, l was threat.
ened with an definite separation from
her who possessed my entire devotion,
and my one wish was to secure her to
myself by all indissoluble tie against
every possible contingency in life, and
on the 30th Of June, 1850,
just prior to my departure from
Kentucky, We were united in
the presence of chosen and trusted
friends by what knew was in my native
ut l1r.o
form of marriage. On reaching home I
found that my family, and es-
pecially my bereaved mother,
strongly discountenanced my bust.
ness plans, as involving too long
a separation from home and kindred. l
complied with her wish that should re-
sumo at least for time my occupation
in Kentucky, whittier returned in the
latter part of August. During the en-.
suing winter, induced by misgivings
which were increased by legal consulta.
tons, became alarmed lest a doubt
might be thrown on the validity of our
marriage by reason of non incompetence
with the law of the State where it &C.
CURED, for l had learned that the laws
of Kentucky made license certified
by the Clerk of the County
Court an indispensable requisite
of legal marriage. After much delibera.
ton, and with an anxious desire to guard
in the most effectual manner against anv
possible embarrassment, resulting from
our position, for which l alone was re-
sponsible, we decided that the simplest
and at the same time the surest way, was
to repair to Pennsylvania and have an
other marriage service performed. This
was done in the presence of witnesses, in
the city OF Pittsburg, in the month of
March, 1851, but was not otherwise made
public, for obvious reasons. 1t was
solemnized only to secure an indisput.
able validity, the first marriage being.
my wife and myself always held, sacred.
At the mature age of fifty-four I do not
defend the wisdom or prudence of a |
secret marriage, suggested by the ardor
and inexperience of youth, but its hone |
and its purity were inviolate, as II
believe, in the sight of God, and
:annot be made to appear otherwise by |
he wicked devices of men. 1t brought |
% me companionship which has been
ny chief happiness from boyhood wears
o this hour and has crowned me with |
whatever Of success have attained in !
life. My eldest child, son, was born in |
lis grandmother's house on the 18th day |
If June, 1851, in the city of Augusta
Me-, and died in her arms three wears
alter. His ashes repose in the cemetery |
If his native city, beneath a stone which
ecorded his name and the limits
# his innocent life. That stone,
which had stood for almost
N entire generation has been recentlv
lefaced by brutal and sacriligious hands.
Is candidate for the Presidency knew
hat l should encounter many forms
# calumny and personal defamation. but
confess that | did not expect to be call
ID upon to defend the name of beloved
nd honored wife, who is mother and
Nor did expect that the
rave of my little child would be cruelty
esecrated. To such gross forms of wrong
be law gives no adequate redress, and
now that in the end my most effective
ppeal against the unspeakable outrages
which l resist, must be to the noble
nanhood and noble womanhood of
Very sincerely your friend,
JAS. G. BLAINE.
The Hebrew Girl,
very Other Saturday.
The Hebrew girl, except among the
cry wealthy and most thoroughly
families, lives in state of