Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-09-25

Of all who feel friendly to me by bring
ing to view the simple thread of truth
which is concluded in this endless
tissue of falsehoods. You can imag-
ine how inexpressibly painful it must
be to discuss ones domestic life in
the press, although l think with you,
that under the circumstances / could
count upon the generosity Of the pub
lie to justify a statement which
otherwise might seem Objectionable.
1 can in any event safely commit the
facts to you for personal communica-
ton to those friends who have taken
so delicate and so considerate an in
terest in my affairs. The leisure
hours o T.-day, when our campaign
is ea@ ind We wait only for the
- returns, give me opportunity
s. prompt reply and for the fol-
Ting essential details.
At Georgetown, KY, in the spring
of 1S48, when I was but Is years
of age, l first met the lady who for
more than thirty-four years has been
my wife. Our acquaintance resulted
at the end of six months in an engage
ment which, without the prospect of
speedy marriage, we naturally sought
to keep to ourselves. Two years
later, in the spring Of 1850, when l
was maturing plans to leave my pro-
fession in Kentucky and establish
myself elsewhere, l was suddenly
summoned to Pennsylvania by the
death of my father. 1t being very
doubtful il I could return to Ken.
lucky. was threatened with an in
definite separation from her who pos
sessed my entire devotion. My own
wish was to secure her to myself by
an indissoluble tie against every pos.
sible contingency in life, and on the
3Oth day of June, 1850. just prior te
my departure from Kentucky, we
were in the presence Of chosen and
trusted friends united by what ]
knew was in my native State Of
Pennsylvania a perfectly legal form
of marriage. On reaching home ]
found that my family, and especially
my bereaved mother, strongly dis
countenanced my business plans, al
involving too long a separation from
home and kindred. l complied will
her wish-that I should resume, a
least for a time, my occupation i,
Kentucky, whittier I returned in tn
latter part Of August. During tn
ensuing winter, induced by misgiv
ings, which we're increased by lega
consultations, l became alarmed les
a doubt be thrown on the validity o
our marriage by reason Of non-com
pliance with the law Of the Stat
where it occurred, for. L had Iearne,
that the laws of Kentucky made a Ii
cense certified by the Clerk of tn
County Court an indispensable re
quisite of legal marriage. Afte
much deliberation and with an anx
ious desire to guard in the most eft
fectual manner against any possibl
embarrassment resulting from GU
position, for which l alone was re
sponsibile, We decided that til
simplest and at the same time tn
surest way was to repair to Pennsyl
vania and have another marriage ser
vice performed. This was done il
presence of witness in the City o
Pittsburg in the month of March
1851, but was not otherwise mad
public for obvious reasons. II wa
solemnized only to secure an indispu
table validity. the first marriage be
ing by my wife and myself Away
held sacred. At the mature age O
81 l do not defend the wisdom o
prudence of a secret marriage sue
gested by the ardor and inexperienc
of youth, but its honor and its purit
have been in~violate, as l believe, il
the sight of God, and can not b
made to appear otherwise by tn
wicked devices of men. 1t brough
to me companionship which has bee1
my chief happiness from boyhood'
years to this hour and has crowne,
me with whatever success / have at
tanned in life. My eldest child,
son, was born in his grandmother
house on the 18th day Of June, 1851
in the City Of Augusta, Me-, ant
died in her arms three years later
His ashes repose in the cemetery o.
his native city beneath a stone whicl
recorded his name and the limits O
his innocent life. That stone, which
had stood for almost an entire gener
alton, has been recently defaced b,
brutal and sacrilegious hands. AS
candidate for the Presidency I knew
that I should encounter many form.
of calumny and personal defamation
but I confess that I did not expect /,
be called to defend the name of a be
loved and honored wife, who is
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 l know that in the end my effec
tive appeal against the unspeakabl.
outrages which I resist must be tt
the noble manhood and noble woman.
hood Of Aueriao Vory o;oooroI,