Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-20

spring OF ls4s, when was bu, Is wear
VI age, 1 nrst met the ladv who 20
more IMAM thirty years has been "a,
VIE oar acquaintance resulted at IN,
Fnd OF SIX months in an engg cau1-n,
o, Wtnolt prospect of speed,
DAfIia0e, We naturally resolved to keer
" ourselves. Two years later. in IN.
spring OF 1850, when | WIS ulaturinc
pans 10 leave my profession In Ken
lucky snd establish myself elsewhere.
was suddenly summoned to PennsyIya.
MA oy tue death of my father. IL being
qon7 tinl II coald return to Kentucky
vas threatened With an indefinite sep
aIa'ioh from her who possessed nv en-
'lfe DEVOTION Ny one wish vas to Sc
cure n-r To myself by an indIssoIusl
tle against every possible contingency
ia NE, and on the 30th day of June.
X ioo Iost PRIOR TO my departure from
nentucky, We were, IN the presence of
ouo7en ana trusted friends, united by
nnat know was IN my native State Of
TehhsylVanla perfectly legal form of
marriage. ga reaching home / found
tuat my family, and especially nv be
fe<sea mother, strongly discounte-
iianceo my business plans as involving
4" hume AID
kindred. complied with her wish that
1 should resume at least for a time nv
occupation In Kentucky. | returned
the latter part of August. During the
ensuing winter, induced bv mispiyinOs
which we're increased by legal consul
tati0n, became alarmed lest a doubt
might be thrown upon the validity of
oar marriage by reason of EonconpIi-
ance With the Inv of the State where il
had occurred, for | mad learned that
the laws of Kentucky made a license
certified by the Clerk Of tue County
Court an Indispensable requisite of a
legal marriage. After muoh aelibera-
zion, ana with an anxious desire to
guard In the most sffectual manner
against any einbArra ssmeat resulting
from our position, for which / alone
was Responsible, We decided that the
simplest aud at the same time surest
Way was TO repair TO Pennsylvania, and
have another marriage service perform
ed. This was done In the presence of
witnesses In the city of PIttsDarg, IN
the month Of ii arch, 1851, but was not
otherwise made public, for obvious
reasons Ii Was solemnIZed only to So
cure an indIsputable validity. the first
marriage being, 10y my wife and myself,
always held sacred. At the mature age
OF ~ years do not defend tue wisdom
or prudence OF the secret marriage sus-
gested by the ardor and InexperIeuse of
youth, but is honor and its purity were
lnvlolate, az | believe, in the sight of
God, and cannot be made to appear 9th
erwise by the device of men. 1t brought
TO me companIonshIp which has BEEN
my chief happiness from hoyhood's
years to this hour, and mas crowned nae
with whatever of success | have attain
ed IN life. Ny oldest child, a son, was
born IN his grandmother house Ga the
18th day OF June, 1851, in the city of
Augusta, Me-, and died in her arms
three years later. His ashes repose IN
the cemetery of his native city, beneath
stone which records his name and the
limits of his innocent life. That stone
which had stood for almost an entire
generation, has been recently defaced
by brutal and sacriiegious aands. As a
candidate for the Presidency | knew
that should encounter many forms of
calumny and personal defamati but
| confess that | did not expect to be
called upon to defend the name of my
beloved and h0nored wife, who is a
mother and grandmother nor did
expect that the grave of nay little child
would be cruelty desecrated. Against
such gross forms of wrong the law gives
no adequate redress, and knew that 10
the end my most effective appeal against
the unspeakable outrages which resist
must be the noble manhood and the
noble womanhood of America. Your
friend. very sincerely,
JAMES G. BLAINE.