The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-09-20

NEW YORK, Sept. 19.-HOn. VIM.
Walter Phelps takes the responsioll-
inv of giving to the public the follow
ing private letter addressed 10 hiih
nearly two weeks ago. ~. 100,
NV DEAR Mr.. PHELPs:-l have
,o,,, tavor of the 4th advising me
y!ha+ the continuous invention u
ride circulation of evil reports rem
dor it advisable in your judgment not
to wait the slow process OF law but
~ sneak directly to the public in my
own vindicatiOn. In this OPINION
many Others on whose Judgment l
raIv concur. I shrink instinctlveiy
frn,u the suggestion although L feel
sure I could strengthen the conn
dence of all who feel friendly 10 me
bv bringing to view the siIhpie
thread of truth which is conceaieu III
This endless tissue of falsehood. 0
can again imagine how in: xpressloiy
na1nf1l it must be to discuss ones
domestic life in the press, although l
think with you that under the CIR
cnmstances I could count upon u
generosity of the public to JUSTLY the
Statement which otherwise mlght
seem Objectionable. l can in any
event IS fely commit facts to you 1or
nersonal Communication to those
friends who have taken so delicate
and so considerable an interest IN my
affairs. The leisure hours OF to-day.
when our campaign is ended ana
we wait only for the election, gives
me the opportunity for this prompt
reply for the following essential de-
tails.
AT Georgetown, Kentucky, in the
spring of 1913, when l vas Is years
of age, | first met the lady who for
more than "a years has been my wife:
Our acquaintance resulted at the II
Of six months in an engagement,
which, without the prospect OF a
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, [ was suddenly
summoned to Pennsylvania by the
death of mo father. 1t being very
doubtful if L could return to Ken
lucky I was threatened with an in
definite separation from her who
possessed my entire devotion. My
one wish was to secure her to myself
by an indissoluble tie against every
possible contingency in life, and on
the Both day of June 1880, just prior
to my departure from kentucky, we
we're, III the pr, Uf chosen and
trusted friends, united by what i
knew was in my native State of
Pennsylvania a perfectly legal form
of marriage. On reaching home !
found that my family, and especially
my beloved mother, strongly dis
countenanced my business plans, as
involving a too long separation from
home and kindred. ! complied with
her wishes that l should resume
az least for Il time my occupation in
Kentucky, whittier / returned in the
latter part of August. During the
ensuing winter, induced by mis-
givings which were increased toy
legal consultation, / became alarmed
lest doubt might be thrown upon the
validity of four marriage by reason of
Noncompliance with the law of the
State where 1t had occurred, for l
had learned that the laws of Ken
lucky made a license certified by the
clerk of the county court an indis-
pensiisle requisite OF a legal mar
riage. After much elaboration and
with an anxious desire to guard in
the most etfectual manner against
any embarrassment resulting from
our position, for what l alone was
responsible, we decided that the
simplest, and at the same time the
surest, way was to repair to Pennsyl-
vania and have another marriage ser
vice performed. This was done in
the presence of witnesses, in the city
of Plttsburg, in the month OF March,
1851, but was not otherwise made
public for obvious reasons. 1t was
putable validity, the first marriage
beng by my wife and myself always
held sacred. AT the mature age of |
81 L do not defend the wisdom or
prudence OF a secret marriage, sug-
sested by the ardOr and inexperience
)t youth, but It's honor and its purity
l%nvlOlate, as l believe, in the
sight of God and cannot be made to an
Dear otherwise by the wicked device
" men. 1t brought to me aconpanion-
hip that has been my chief happi-
less ron boyhood years to this hour,
lnd has crowned NE with whatever
II success [ have attained in life.
My eldest child. a son, was born
n his grandmother's house on the
9Th day of June 1851, in the city of
Augusta, Maine, and died in her
rms three years later. His ashes re-
ose III tine cemetery of his native
lty beneath a stone which records
Is name and limit of his innocent
re. That stone which had stood for
lmost an entire generation has been
gently defaced by brutal and sacri-
'glous hands. ;
AS a candidate for the presidency {
knew L should encounter manv i
ms or calumny and personal defa- {
Fatlon, but | confess l did not think !
should be called upon to defend the
me OF my beloved and honored
Ire, VINO IS a mother and a grand |
other; nor did 1 expect that the {
ave OF my little child would he des-
rated. Against such gross forms +
wrong the law gives no ADEQUATE J
and L know that in the end Il
y most effective appeal against the Q
outrages which Eresist. II
ust De to the noble manhood and Il
Ole womanhoOd of America. &
Your friend verv sincerely Ii
JAMES G. BLAINE. "
The Earthquake Shock. ~