River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-10-02
TiRDY LOVT LACE.

randon st.n5- Ills Mar
W. -, -ettsr to NJ, walter
NEW York, Sept 19-Hon v - n Walter
Phelps gives to the public the ! irving pri-
vate letter addressed to him nsal no weeks
ago:
Augusta, Sept 6, 1SS4-U fzDcar Mr.
Phelps: have your favor of u 9Th, adyis-
ing me that "the continuous hslxention and
wide circulation of evil reports ender it adj
visable lin your judgment nol4 to wait the
slow process Of the law, but to speak directly
to the public in my own Medication" In
this opinion many others, On whose iudr
ment | RELY concur. / SHRINK instincfively
from the suggestion, although / feel sure /
could strengthen the confidence OF ali who
feel friendly to me by bringing to view the
simple thread OF truth which is concealed in
this endless tissue of falsehnOd You can
Imagine how inexpressibiy painful il must
Re TO discuss ones domestic life in the press
although | think with you that under the
cir.. unistances could count upon the gener-
oslty Of the public 70 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 80 delicate and
couslderate an interest in my affairs The
leisure hours Of to-day, when our campaign
is ended, and We wait only for the election
gives me the opportunity for this pruntpt re-
ply and for the following essential details
AT Georgetown, KY, in the spring Of 1873
when was but eighteen years of age, | first
met the lady who for more than thirty four years
has been my wife. Our acquaintance restlt-
ed, at the end Of six months, in an en-
gagemeut, which, without prospect of speedy
marriage, we naturally
SOUGHT TO KEEP TO OURSELVES
Two years later, in the spring of 1850 when
was maturing plans to feave my profession
in Kentucky and establish myself elsewhere,
/ was suddenly summoned TO Pennsylvania
by the death OF nv father II being very
doubtful if | could return to kentucky, | was
Threatened with an indefinite separation from
her who possessed my entire doyO-
ton. Ny one wish was to secure
her to myself by an indissolnble tie
against every possible contingency IN life, and
on the 18th Of June, 1880, just prior to my de-
parture from Kentucky we were, in the pres
enee Of trusted friends, united by what knew
was in my state OF Pennsylvania perfect and
fully legal form of marriage. On reaching
homo / found my family and especially my
bereayed mother, strongly discountenancedm
business plans as involving too long separa-
ton from home and kindred j complied with
her wish that / should resume at least for a
time nv OCCUPATION in Kentucky whittier /
returned in The latter part Of August During
the ensuing winter, induced by misgIvings
which were increased 10y legal consultations, |
became alarmed least doubt might be thrown
upon the validity of our marriage, by rea-
the state where it had occurred for
had learned that the laws of Kentucky made
a license, certfiC d by the clerk Of the county
court an indispensable requisite of a legal
marriage After much delberatiOn and with
an ardent desire 10 guard in the most effectual
manner against any possible embarrassment
resulting from our position, for which ! alone
was responsible, we decided that the simplest F.
and at the same time surest way, was to repair
10 Pennsylvania and have another marriage
service performed This was done in the pres
ence of witnesses, in the city of Pittsburg, in
the month of March, 1851, but was not other
wise made public for obvious reasons. 1t was
solemnized only to procure an indisputable
validity, the first marriage being by my wife
and myself always held sacred. At the ma /
ture age of ffty-four do not defend the Wis
dom or prudence of secret marriage, suS- /
gested by the
ARDoR AND TNExPERIENCE OF YOUTH
but its honor and its purity were inyiolate as
i believe in the sight of God, and cannot be
made to appear otherwise by the wicked devices /
of men, II brought to me eompanionship
which mas been my chief happiness from boy |
hoods years TO this hour, and has crowned me /
with whatever success | have attained in life.
My eldest child, son, was born in his grand /
mothers house on the 18th day of June, 1881 IN /
the city of Augusta Me- and died in her arms I
three years later. His ashes repose in the ceme- .
tery Of his native city beneath stone which /
recorded his name and the limits of his innocent /
life. That stone which nad stood Tor almost an /
entire generation. has been recently defaced I
by brutal and sscrehgOus hands. As a |
for the presidency l knew that /
should encounter many forms of ealumny /
and personal defamation, but | confess did |
not expect to be called upon to defend the /
name Of "A beloved and honored wife, who is I
mother and a grandmother, nor did expect I
the grave of my little child would be cruelty |
desecrated Against such gross forms of /
wrong the law gives no adequate redress, and |
know that in the end my most effective appeal
against the unspeakabe outrages | resist, /
must be to the noble manhood and the noble /
wOmanhood of America. Your friend, very sin /
cerely,
James g. Blaine
REGARDS IT CONCLUSIVE
New York, Special Telegram, Sept 20
The Times this morning SAYS:
The statement which Mr. Blaine makes in his /
letter 80 William Walter Phelps should close |
all lips upon a subject which has been intro
duced in this campaign only where manliness |
was forgotten.