Daily Republican., 1884-09-20
[,JNE,S MARRIAGE
FLANK EXPLANA
EXPLOSION OF THE
s.y,yUL SCAN DAL Is

EXPLOSION OF THE
.rsTIxEL SCANDAL ~
., Sent. 19.-Hon. William
pSsjps 1SsH' axes the respo,n,s,ibil,isyl p,u,,ldl,yl
fD.,tb ~ the public the following
~ ,,o, 70 'a addressed to him nearly |
sn Va svrcusrA, Sept. 6, 1884.
,.n Mr., PHELPS / have
-, unat d the 4th advising me that
falslnu M " evil reports render 1t ad-
/. .aIu 1,u :, YOUR judgment) not 70 wait |
~ ,,ocess Of the law, but to
s'..ig,ly TO the public In my own
aiNs' i,eU In this opinion many
'Ss' ~ whose Judgment | rely
\, ,n.tlpctively from the sugges'
|.s''anSh y ~ I feel sureI could strength
wv esSuad.pce of all who felt
N me- BY bringing TO view the
.!,,sad Of truth whichis conceal
~ endless tissue Of falsehood.
~ " imagine how inexpressibly
y |. must be to discuss ones do
N, in the press, although i
,,b m YOU that, under the circum.
W could count upon the gen.
,,itke public to Justify . state
.sich otherwise might seem OBJ
=, NH in apy event safely commit
..,o 10, YOU for personal commuuica-
t,lOss friends who have taken 30
.,pd 80 considerate an interest
,sirs. The leisure hours OF to.
n our campaign Is ended, and
's.ly for the election, gives me
|arunity for this prompt reply,
,,be following essential details
georgetown, KY, in the Spring
rbsn | was but lS years Of age,
ne. the lady who, for more than
S1r Years, has been my wife,
Inu,intance resulted, 1t the end
months in an engagement which
M the prospects ofa speedy mar.
&c naturally sought to keep tc
u4 Two years later, in the
I, Of 1850, when was maturing
b Fave my profession in Ken
and establish myself elsewhere,
|uilsn,y summoned to Penneyl
by The death Of my father. 1t be
(gydonb,ful il could return d
Sucky. | was threatened with al
pi,s separation from her who pos
nv entire devotion. My on,
va TO secure her to myself by aI
piutle tie against every possibl
ngsucy in life, and on the 30th da,
(ns, 1850, Just prior to my de
tn from kentucky, we were, In tn
nee Of chosen and trusted friends
by whatIknew was, In my nativ
dPsnnsylvania, a perfectly. ! egs
marriage.
Or reaching home | found that m
y, and especially my bereave
a srougly discountenanced M
les plans as involving too long
naaa from home and kindred.
iavi,a her wish that l shoul
nsvleast for n time, my occup'
hEnlucky, whittier | returne
sEG part Of August.
Daring the ensuing Winter, induce
igyings under new responsible
|Gisglvings which were increase
~ cOnsultations-1 became ALARM
sadoub' might be thrown upc
hidity Of our marriage by reast
ts'colup'iance with the law Of Il
where it had occurred--for / hs
bed that the laws Of Kentucl
IA license, certified by the clerk
@alty court, an Indispensable !
lie Of a legal marriage. Aft
deliheration and with an anxio
|hb guard in the most effectu
Aef against any possible em mbarrai
,tsulting from our position, I
Cd alone was responsible, we d
that the simplest and, at the sar
lhe surest course, was to repair
|nyvania, and have another ms
ssrvice performed.
.ls was done in the presuce of W
IN the city of Pittsburg, in Z
moi March, 1851, but was not o,
Is made public, for obvious re
II was solemnized only to |
al indisputable validity, the fl
tnage being by my wife and mys
ss held sacred. At the mature a
l'not defend the wisdom ofpl
e9l secret marriage suggested
Hdor AMI the the inexperience
ll but its honor and It's puri
hylolate, az | believe, in t
OF tod, and cannot be ma
foeaf Otherwise by the wicked dt
" asl' 1t brought to me a CO
.pnshlp which has been my ch
p,aess from boyhood's years to q
anu has crt wned me with VIII
" VI success | have attained in Ii
w eldest chi!d-a son-was be
~ u. .etandmether's house on the II
Iouhe, 1851. IN the city Of Aug
aslne' and died in her arms tn
later' His ashes repose In
NJ sess OF his native city, beneatl
winch recorded his name and
fi,b hi u MS Innocent life. That sto
W mad stood tor almost an en-,
6,a,lCh, las been recently defa,
Ia'al a. and sacrilegious hands.
,a asa candidate for the Presiden
M. NV mat | should encounter ms
sIion 'u caiIlnny and personal d,
N |a' w. out confess that 1 did not
Sns SSe 's called upon to defend
|Eo , a beloved and honored "
rdid IA" mother and grandmoth
M c o,,,tx expect that tbs grave of
'u''a would be cruelty desc
n sai9s' such gross forms of wr
|k,ov~ gives no adequate redress,
h |N that mat in the end my most Il
tlta'r. rp"ai ~, gainst the uns peak
bbls winch | resist must be to
America ''"o hoo'e w"inanh
iouF friend, very sincerely,
JAMES G.. BLAINE
ha a'e . OF the cnermom eser