Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-20
BLAINE'S EXPLANATION.
SECRET MARRIAGE THE sKEI-
ETON IN HIS CLOSET.

The ArdOr and IndiscretiOn of Youth
Urged in ExtenuatiOn Chance for
Escape from the Questionable Con
tract Closed by a More Formal Sol
emnizatiOn = Babe Born Three
Months Later.
NEW YORK, Sept. 19.-Hon. William
Walter Phelps takes the responsibility of
giving to the public the following private
letter addressed to him nearly two weeks
| ago:
AUGUSTA, Sept. G. 1854
MY DEAR Mr.. PHELPs-I have vour favor
of the 4th advising me that the continuous in
ventiOn and wide circulation of evil reports
| render 1T advisable, in your Judgment, not to
wait the slow process of the law, but to speak
directly to the public in my own vindication.
In this opinion many others, on whose iudp-
ment L rely, concur. shrink instinctively from
the suggestion, though | feel sure that cOuld
strengthen the confidence of ali who feel
| friendly to me by bringing to view simple
thread of truth which is concealed in this
endless tissue OF falsehood. gu can imagine
now lneXpresslDly painful 1t must be to dis
cuss ones domestic life in the press although
! think with you that under the circum-
stances could count upon the generosity of
the public to justify statement which other
wise might seem Objectionable. / can in anv
event, safely commit the facts to you for per-
sonal communication to those friends who
have taken so delicate and so considerate an
to-day, when our campaign is ended and we
wait only for the election, gives me opportu-
nifty Tor TINS prompt reply and the following
are the essential details:
SECRET MARRIAGE.
At Georgetown, KY, in the spring of 1913.
when | was but Is years of age, | first
met the lady who for more than thirtv-four
years has been my wife. Our acquaintance
resulted at the end of six months in an en-
gagement, which, without the prospect of
speedy marriage, we natura ly sought to keep
to ourselves. Two years later, in the spring
OF 1880, when was maturing plans to leave
my profession In Kentucky and establish N.Y.
self elsewhere, ! was suddenly summoned to
Pennsylvania by the death of my father 1t
being very doubtful If ] could return to Ken
lucky ! was threatened with an idetinite
separation from her who possessed my entire
devotion. My one wish was to secure her TO
myseH by an lndissOluble tie
against every possible contingency in
just prior to my departure from Kentucky,
we were, in the presence of chosen and trusted
friends, united by hat knew was, in my
native State of Pennsylvania, a perfectly
legal form OF marriage. On reaching home /
found that my family, and especially my be-
reayed mo- her, strongly discounteuanced my
business plans as involving too long a sepera-
tlOn from my home and kindred. ! complied
with her wish that | should resume, at least for
time, my occupation in Kentucky, whittier
l returned in the latter part of August
HE BECAME ALARMED.
during the ensuing winter, induced by misgiv-
ing5 under new responsibilities. misgivIngs
which were increased by legal consultations
| became alarmed lest doubt might be
thrown upon the validity Of our marriage by
reason of non compliance with the law Of the
state where 1t had occurred, for / had learned
that the laws of Kentucky are made by
license, and certified by the clerk of the cOun-
tY court, an indispensable requisite of legal
marriage. After much delberatiOn and with
an anxious desire to guard in the most effec-
tual manner against the possible embarrass-
ment resulting from our position, for which |
alone was responsible. we decided that the
simplest and at the same time the surest way
was 10 repair to Pennsylvania and have an
Othcr marriage service performed, This was
done in the presence of witness in the city of
PItt5burg IN the month of March. 1851, but
was not otherwise made public for obvious
reasons. 1t was sOlemnized only to secure an
lndlsputable validity, the first mar
always held as sacred. At the mature
age of "a 1 do not defend the wisdom
or prudence of secret marriage suggested
by the aTdOr and ineXperence Of YOUTH but
its honor and its purity were inviolate, is
believe, in the sight Of God, and cannot be
made to appear otherwise by the wicked
devices of men. 1t brought to me a COM
panionshlp which has been my chief happI-
ness from bOyhood's years TO this year, and
has crowned me with whatever success IhaYe
attained ia life.
HIS FIRST CHILD's BIRTH.
My eldest child, son. was born in his
gTduuIHOlHCIS uOu5e On June Is, lo1ls IN llle
city of Augusta, Me-, and died in her arms
three years later. His ashes repOse in the
cemetery of his native city beneath a stone
which recorded his name and the limits
of his innocent life. That stone,
which had stood for almost an entire
generation, has been recently defaced 10y
brutal and sacrilegious hands, As a candi-
date for Presidency, knew that | should en-
counter many forms of calumny and personal
defamation, but / confess that | did not eX-
pect to be called upon to defend my beloved
and honored wife, who is a mother and grand
mOther-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 | know that
in the end my most effective appeal against
the unspeakable outrages which | resist must
be to the noble manhood and noble woman
hood of America. Your friend very sincerely,
JAMES G.. RIATNF