Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-03-05
AN UNHAPPY MARRIAGE.


WASHINGTON, Feb. Secretary
Blaine has given to the press the fol. |
lowing statement over his own sigma
ture regarding the separation of James |
G. Blaine, Jr., and his wife. Mr.. Blaine
SAYS
'iSince the separation Of my son and his wife, |
three and n half years ago, my family
have silently borne every misrepresenta-
tion, every slandorous attack, every news.
paper interview which It has pleased tho
now divorced wifo to inspire The one person
aimed at has been Mrs Blaine; and we have
perhaps been ut fault In allowing u horror OF
the public discussion of private matters, com.
bncd with regard for the future of my graz
son, to permit so much calumny to 10 unan.
swored.
1.-THE last outrage of the kind embodied in the
decision OF the Judge at Deadwood, s. d., as
sumes an Official character which makes IL i'm.
possible to remain longer silent TO remain 81,
lent would be to accept and pcrpetrate
great wrong to my wife, greater
wrong to my grandson than even a
publication OF the truth can inf1ict upon him.
1t is necessary in speaking that should give a
summary, as brief as possible, OF the marriage
and the incidents which followed II and led TO
the separation.
IA letter which addressed TO Rev. Thomas
J. Ducey ut the time of the marriage will dis
tinctly state the important facts bearing upon
that event"
In the letter to Rev. Thomas /. Du-
cey, who is rector of St Leo's church,
New York. Mr.. Blame censures him
for performing the ceremony.
Mr.. Blame then continues his state
ment:
'When wrote this letter believed that Miss
Nevins had no other responsibility in the mar
riage than in consenting to my sons appeal
and was blameworthy for this alone.
Since then l am prepared to say that
the marriage was arranged by her far more
than by my son: that she did everything to
promote IL, suggested every arrangement an
ticpated and provided for every emergency, and
that, in fact, but for her personal, active and
tiring agency the marriage would never have
taken place. In this she showed knowledge
and forethought not to be expected in
a woman OF 81 years. 1t was thus that
a boy IL years and 10 months, in
some respects inexperienced even for his age,
was tempted from his school books and his tutor
and blindly led to the altar by young woman Of
fully 81 years, with entire secrecy contrived by
himself and with all the instrumentalities Of
her device complete and exact"
After statement of the events and
circumstances connected with the mar
riage Mr.. Blaine continues:
~ purpose next to show by somewhat
minute statement OF facts and dates the
broke up the marriage relations Of my son
and his wife. She did not see her daughter
in-law until May, 1887, eight months
after the marriage, when, being In New
York, the latter called upon her twice
| during her two days stay. The next time
| she saw her was month later. When
| about to sail for Europe, on the Sth Of June,
| she was q single day in New York and saw the
| young woman on taking leave. AT the end of
| fourteen months we returned from Europe
| and stopped two or three days in New
| York. We found that in our absence my
| son had not only spent his entire allowance but
| that he was deeply in debt. 1t was then ar
| ranged that both my son and his wife should
| come down to Augusta and have their future de-
termined at a family council"
In this connection Mr.. Blaine pro.
posed that his son and his wife should
occupy his Augusta home, and agreed
to pay for fuel, light and servants
horse and carriage, and to give them ar
allowance of $4,000 a year. Mrs
Blaine, Jr., rejected this Referring
to young Mrs. Blaines departure foI
New York during her husbands alb
sence with his father at Ellsworth, Mr.
Blaine says:
MRS. Blaine had strongly disapproved Of he
departure and had earnestly urged her to re
main. She did not then dream that our Sol
would not follow his wife that the imminen
final separation would so soon. Blu
she deprecated the angry, and to sa.
the least, sudden departure, and th
journey TO New York alone with the infant an,
nurse. She did not however, suspect that tn
young woman left with any less friendly feeling
toward herself than towards every other mem
ber of the family except my son james.
'Finding the young woman determined +
go, and forcseeng the difficulties in thei
path since my daughter-in-law utterly de
clincd the provision 1 made for their SUI
port, Mrs. Blaine repeatedly bade her re
member that she would Mt any moment ri
| ccivc the child for any length of time-fo
one year, or three years, or ten years, or 70
life; that she should receive, as all VIII
know my wife will believe the very bes
care and attention; that she would put hi
mother under no conditions whatever, an
that whenever she wished the child 10 be II
turned to her he should be sent. The ode
was not accepted, but it was not declined.
appeared to be received in the same friendl
spirit in which II was given. Thus my daughter
in-law left my home, the only home which N
son could provide for her.
Just forty-four days after this Wilt,
departure she returned to my house accon
panied by her mother, Mrs. Nevins, IN
grandson and his nurse AT the moment
their arrival there were in the house onl
Mrs. Blaine, who was i'll, and the servant,
} Mrs. Blaine at once arose, dressed and wer
uoWnSlAlrS, naNliiS previously lhStruCtcu III
, maid to do everything required for their con
, fort. This was the only time she ever mt
Mrs. Nevins Neither lady advanced TO gret
her. No hand was extended to he
but from Mrs. Nevins, seconded by her daug
ter, came charges against her son and hersel
SO insulting and so violent that servant WI
, called in for the frankly expressed purpose
acting as restraint upon the elder visitor
In this brief stay of two weeks with us, OF
, on this one last visit of two hours, rests all I'll
! substantation of the statement of the judf
. at Deadwood. Before leaving for the We.
l had advised with Mrs. Blaine in II
event of the return of her daughter-in-law, al
she acted upon my advice. Not word sint
the separation has been written by her, nor hi
, | she seen my sons wife, except on Il
street in New York, when not word W;
: exchanged between them. My son was e
tirely free. No restraint was attempted or d
sired, or needed to insure separation. On Il
day OF her departure he was as strongly dete
. mined as on the day of her divorce, not to +
= sumo his relations with her.
Far be 1t from me TO hold my son blameles
l though when his youth, his uncompleted educ
ton, his separation from the influence
OF home, the exchange OF life full
hopes and anticipations for prematu
cares and uncongonial companionship q
, considered l hold him more sinned again