The Portland daily press., 1892-02-29
HIS STORY OF HIS SONS
RASH MARRIAGE.
The Vigorous Letter Sent at That
Time to the Rev. Father Ducey.
YOUNG MRS. BLAINE SAID TO HAVE
CAUSED THE TROUBLE.


She, Not Her Husband, Took the Lead
Worldly Wisdom in Her letters to
His Youthful Spouse-Mr. BIaine's Of
fer to Provide for the Couple When
He Found Them Head Over Heels in
Debt-Emphatic Denial of the Insinu-
ations Against Mrs. Blaine, Sr.
WASHINGTON, February 2S.-Secretary
Blaine, this evening, furnished the press
for publication the following, under the
heading of "a Personal Statement:
"Since the separation of my son and
his wife, three and a half years ago, my
family have silently borne every misrep-
resentation, every slanderous attack and
every newspaper interview which it has
pleased the now divorced wife to inspire.
One person aimed at has been Mrs.
Blaine, and we, perhaps, have been at
fault in allowing the horror of the public
discussion of private matters combined
with regard for the future of my grand
son, to permit so much calumny to go un-
answered. The last outrage of this
kind, embodied in the decision of the
Judge at Deadwood, Dak., assumes an
official character which makes it impos-
sible to remain longer silent. To remain
silent would be to accept and pernetuate
Great Wrong to My Wife
and a greater wrong to my grandson than
even the publication of the truth can in
fict upon him. 1t is necessary in speak
ing that should give a summary, as
brief as possible, of the marriage and
incidents which followed it and led to
the separation. The letter l addressed
to Rev. Thomas I. Ducey at the time Of
the marriage will distinctly state the i'm
portant facts bearing upon that event:
AUGUSTA, Me-, September 13, 1886.
Req. Thos. 1. Ducey, Rector ST. Leo's
Church, Ne1o York:
&C 'Sir-Wednesday morning last, my
youngest son, James G. Blaine, Jr.,
made to me the announcement that the
preceding Monday he was united in mar
riage with Miss Marie Nevins, that you
performed the ceremony in you own rec
tory, that my son and Miss Marie New
ms were accompanied by no friend or rel
ative and that two of your household
servants were the sole witnesses. My
SON S announcement gave the first knowl-
edge that I, or any member of my family
had of his marriage or even
His attachment to Miss Nevins,
whose character, I wish to say at the out
set, is not at all in question, and of
whom, but for this rash marriage,
never heard the breath of eensure. My
son was born October u, 1868, and is not
therefore IS years of age. He was living
here in his own home, in the house in
which he was born, surrounded by
neighbors who had known him all his
life, under the daily care of tutor who
was fitting him for college, which he
hoped to enter this autumn. To facili-
rate his preparation, he desired to re-
main here during the summer, while
other members of the family were most
of the time at Bar Harbor. AS have
since learned, Miss Nevins, in company
with with her sister and family, came to All
gusta on Monday, Augusta 10TH On
Friday, Sept. Sd, eighteen days, after her
arrival here, my son, who had
never seen her nor heard her
name until she came here,
Left Home Without Permission,
and without the knowledge of any MEM
Der of the family, and accompanied Miss
Nevins and her sister to their mother in
New York. On Saturday, the 4th, the
Young persons presented themselves to
| YOU for marriage.
"Through my eldest son, Walker
Blaine. who went to New York as soon
| as l heard these unhappy tidings, I
learned that James misrepresented his
age to you, stating that he was within a
| month or two of 21. But he did not, ac-
cording to your own narrative to my son
Walker, conceal from you the vital fact
that he was minor, and he did not con-
ceal from you, but openly avowed that
had no knowledge whatever of his inten-
| ton to be married and that his special
design was to keep all knowledge of it
| from me. In this concealment he sought
your aid and allotment, and you had his
secret under consideration from Satur-
| day until Monday, agreeing with my son
| not to advise any member of my family
| of his rash purpose. You took him to
the archbishop in order that
A Dispensation Might Be Secured
| to enable Miss Nevins, who was reared a
Catholic, to marry my son, who was
born, baptized and reared a Protestant.
You knew during the long interval in
which you were making these prepara-
tions that was within moments reach
l L IL
| slightest intimation as the most deeply
| interested and responsible party.
SIN defence OF. this conduct, you al
legged to my son Walker the confidence