Huntsville gazette., 1892-06-11

Err Secretary Of Stete James @. Blaine.
of Mr.. Blaine, written on the official
paper of the department of state. The
president did not, either in word or ac-
tion, express any surprise, but handed
the letter to Private Secretary Halford,
who then for the first time was made
aware of its significant import. 1t was
then a few minutes of 1 o'clock, the
hour the president receives visitors in
the East room. He descended the pri-
vate stairs of the executive mansion
and went into the East room, where he
shook by the hand some 200 people
who had assembled there. He did not
show the least nervousness or appear as
if anything unusual had occurred.
After the reception in the East room
the president went to lunch, as is his
won't. About 80 o'clock the president
went to his desk again and taking up
sheet of official paper headed "Execu-
tive Mansion" indited a reply accepting
Mr.. Blaine's resignation as secretary of
state. This letter was handed to Mr..
Blaine in person at his residence on
Lafayette square by Mr.. Halford. 1t
was then about 1:45 o'clock.
As soon as the resignation Of Mr..
Blaine had been accepted an official
telegram was sent from the executive
mansion to the several departments an
nouncing the fact to the several secre-
taries
Within q few minutes after o'clock
AttorpeyGeneral Miller called and had
an earnest talk with the president.
Secretary Ell1ins arrived as the at
torney-general was leaving. He re
mained with the president for some
time, and emerging from the presidents
room, indited number of kilograms
which were sent on from the executive
mansion. The telephone, too, was
kept busy with messages to the various
departments.
The news of Mr.. Biaine's resignation
created the most intense excitement
throughout the city. 1t was surprise
so big that few would at first believe it,
Mr.. Blaine's most intimate friends did
not anticipate it, and were perhaps
more surprised than the general public,
who have been unable to see how Mr..
Blaine could remain in the cabinet oc~
cupying the attitude to the republican
nomination that he did. The consen.
sus Of opinion here is that Mr.. Blaine
has thrown down the gauntlet and that
his resignation is declaration that he
is now an avowed candidate. The
news of Mr.. Blaine's resignation was
given by the secretary himself to the
press.
In response to summons by tele-
phone representative of the United
Press called at Mr.. Blaine's residence
at 2:40 and was handed a copy of the
correspondence in a sealed envelope
marked important" Surmising its
contents the reporter asked If there was
anything to add, to which the reply
was, Nothing" Mr. Blaine looked
well and walked up and down his
library as if he felt the Importance Of
the step he had taken. The letters
themselves, though courteous in tone,
are utterly devoid of rhetorical flourish
or expression of regret and good wishes,
the usual formal termination of such
communications. They are as formal
es the most ordinary business letters.
A gentleman who is ordinarily con-
sidered as close to Mr.. Blaine was
greatly surprised when told the news
an hour or so after its announcement.
This was taken to indicate that Mr..
Blaine had not consulted many Of his
friends. The effect of Mr.. Blaine's res
ignation upon the situation at Mime
apolis is eagearly canvassed; friends OF
both Mr. Harrison and Mr. Rlaine ex-
press the fear that if either is nomi-
mated the friends Of the other will be
too sore to go actively into the cam
paign, and say that it will be necessary
to choose some other man upon whom
both sides can unite.