The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-29
YOUNG JIM'S MARRIAGE.
Secretary Blaine Publishes State
ment on the Subject.
A LONG AND CAREFUL LETTER,
The Action of the Divorce Court Compels
Him TO Make Public His Side ofthe Ar
fair-In vindicstion of Mrs. Blaine
Senior.


hiss furnished for publication ga personal
statement" in which he says: "Since the
separation OF my SON and his wife three
and a half years ago, my family have ST.
lently borne every newspaper interview,
which it has pleased the now divorced
wife to inspire.
The one person aimed at has been Mrs.
Blaine; and we have perhaps been at fault
in allowing horror of the public discus
sion Of private matters, combined with a
regard for the future of my grandson, to
permit so much calumny TO so unanswer-
ed.
in the decision of the Judge at Deadwood,
Dakota, assumes an official character
which makes it impossible to remain
longer silent.
TO remain silent would be to accept and
perpetuate great wrong to my wife-a
greater wrong TO my grandson than ever
a publication of the truth can infiict upon
him"
Then follows this letter, which explains
itself:
AUGUSTA, Me. Sept, 49, 1886
Rev. THOMAS |. DUcEY, RECTOR OF ST. LEo's
CHURCH, Is East 10Th STREET, NEW YORK CRY.
SlR:-On Wednesday morning last the sth
inst. my youngest son James G.. Blaine, Jr.,
shocked me by the announcement that on the
preceding Monday he had been united in mar
rage with Miss Marie Nevins; that you had
performed the ceremony in your own rectory;
that my son and Miss Nevins were unaocom-
panied by friend or relative and that two Of
your household servants were the sole wit
nesses.
NY sons announcement gave the first
knowledge that ! or any member OF my Samil y
had of his marriage or even OF his attachment
10 Miss Nevins, whose character wish TO say
ut the outset, is not at all in question and of
whom-but for this rash marriage-I have
never heard breath of censure.
My son was born October IL, 1868, and is not
therefore eighteen years old. He was living
here in his own home, in the house where he
was born, surrounded by neighbors who had
known him all his life, under the daily care OF
a tutor who was fitting him for college which
he hoped to enter this autumn. To facilitate
his preparation he desired TO remain here dur
ing the summer while the other members OF
the family were much OF the time at Bar Har-
bor. As / have since learned, Miss Nevins in
company with her sister and her father, came
70 Augusta on Monday, August l6
On Friday, Sept. 3rd, IS days after her arriv-
al in Auffusta, my son, who had never seen
her or heard her name until she came here,
left his home without permission and without
the knowledge OF any member OF his family,
and accompanied Miss Nevins and her sister
20 their mother in New York On Saturday,
the fourth, the two young persons presented
themselves to you for marriage. Through my
eldest SON, Walker Blaine, who went to New
York as soon as he heard these unhappy tid-
i
age saving he was within a month or two OF 2l.
But he did not according To your own narra-
tive to my son Walker) conceal from you the
vital fact that he was a minor he did-nnt
conceal from you but openly avowed, that /
had no knowledge whatever OF his intention
20 be married and that his special design was
20 keep all knowledge OF IL from me.
In this concealment he sought your aid and
allotment and you held his secret under con-
sideration from Saturday until Monday,
~ ~ foru af
took him TO the archbishop in lorder that a
dspensation might be secured to enable Miss
Nevins, who was reared Catholic, To marry
nv son, who was born, baptized and reared q
Protestant You knew that during the long
interval in which you were making these
preparations, was within moments reach
by telegraph, and yet you never gave the
slightest intimation TO me, the most deeply
interested and responsible part.
In defense of this conduct you alleged TO my
son Walker the confidence reposed in you as n
priest by my son. The confidence of the con-
fessional is always respected-but by your use
of condolences reposed in you outside the
corfessional-even by those not of the Catho-
lie communion, you perforce become an ac-
accomplice before the act of any crime or any
impudence to which you may listen.
IL is not for me to advise minister OF your
intelligence that your position is absolutely
able, would be dangerous to society and would
not be respected by any court OF the land.
action that IL you had not performed the cere-
mony some one else outside your communion
would have done Il. This is a common de-
fense Of evil doing and is unworthy of priest
and man. You might well Justify your
murder OF q man by chloroform on the ground
that otherwise some one else would murder
him with dagger.
A week ago my boy was under my protec-
tion-the most helpless, the least responsible
member of the family; erratic, but controlla-
BILE Through his strong affections; an object ef
constant watchfulness to his parents, his
brothers, and his sisters, a source of constant
anxiety, but not OF despair, because he is OF
good abilities,as readily Influenced to the right
rs to the wrong, and because the patience OF
love can never know WEAKNESS. Today,
through your agency, this boy in years, in ex-
perience, in Judgment, in practical capacity,
ssys, ta my nome ana care 6STdensd with
welfare az woman in his keeping.
am powerless. cannot question the le-
gslity OF the marriage, shall at distance
and at every disadvantage endeavor TO guide
my son. But as a father living under the di-
vine institution OF the family as a citizen liv-
ing under the divine order OF society, / pro-
test against you act. As a servant OF God TO
whose ministry you are ordained, / call God
10 witness between you and me. OF whatever
evils resulting from this deplorable marriage
my son may be the author or the VICTIM the
guilt be on your head
JAMES G. BLAINE.
Mr.. Blaine continues. "When / wrote
this letter / believed that Miss Nevins had
no other responsibility in the marriage
than in consenting TO my sons appeal and
was blameworthy for this alone Since
then am prepared TO say that the mar
riage was arranged by her far mo-e than
by my son; that she did everything to
promote 1t; suggested every arrangement;
anticipated and provided for every emer-
gency, and that, in fact, but for her per-
sonal, active and untiring agency, the
marriage would never have taken place.
In this she showed knowledge and fore
thought not TO be expected in woman
of 21 years"
The statement gives extracts from let
ters written by Miss Nevins TO young
Blaine few days after the couple had
frst met. These include the following:
"DoD't ask any questions that may lead
people TO suspect anything Remember
that we are in the mouths OF every man,
woman and child i'm Augusta"
"Look into the (marriage) laws only
tomorrow and perhaps one questin at the
the bank (where, said Mr.. Blaine, he OBJ
tanned money for his marriage journey on
my account, by inducing the cashier to
advance him funds on his memorandum.
a thing he had never learned TO do before
be met Miss Nevin). Oh, do be careful.
j feel now all sorts Of dreadful things are
said OF ne. You do not know now vile
the world is. DO look up the laws. Let
the rest keep"
When the couple reached New York,
Air. Blaine asserts, Miss Nevins took