The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-29


that bis special design was to keep all knowledge
OF IL from me- In this concealment he sought
your aid and allotment, and you held his secret
under consideration from Saturday until Mon
day-agreeing with my son not
to advise any member of my
family OF his rash purpose. You took him to
be secured 70 enable Miss Nevins. who was
reared Catholic, to marry my son. who was
born, baptized and reared Protestant. You
knew that during the long interval in which you
were making these preparations was within a
moments reach by telegraph and vet you never
gave the slightest intimaton to me, the most
deeply interested and responsible party.
In oelense or this conduct you alleged to my
son Walker the confidence reposed in you as
priest by my son. The confidence of the con
fessional Is always respected; but by your use
OF commences repoSed IN you outside the con-
fessional, even by those not of Catholic COM
munion, you perforce become an accomplice
before the act of any crime or any imprudence
70 winch you may listen. Il is not
Tor me to advise a minister Of
your Intelligence that your position is
absolutely untenable, would be dangerous to
society and would not be respected by any
court OF the land. You further alleged in iusti
neation OF your action that If you had not per-
formed the ceremony some one else outside
your communion would have done it.. This Is a
common defense Of evil-doers and is unworthy
OF OF. priest and man. You might as well jus
NY your murder of mac by chloroform on
the ground that otherwise some one else would
murder him with dagger
"A week ago my boy was under my pro-
tectlon-the most helpless, least responsible
memDer OF my family; erratic. but controllable
through his strong affections; an object OF CON
slant watchfulness to has parents, his brothers
and bis sisters, a source Of constant anxiety but
not OF despair because he is of good abili-
ties. as readily influenced to right as to
wrong, and because the patience of love can
never know WEAKNESS. To-day, through your
agency, this boy in years, in experience in
Judgment, in practical capacity, leaves my
home and my care burdened with the full re-
sponsioilites of man, with the welfare of
woman in his keeping.
Il am powerless: 1 cannot question the
legality or the marriage. shall at a distance
and at every disadvantage endeavor to guide
my sou. But, as a father living under the di-
vine Institution of family as a citizen living un-
der the divine order of society, protest against
your oct. AS a servant of God, to whose minis
try you are ordained call God to witness be-
tween you and me OF whatever evils resulting
from this deplorable marriage my son may be
the author or victim, the guilt be on your head
JAMES &. BLAINE
MISS NEvINs' RESPONSIBILITY.
"When wrote this letter I believed that
Miss Nevius had no other responsibility in
the marriage 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
1t; suggested every arrangement; antici-
pated and provided for every emergency.
and that, in fact, but for her personal. ac-
tive and untiring agency the marriage
would never have taken place. In this she
showed knowledge and forethought not to
be expected in woman Of 81 years.
within ten days after her arrival in
Augusta, withiuone week from the day she
first met my son, she was adjuring him thus
for several successive days:
tWrfta q x X 7
Let me know at once about the law (of
marriage), can't wait to hear 10 makes
me ILL.,
Can you come to me moment? / am
alone. Do not send up your card
Did you see about the lews9 Do not
keep up suspense
1.-The Bar Harbor house is perfect, but ]
love the dear old place here better
URGED TO BE CAUTIOUS.
d" Don't ask any questions that may lead
people to suspect anything. Remember
that we are in the mouths of
every man, woman and child in Augusta
Every word you speak is repeated and mis-
construed. Every look of yours, every
flush of your face is talked of. Look
into the laws only tomorrow, and
perhaps one question at bank where
he obtained money for his marriage
journey on my account by inducing the
cashier to advance him funds on his memo
randum, a thing he had never learned to
do before he met Miss Nevins. All else can
wait. O, do be careful. l feel now all
sorts of dreadful things are said of us. You
do not know how pile the world is Do
look up the ldwS. Let the rest keep
Did you look into the laws Of Massa-
chusetts and New York | an sure not.
Answer this tonight
81 have at last thought of the only man
on earth whom we can both trust for a
witness. He is man l can telegraph for
He is a mau aud he adores every member
of nv family. I have known
him since l was child. He would 90 any
place with US and none know. He never
would breathe it as long as he lived. II
you say 30 l will give him gentle hint
that / will need his services for an
emergency. but not tell him for what
"'Do write me at once what the New
York law was, and the forfeit.
Answer at once.'
"When they reached New York after
they had fed from Augusta she cautioned
my son not to forget the $20-gold piece In
the little box for Ducey, and to look in the
pocket of your gray clothes for the ring ;
In short, she took charge Of every matter
and directed all the proceedings to the last
minute.
LED TO THE ALTAR BY A WOMAN.
"It was thus that boy of II 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 full 81
| years, with entire secrecy contrived by her
self and with all the instrumentalities of
her device complete and exact.
when my eldest son, Walker, went to
| New York, as have related in the Ducey
letter, his object was to see whether this
marriage of my youngest son might not be
invalid or could not be annulled,
by reason OF his youth. He
was met with the assertion that it
was too late for any proceedings
to set aside the, paarriage, because after the
marriage the bride, instead of returning tc
her mother. had taken passage for Boston
with the groom on one of the night steam
ers on Long Island sound. She returned
from Boston to New York the following
day. and he came on home to Augusta.
This fact was lesrned for the first time by
Walker, the boys modesty having pre-
| vented my son James from bringing it to
my knowledge.
BREAKING UP OF THE MARRIAGE.
| "I purpose next to show by a somewhat
| minute statement of facts and dates the
| falsity Of the assertion that Mrs. Blaine
| 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
/ -, da,si sray Tho naxt time ghn saw her