Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-02-29
| A STATEMENT
Made by Sec'y. Blaine
Cencering Marriage
OF James G. BIa'us, j., and
Miss Maris NeVIns.
Ia Defends HIs Family. Puts
Blame Wbsra II Belongs
Showing that Miss k.YlnS WsS a Bold
Designing Girl
And Led His Son Into Tho Hasly and
Unhappy Marriage
Letters that Tell the Whole Story-A
Deep Laid Plot.
And Led His Son Into III, Hasly and
Unhappy Aar,ias.
Letters that Tell the Whole Story
Deep Laid Plot.


publication the following nnder the hesd Of
"a personal statement"
Since the separation Of my son and his
wife three and shalf ssyesrs ago. my family
has silently borne every misrepresentsticn h,
every slsnderous attack, every newspaper
interview which it pleased the now divorced
wife TO insplre.
Ole person aimed at hss been Mrs.
Blaine and We perhaps have been at fault
in sllowing the horror of public discussion
Of private matters, combined with a regard
for ,he future of my grandson. to permit
80 much cslumry TO go unanswered
The last outrage of the kind, embodied
u the decision of the judge at Desdwool,
OAK, assumes an officIal character ~hicl.
m,kes il impossible to remsin longer silent.
To remain silent would be TO accept aud
perpetuste a great wrong to my wife, q
greater wrong 10 my grandson, than even
The publication of the truth can i; iict upon
him.
1t is necessary in speaking thst l should
give summary as brief as possible Of the
marriage and incidents which followed il
and led TO the separation.
letter that / addressed to Rev. Thomas
Ducey at the time of the marriage will
upon that event.
AUGUSTA, Me-, Bent, l3, 1888
Rev, Thomas |. Ducey, s.. L5os chutch
New York
Slr:-Oa Wednesday morning last my
youngest son, james G. Blame Jr shocked
ms by the anuou cement that on the pre-
cediDg Moudsy be was united in marriage
with Miss Marie Nevi s; that you had per
formed the ceremony in ytur own rectofy
that my SOD snd Miss Neviu,, were unso-
compsiued by friead or relative, that two
of your household servants were the sole
witnesses.
My sous announcement gave the frst
knosledge that | or any member OF my
family had OF his mar,isga or even of his
attachment t) Miss Nevlns, whose chars6-
ter wish to say st the outset is not at sil
in question, snd OF whom, but for this rash
matrisge, | never have heard q bresih uf
censure.
My son was born October IL, 1868, and
is not, therefore, Is years of age, tie WAS
living here in his o Vi home, in the house
in which he WAS born, surrounded by
neiahbOrs who have known him all his life,
under the daily care Of tutor who Was
fit log him for college, which he hoped to
enter .hl. autumn.
To facilitate his preparation be desi ed
to remain here during he summer, while
the other Members Of the family were
much Of the time at Bar Hsrbor.
As since learned, Miss Nevins, in CON-
psuy wish her sister and father, came To
Augusta Monday, Auguit l6:h. Friday,
Sept. 80, eighteen days after her arrival
here, my 500, who hsd never seen her nor
heard o. her name until she came here, lef
home without permission, with lut the know
lege Of any M mber of the family, and at-
companied Miss Nevins and her sister 10
their m other in New York.
Saturday, the 4th, the young persons pre-
santed themselves to you for marriage.
Though my eldest son, Walker Blaine. went
to Few York as soon as / heard these un-
happy tidings, learn that James misrepre-
sented his age to you, stating that he was
within a month or two of 81.
But he did not. (sccordinE to ysur owa
narrative to my son Wsiker), conceal from
you the vital fact that he was q minor; be
did not conceal from you, but openly
svowed that had no knowledge whstever
| of his intention to be married, that his
speeisl design was to keep all knowledge of
| it from me.
In this concealment be sought your aid
and allotment, and you be Id his secret under
| consideration from Saturday until Moudsy,
sgreeing with my son bot to advise sny
m mber Of my family OF his rash purpose.
You took him TO the archbishop IN order
that dispensstion might be secured to er-
able Miss Nevins, who WAS reared a Gath
oiic, to marry MI son who was born BAp-
list and reared 8 Protests1t.
You know thst during the long interval
in which you were making these prepsfa-
tions that Was within q moments reaca
by telegraph, yesy never gave the slight
est intimstion to me, the most deeply in
,erese and responsible party.
Ia defense Of this conduc, you alleged to
my son Walker that the conhierce was re-
| posed in you ~ prisst by my son.
/ The coafdsnce of the c5Bfessional is
always respected, bus By yoar use of the
conf iepc-s rsposed in Jou outside Of the
Confessional, even By those not of tue Cath
olic Communion, you perforcs become az
sccomphcs before The scI of any crime OF
imprudsn to which yOu may listen.
! It 10 not for me t. advise e minister OF
| your intelligence, that Jour position is
utterly untensble, would be dangerous to
society, and you'd not be respected by any
court in the lsnd.
| You further alleged in jas,if cation oi
your action that il you had not performed
the csremosy some one else, outside youi
communion, would have done il. This i.
the common defense Of evil dong and il
unworthy Of = prisst and man. You nigh
S. we'll Justify your murder Of a man b.
| chiofofoi m 90 toe ground that other rsisG
some one else would murder him with
dagger.
A week ago my boy vas under my pro
lection. most helpless, the least responsi
bic member Of my family erraic. bus con.
troilable through bis strong affections; II
II object Of constant wstchfainess 70 his pa
rents, brothers and sisters, 3 source of coa
ssant sExiey but no dispair because b,
vas Of good abilities, as readily Influenced
! TO right 81 10 wrong, and because The pa
I Iisnce Of love can never know veafiness.
To-day, through your agency, this boy il
! years, in experience. in Judgment an
, practical capacity, leaves my home an
= care, bufdensd with the fall respoasioIliiie
Of man; with the welfare Of . woman il
his keeping 1 am powsrIess. / canno
, QUESTION the legally Of the marriage.
soali ~ distance, and every dis.dgsr
4 tags, eadeavor to sciie my son. But a.
father, living under the divine institution O
I family; as citizen living under til
, divine order of society, l protest sg.is,
] Jour act.
Asa servant Of God to whose minister
you are oatsinsd, cali G5d to witness b,
tSsea you and me.
IL whatever evils resulting from ,h
, deplorsois mArfiase of my son may De %
. author Of victim, the your hssd.
!. JAMES @. BLAINE.