The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-06-05
JAMES G. BLAINE
TENDERS HIS RESIGNATION As
SECRETARY OF STATE.
And it is Accepted by the President
Great Surprise Expressed at
the Action.

by IelegrapH 10 tneoIale chronicle.
WASHINGTON, June 4.-Secretarv
Blaine has resigned the secretaryship
of state, and the resignation has been
accepted by the President. The fol-
lowing correspondence explains itself:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WAsHINGToN, June 4, '92, 12:45 p. IN.
To the Presidemt:-I respectfully
beg leave to submit my resignation of
the office of Secretary of State of the
United States, to which was appoint
ed by you or the 9Th of March, 1889.
The condition of public business in the
department Of state justifes me in re-
questing that my resignation may be
accepted Immediately. | have the
honor to be, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
JAMES @. BLAINE.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, June 4, 1892.
10 the Secretary of State:
Your letter of this date, rendering
your resignation of the office of Secre-
tary of State of the United States has
been received. The terms in which
you state your desires are such as to
leave ne no choice but to accede to
your wishes at once. Your resi- gna-
tion is therefore accepted.
Very respectfully yours,
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
To Hon. James @. Blaine.
WASHINGTON, June 4.-Shortly
before l O'Clock to-day, Mr..
Dent, private secretary to Secretary
Blaine, with Mr.. Blaine's resignation
in his pocket, came into the room of
private secretary Halford at the execu-
tive mansion and handed him com
munication enclosed in an official en-
velope of the department of State.
f Mr.. Halford Immediately, and without
knowing its contents, took it into the
President's room adjoining, and handed
: it to President Harrison, who was sit
9 ting at his desk. He opened it, read the
contents which were in the hand
I writing of Mr.. Blaine, written on the
official paper Of the department OF
r State The President did not either
! in word or &C ion express any surprise
! but handed the letter to private secre
4 tary Halford who then, for the frs
time, was made aware of its significan
t. ~ ca, u
| o'clock. the hour the President re
ceives visitors in the East room. II,
t descended the private stairs OF the eX
ecutive mansion and came into tn
!. East room where ne shook hands Will
). some 200 people who had assembled
n there He did not show the least ner
i. vousness or appear as if anything unusu
4. al had occurred. After the reception il
the East room, the President went t
his luncheon, as is his wonte1 custom
, About 1:20 o'clock the President wen
" to MS desk again, and taking up
o- sheet of official paper headed ''Execu
tive Mansion" indi:ed reply accept
ing Mr.. Blaine's resignation as Secrt
tary of State This letter was hande
to Mr.. Blaine in person, at his res
+ dence, Lafayette square, by Mr.. Ha
of ford, the private secretary to Presider
le Harrison 1t was then about |: "A
We o'clock. AS soon as the resignation
e, Mr.. Blaine had been accepted, an otl
O; cial telegram was sent from the Exc
|e utive Mansion to the several d
On partments announcing the fact to tt
several secretaries. Within. fe
minutes after 2 o'clock Attorney-Ge
eral Miller called and had an earne
talk with the President SecretaI
NJ Elkins arrived as Attorney-Gener
A. Miller was leaving. He remained Wi
er the President for some time, an
ed emerging from the Presidents rool
rt- indicted number of telegrams viii
ed were sent off from the executive ma
lte sion. The telephone, too, was ke
busy with messages to the various c
partments. Secretary Elkins return
to the War Department and lat,
>. when he was seen by a United Pre-
p, representative, was in his shi
- sleeves in business cup to his ear
debating telagrams. The news
~ Mr.. Blaine's resignation created t
~ most intense excitement throughs
the city. 1t was surprise SO big Il
few would at first believe it.
Blaine's most intimate friends did !
The anticipate it, and were perhaps M
day surprised than the general public, "
ach have been unable to see how !
the Blaine could remain in the cabinet
out cupying the attitude to the republic
met nomination that he did. The OK
ion here is that Mr.. Blaine
thrown down the gauntlet and that
resignation is declaration that h,
,an- now an avowed candidate. The n,
bale was given by the secretary himsel
two the press. In response to a SUNNI
re- by telephone representative of
:and United Press called at Mr.. Blair
i. residence at 2:40 p. NJ, ard was han
a copy of the correspondence i
n,,rlo1