The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-03-10
The Blaines.

The marriage Of James G. Blaine, lr.
to Miss Mary Nevins. has been the sub
ject of much notoriety ever since the
wedding was consummated. 1t was a
romantic marriage as announced at the
time and was commented on more from
the fact that the groom was son OF his
father, than from anything remarkable
in the attachment of the two young peo-
pie. They separated some time ago and
after various efforts at reconciliation,
Mrs. Nevins- Blaine went to Dakota and
sued for divorce. The decree was enter
ed some weeks ago, divorcing her from
her husband, giving her the custody OF
their child, James Ct. Blaine, the third,
81 900 for costs assessed in the suit and
800 per month for support OF herself
and child. In handing down the decis-
ion. the Judge animadverted upon the
facts and incidents developed in the
trial and of record in the case. In the
course of his remarks he referred to the
wife of Hon James G. Blaine, in rather
harsh terms, placing the responsibility
upon her, in great measure, for the
course of her son, as to his wife, after
their marriage. This criticism coming
from IL Judge of a Court and the opinion
made part of the Court record, James &.
Blaine, ST., felt it to be his duty to de>
fend his wife, before the same audience,
the general public, that read the remarks
of the Judge. In this, Mr.. Blaine fully
exonerates his wife from the imputation
cast upon her in the Courts opinion,
and gives in detail all the facts and cir>
cumstances connected with what proved
to be an unhappy and unfortunate mar
riage In his defense, Mr.. Blaine quotes
from letters of Miss Nevins, showing
that she was more of wooer than was
young Blaine, and that being his senior,
she influenced him to hasty marriage,
to accomplish which a dispensation had
to be gotten from Catholic Bishop,
Miss Nevins being Catholic, before the
priest could perform the ceremony. The
statement of Mr.. Blaine is very calm and
dispassionate,a and the facts adduced and
the differences drawn, arranged in con-
nected order and perspicuous form.
Mrs. Nevins, mother of Mrs. Nevins-
Blaine, comes back in an interview, full
of nervous vitrol and !hysterical temper,
alleging that Mr.. Blaine's statement is a
tissue of lies. She exposes bad temper,
fretful. dyspeptic disposition and a
ranking malice. Calmly analyzing her
statement and that of Mr.. Blaine, we are
forced to the conclusion that she had
more to do with the unhappy relations
of the young people than Mrs. Blaine,sr.
She speaks and acts like regular tar
tar, and makes the cause she espouses
appear the worse for the spirit manifes-
ted and the language employed.
Mrs Nevns-B Blaine, also appears in
print. bringing in question the truth of
Mr.. Blaine's statement, and announces
that within ten days of the date of her
public letter, Mr.. Blaine must retract
what she alleges are false allegations, OF
she will publish in full the letters from
which Mr.. Blaine published extracts and
make exposures that will not be pleas
ant reading for the Blaine family.
LII is uOG tx DeCUcu Uliett LII. w III
pursue the matter further, and especial
ly it may be assumed that he will not en-
gage in a controversy of any kind with
either Mrs. Nevins, or Mrs. Nevins-
Blaine.
1t has, from the beginning to the pres
emit, been a painful complication to Mr.
Blaine, and nothing but sense of duty
could have provoked him to the vindica-
ton of his wife from the official animad-
versions of the Court, through the pub
lie prints. 1t required a great deal OF
moral courage to approach the subject
in the newspapers, but no other alter
native was left and Mr.. Blaine, notwith-
standing his high public position and lis
exalted character, met the emergency
like a man.