The Republican journal., 1908-12-31
MRS. BLAINES LETTERS.
Edited by Her Daughter Mrs. Harriet ;.
Blaine Beal.

nj eSSfS. Dulllelu q w., PuphoAioo i
Saturday THE Letters of Mrs. James q.
Blaine" edited by her daughter, Mrs.
Harriet S. Blaine Beal AS excerpts
from familiar letters that passed be-
tween the wife of one of the great his
torical characters of America and her
children and relatives and friends, they
have peculiar and intimate charm. For
Mrs. Blaine, as this book proves, was an
excellent letter writer, vivacious, keen
witted and humorous. She draws excel
lent little vignettes of Mr.. Blaine's ia
NOUS contemporaries, his friends and his
enemies.
She makes passing illusions to the
great events of the day which are full OF
insight and acumen. Unfortunately she
and all her family were in Augusta dur
ing Mr.. Baine's successful candidacy
for the Republican nomination in 1884
and the unsuccessful campaign for the
presidency that allowed. Consequently
this exciting period goes unchronicled.
There is very little about Benjamin Har-
rison-t that little only indicating that she
did not like him.
The letters begin in 1871, when Blame
was at the height of his popularity as the
Speaker of the House, and end in 1899
when he was still more or less dis
gruntled Secretary of State under Harrl-
son. The first allusion to political mat
ters is under date of October, 1871. 1t is
written to Walker, the eldest son, from
Augusta, Me.
HER VIEW OF GRANT.
.Father," writes Mrs. Blaine, sis in
Bangor, accompanying the President. L
drove as near the depot as dared tuesday
afternoon. There was great crowd
and Grant was as miserable as is his
wont on such occasions. l did not see
him as | sat high UP the hill in the car
riage: neither did see the other dignlta-
ries who were present. But | saw, best
of all your father, who, as soon as he
had introduced the President to Mayor
Evelyth, hunted US up and spent de-
lghtful quarter of an hour at the car
rage. Joe says there were many COM
parsons drawn between the bearing OF
the President and the Speaker. Probably
the latter never stood higher in the
affections of his fellow citizens than he
does at this moment"
Five years later the Muiligan letters
and other scandal had assailed the good
name of Blaine and as consequence he
lost his chance to be the Republican
standard bearer in 1876.
Bowed but not broken Mrs. Blaine
wrote from Washington to her son
Emmons at Harvard. hoping he was "en--
during like a good son, the fiery ordeal
through which your father is passing.
The defeat in the convention is as the
small dust of the balance to him, though
no one better knows than himself the
nrize for which he was contending. But
the thought which takes the manhood
out of him is that you and Walker, who
are lust entering life, may perhaps, be
forced to see, not only all your proud and
happy anticipations disappointed, but
Yourselves put on the defensive.
WARNS HER SONS.
81 find it difficult to command my
thoughts Mrs Blaine continues, but
there is one thing | must say, though l
presume and hope you will laugh at my
fears. | have been afraid you might go
into Boston and do something to Null
gan; but you have sense enough to know
that nothing could be worse for your
father than notoriety of that kind. Keep
yourself as patient and hopeful as you
can. Al. of US are well, and your father
has great reserve of pluck and re-
source.
Not for a moment indeed, does the
wife's belief in her husband waver. She
answers a letter of friendly sympathy
from Mr.. Joseph H. Manley in these
Words
my Dear Friend;-The only tears
have shed in all this bitter time have
been over your letter. l could not read
unmoved what you say of him, for you
confirm what have always said, that
those who know him most love him best.
| dare to say that he is the best man
have ever known. Do not misunder-
stand me. | do not say that he is the
best man that ever lived, but that OF all
the men whom | have thoroughly known
he is the best.
.'You must not think, Dear Joe, from
the tone in which | write, that we are
cast down, or, if cast down, discouraged,
but can one tread the wine press so long
alone and not some time give out?
KILLING OF GARFIELD.
Here is Mrs. Blaine's account of the
shooting of Garfield in a letter written to
her eldest daughter on July 3, 1851
Dear M. Your father got up quite
early Yesterday morning in order to
drive the President to the station, and at
half-past nine Tom, the boys, Alice and
had breakfast In the midst of it the
door bell rang, and Tom was called out.
Then he called Walker; but as the house
is besieged all the time, we, who were so
fortunate as to remain unsent for, paid
no attention to the prolonged absence of
the absentees; bat shall ever forget the
moment when Maggie Nurse came run
ming into the room crying, "They have
telephoned over to you, Mrs. Blaine, that
the President is assassinated." Emmons
flew, for we all remembered, with one
accord, that his father was with him.
''By the time | reached the door, l
saw that it must be true everybody on
the street, and wild Mrs. Sherman got
a carriage and we drove over to the
White House. Found the streets in
front jammmed and the doors closed, but
they let US through and in. The Presi-
dent still at the station, so drove thither-
ward Met the mounted police clearing
the avenue, then the ambulance; turned
and followed into that very gateway
where on the 18th of March, we had
watched him enter.
81 stood with Mrs. MacVeagh in the
hall, when a dozen men bore him above
their heads, stretched on mattress, and
as he saw US and held US with his eye, he
kissed his hand to us-I thought should
die; and when they brought him into his
chamber and had laid him on the bed he