October he lived, in the
precise remark, when something was said of the death of Webster, "Ah!
day after to-morrow it will be forty years since Webster died." The
news of the nomination of Hayes, Blaine received serenely, and before
the vote was declared in the convention sent the nominee a cordial
telegram of congratulation. When he knew at Augusta in 1884 that he
was beaten, he said: "Personally I care less than my nearest friends
would believe, but for the cause and for many friends I profoundly
deplore the result." And that was the entire truth. He felt that he
had not been fairly beaten, but he gave utterance only to the public
wrong done in the unfairness, and left that expression as a warning to
the country. He did not, as we have seen, follow the example of Clay,
who persistently favored his own candidacy. On the contrary, Blaine
did not covet the Presidency, and tried to avoid the personal strife
of 1884, and not for any of the apprehensive motives attributed to
him by those who acted upon the feeling in his case that the spirit of
justice was malevolent.

I feel that I should not now deal fairly with the public if I did
not give here the letter from Blaine in my possession, that more
completely than any published gives expression to his personal bearing
when defeated.

LETTER FROM MR. BLAINE TO MR. HALSTEAD.

(Personal.)

AUGUSTA, MAINE, _16th Nov., '84._

DEAR MR. HALSTEAD:--I think there would be no harm to the
public and no personal injustice if you should insert the
three enclosed items in your editorial columns.

I feel quite serene over the result. As the Lord sent upon us
an ass in the shape of a preacher, and a rainstorm, to lessen
our vote in New York, I am disposed to feel resigned to the
dispensation of defeat, which flowed directly from these
agencies.

In missing a great honor I escaped a great and oppressive
responsibility. You know--perhaps better than any one--how
_much I didn't want_ the nomination; but perhaps, in view of
all things, I have not made a loss by the canvass. At least I
try to think not. The other candidate would have fared hard in
Maine, and would have been utterly broken in Ohio.

Sincerely,

JAMES G. BLAINE.

Of course all this is private.

_P.S._--This note was written before receipt of yours. Pray
publish nothing of the kind you intimate unless you first
permit me to se