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James G. Blaine
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== Secretary of State, 1881 == === Foreign policy initiatives === Blaine saw presiding over the cabinet as a chance to preside over the Washington social scene, as well, and soon ordered construction of a [[James G. Blaine Mansion|new, larger home]] near [[Dupont Circle]].{{sfn|Muzzey|p=185}} Although his foreign policy experience was minimal, Blaine quickly threw himself into his new duties.{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=191β195}} By 1881, Blaine had completely abandoned his [[Protectionism|protectionist]] leanings and now used his position as Secretary of State to promote freer trade, especially within the [[western hemisphere]].{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=62β64|Pletcher||2pp=55β56}} His reasons were twofold: firstly, Blaine's old fear of British interference in the Americas was undiminished, and he saw increased trade with Latin America as the best way to keep Britain from dominating the region.{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=62β64|Pletcher||2pp=55β56}} Secondly, he believed that by encouraging exports, he could increase American prosperity, and by doing so position the Republican party as the author of that prosperity, ensuring continued electoral success.{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=62β64|Pletcher||2pp=55β56}} Garfield agreed with his Secretary of State's vision and Blaine called for a Pan-American conference in 1882 to mediate disputes among the Latin American nations and to serve as a forum for talks on increasing trade.{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=65β66|Doenecke||2pp=55β57|Healy||3pp=57β60}} At the same time, Blaine hoped to negotiate a peace in the [[War of the Pacific]] then being fought by [[Bolivia]], [[Chile]], and [[Peru]].{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=65β66|Doenecke||2pp=55β57|Healy||3pp=57β60}} Blaine favored a resolution that would not result in Peru yielding any territory, but Chile, which had by 1881 occupied the Peruvian capital, rejected any negotiations that would gain them nothing.{{sfnm|Doenecke||1pp=57β58|Crapol||2p=70}} Blaine sought to expand American influence in other areas, calling for renegotiation of the [[ClaytonβBulwer Treaty]] to allow the United States to construct [[Panama Canal|a canal through Panama]] without British involvement, as well as attempting to reduce British involvement in the strategically located [[Kingdom of Hawaii]].{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=74β80|Doenecke||2pp=64β67|Healy||3pp=40β52}} His plans for the United States' involvement in the world stretched even beyond the Western Hemisphere, as he sought commercial treaties with [[Joseon Dynasty|Korea]] and [[Merina Kingdom|Madagascar]].{{sfnm|Crapol||1p=81|Doenecke||2pp=71β73}} {{clear}} === Garfield's assassination === [[File:AssasinationPresGarfield.JPG|thumb|Blaine (left) was present at Garfield's assassination.]] On July 2, 1881, Blaine and Garfield were walking through the Sixth Street Station of the [[Baltimore and Potomac Railroad]] in Washington when [[Assassination of James A. Garfield|Garfield was shot by]] [[Charles J. Guiteau]],{{sfnm|Peskin||1pp=595β597|Russell||2pp=385β386}} a crazed office seeker who had made repeated demands for Blaine and other State Department officials to appoint him to a consulship for which he was grossly unqualified. On May 14, 1881, Guiteau had encountered Blaine just outside the State Department. Guiteau's request for a position in the US Consul's office in France was met by an angry rebuke from Blaine: "Never speak to me about the Paris Consulship again as long as you live!" Guiteau, a self-professed Stalwart, believed that after assassinating the President, he would strike a blow to unite the two factions of the Republican Party, allowing him to ingratiate himself with Vice President Arthur and receive his coveted position.{{sfn|Peskin|pp=589β590}} Guiteau was overpowered and arrested immediately, while Garfield lingered for two and a half months before he died on September 19, 1881. Guiteau was convicted of killing Garfield and hanged on June 30, 1882.{{sfn|Peskin|pp=606β607}} Garfield's death was not just a personal tragedy for Blaine; it also meant the end of his dominance of the cabinet, and the end of his foreign policy initiatives.{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=81β82|Russell||2p=386}} With Arthur's ascent to the presidency, the Stalwart faction now held sway, and Blaine's days at the State Department were numbered.{{sfnm|Crapol||1pp=81β82|Russell||2p=386}} While Arthur asked all of the cabinet members to postpone their resignations until Congress recessed that December, Blaine nonetheless tendered his resignation on October 19, 1881, but he agreed to remain in office until December 19, when his successor would be in place.{{sfnm|Russell||1p=388|Reeves||2pp=255β257}} Blaine's replacement was [[Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen|Frederick T. Frelinghuysen]], a [[New Jersey]] Stalwart;{{sfnm|Russell||1p=388|Reeves||2pp=255β257}} while Arthur and Frelinghuysen undid much of Blaine's work, cancelling the call for a Pan-American conference and stopping the effort to end the War of the Pacific, they did continue the drive for tariff reductions, signing a reciprocity treaty with [[Mexico]] in 1882.{{sfnm|Doenecke||1pp=173β175|Reeves||2pp=398β399}} === Private life === [[File:Blaine Mansion - Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|left|[[James G. Blaine Mansion|Blaine's mansion]] in Dupont Circle]] Blaine began the year 1882 without a political office for the first time since 1859.{{sfn|Muzzey|p=225}} Troubled by poor health,{{efn|The exact state of Blaine's health is debatable; many of his biographers believe him to have been a [[Hypochondriasis|hypochondriac]].{{sfnm|Summers||1pp=62, 125|Muzzey||2pp=225β227}}}} he sought no employment other than the completion of the first volume of his [[memoir]], ''Twenty Years of Congress.''{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=226|Russell||2p=390}} Friends in Maine petitioned Blaine to run for Congress in the [[1882 United States House of Representatives elections|1882 elections]], but he declined, preferring to spend his time writing and supervising the move to the new home.{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=228β232}} His income from mining and railroad investments was sufficient to sustain the family's lifestyle and to allow for the construction of a vacation cottage, "Stanwood" on [[Mount Desert Island]], Maine, designed by [[Frank Furness]].{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=232β237}} Blaine appeared before Congress in 1882 during an investigation into his War of the Pacific diplomacy, defending himself against allegations that he owned an interest in the Peruvian [[guano]] deposits being occupied by Chile, but otherwise stayed away from the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=242β246|Crapol||2pp=71β73}} The publication of the first volume of ''Twenty Years'' in early 1884 added to Blaine's financial security and thrust him back into the political spotlight.{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=253β255}} As the 1884 campaign loomed, Blaine's name was being circulated once more as a potential nominee, and despite some reservations, he soon found himself back in the hunt for the presidency.{{sfnm|Crapol||1p=91|Muzzey||2pp=263β265}} {{clear}}
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