American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-10-03
VOLUME 8.
Parties, Issues and Men.


people of Pennsylvania will be called
upon to make their decision at the polls
upop the momentous issues now in aglta-
tion. 1t is scarcely conceivable that, at
ter all the discussion that has occurred,
there can be much ignorance concerning
the positions of political parties and men;
but to aid in forming judgment for
those whose attention is engrossed BY
other affairs. we deem It necessary TO state
conciscly what We understand to be the
most important points in The ptndins
canvas IN this commonwealth aud upon
these we conf emily any "' Z" al our
readers Of whacyer pa . bias, lof Il
verdict IN favor of the Go, dates and
principles OF The kePublicsn party. We
ask the attention IF independent and un
prejud,ccd men to this statement, because
of the misrepresentation SO widespread
ao to the character, objects aud candidates
OF this great organization, ard because
we are satisfied that many candid and IN
Gcpcndent men have heretofore suffered
themselves to be m,led BY sheer iabr'-
cations and abuse launched against Us b.
our enemies. To all such we beg to say
that the emergencies Of the country at
the present time imperatively demand OF
every citizen that no shall consult the
best interests Of the nation in making
decision as to the disposition of his vote
at the ensuing election since an electoral
verdict now may be iraught With very
grave consequences, according as it shall
be proper or otherwise
At the outset, then, We may remark
that, although there are other political
organizations conte>trng the feld the Re.
publican party is the only one distinctly
recognizable as a well defined party, with
a previons record by which to judge il.
and with principles applicable to the
present troubles. The great national
Democratic party, demoral zed by the
misconduct Of its leaders, and rendered
hopeless by its course during the war,
gave up the ghost at the Philadelphia
organization when takes its place has so
many names :hat no one can tell what it
should be rightiully called, while its
principles are only claimed by the fra
mers OF its platform to be the detunct
Republican issues OF 1864. The Re
publican part points to Its gl"U"uS
achievements, the proudeot IN the history
Of the republic, whereny the mightiest Of
rebollinus was crushed and slavery obitc-
rated. GA coming into national cxccu-
tive power for the frst time, it found the
Tuion one wide scene of anar chy, and il
restored order aud rendered disuuion ~
poss,ple After such a work as this II
has no special need of tacking on to Its
name the words National Union. The
party, by every act of its career, is uni
versally known to be identified only with
onion and nationallty 1t is, too, the
only organized patty in the nation really
devoted to the maintenance al the free
dom of the eniranchiscd, the great pru.
ciple of equality before the law, and tn
-tiii more vital principle of the right of
the majority to govern.
Ii is upon this basis that our candidates
for Congress stand throughout the length
and breadth Of thi, commonwealth. The
principle cnunclated in the constitution
al amendment submitted to the States tor
ratification by the last session of Con
,;ress arc not controverted by any one in
the pending canvass, nor can hey be
successfully These are, briefly, that all
persons born or naturalized in the United
States are citizens of the republic and of
the States in which they reside; that 10
State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunitie,
o. citizens OF the republic; nor shall
aay State deprive any person of life. lib
erty or property, without due process of
law, nor deny to any person within its ju'
risdiction the equal protection of the
laws that the basis Of re epresen ton in
Congress shall be alike for all sections
and all States TINT peEjured military or
civil officers of the republic who partici-
patet in the rebellion shall not again be
c4igible TO national Office without Icing
relieved OF the disability by vote Of
iswo thirds of both Houses of Congress
that the validity If the Union war debts
shall not be questioned, and that the
yebel war debts, claims, obligations, etc..
shall forever be illegal and Eoid. Upon
such platform as this the Republican
.Goagressmep OF Pennsylvania ought to
be reelected. 1t is such declaration as
cannot be rejected without grave injury
to the best interests of the nation,
Taking the two candidates TO, Govern
ors Of Pennsylvania, We have u fair 1857
ef the real character of the Repubiisan