New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-06-05

AhS AOAobAnB II the letJcrs as telegraphed
Monday evening to the Western press, Of
Hon. Schuyler Colfaz, accepting the Repub.
hcan nomination for Vice-P President:
WAsnNGToS, d. G., May 80, 1865.
Hon; >. 4, HaNey President of the National Union
Republican Convention;
DEAR sIR-The p atform adopted by the
patriotic Convention over which you pre-.
slded, ana the resolutions which so happily
supplement- 1t, so entirely agree with nv
views as to Just national policy. that nv |
THANKS arc due to the delegates as much for |
thls clear and auspicious decIarafion NJ |
principles as for the Nomination with which |
accept. : ? A'A'eiu1'y
When great rebellion, which imnariie5
the national existence. was al last ovsr.
thrown, the duty of all Others deyoiving
on those intrusted with the responsibiiitS
Of legislation evidently was to reulIire that
the revolted States should be readfnitted tn |
q participation IN the government against |
which they had erred only on such a basis
as 70 increase and fortifyy not TO weaken or
endanger the strength and power of the
nation. Certainly no one ought to have
claimed that they should be readmitted
under such rule that their organization as
States could ever again be used, as at the
opening Of the war, to defy the national
authority or to destroy the national unity.
luis pIALJlkA6 mas Dteu Lne pole star OF
those who have infleXibly insisted on the
Congressional policy which your Convention
! so cordially indOrsed.
B4ffed by executive opposition and by
the persistent retusals to accept any plau
| of reconstruction proposed by Congress,
Justice and public safety at last combined
| to teach us that only by an enlargement of
the suffrage in those States could the de.
sired end be attained, and that it was even
| more safe to give the ballot to those who
love the Union than to those who had sought
Intellectually to destroy 1t. The assured sue.
cess of this legislation is being written on
the adamaut Of history, and will be our tri,
umphant vindicatioR. More clearly, too,
than ever before does the nation now recog-
nize that the greatest glory of republic is
that it throws the shield of its protection
over the humblest and weakest of its peo-
Pile, and Viudicates the rights of the poor
and the powerless as faithfully as those OF
the rich and the powerful.
rejoice, too, In this connection, to find
| in your platform the frank and fearless
| ayowal shat our naturaliZed citizens must
| he protected abroad at every hazard, as
though they were native born. Our whole
| people are foreigners or descendants Of for.
eigners; our fathers established by arms
| their right to be called q nation. Itremaips
for us to establish this right, and welcome
to our shores all who are willing, by oaths
OF allegiance to become American citizens.
Perpetual allegiance as claimed abroad is
only another name for perpetual bondage,
aud would make all slaves to the soil where
first they saw the light. Our national Gem.
eteries prove how faithfully these oaths Of
fidelity to their adopted land have been
sealed in the life-blOOd of thousands upon
thousands. Should we not then be faithless
to the dead II we did rot protect their living
brethren in the full enjoyment of that
nationality for which, side by side with the
native born, our soldiers of foreign birth
laid down their lives
1t WAS fitting, too, thatthc representatives
of party which had proved so true to
national duty in time of war should speak
so clearly ia time of peace for the mainte.
nance untarnished of the national honor,
national credit, and good faith as regards
its debts-the cost of our national existence.
do not need to extend this reply by further
comment on platform which has elected
such hearty approval throughout the land.
The debt OF gratitude it acknowledges to
the brave men who Saved the Union from
destruction; the frank approval of amnesty,
| based On repentance and LOYALTY: the de-
mand for the most rigid economy and
honesty in the government; the sympathy
of the party of liberty with all throughout
the world who long for the liberty we here
enjoy; and the recognition of the sublime
principles Of the Declaration of Inde.
pendence are worthy of the organization
| un WbOcG UhuuGL6 AHGy AI6 W DE hIlkAtn
the coming contest. Its past record can
not be blotted out or forgotten. If there
had been no Republican party slavery
would to-day cast its baeful shadow over
the republic. If there had been no Re
publican party free press and free speech
would be as unknown from the Potomac
to the Rio Grande as ten years ago. If the
Republican party could have been stricken
from existence when the banner of rebellion
was unfurled. and when the response of
mo coercion" was heard at the North, we
would have had no nation to-day. But for
the Republican party daring to risk the
odium of tax and draft laws our flag could
1ot have been kept flying in the field until
the long hoped for victory came. Without
a Republican party the civil rights bills
the z;!a..ag g.ess cf ctiga.ity sG5c- ;iic iisT -
the humble and detenseless as well as to
the strOng-would not be to-day upon our
national statute book.
With such inspiration from the past, and
following the example of the founders of
the republic who called the victorious gen
eral Of the revolution to preside over the
land his triumphs had saved from its enc
mics, can not doubt that our labOrs win
be crowned with success, and it will be q
success tLat shall bring restored hope, con-
ddence, prosperity and progress South as
well as North, West as well as East, and
above ALL the blessings under Providence OF
national concord and peace, an
Very truly yours,
SCHUYLER C0IFAN