Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-07-15
THE TRIBUNE.
MINERAL POINT:
WEDNESDAY, JULY Is, 1868.
National Republican Platform
ADOPTED AT CHICAGO, MAY 20, 1865.

The National Union Republican nartv Of
tha .Tr;torr, iii the city OF Chicago, on the
Goth day of May, 1868, make the following
declaration of principles
L. We congratulate the country on the as
sured success of the reconstruction policy of
Congress as evidenced by the adoption, in a
majority of the States lately in rebellion, OF
constitutions securing equal civil and poIit-
ical rights to all, ami regard it as the duty
of the Government to sustain these COnsti-
tutions, and thus prevent the people Of such
States from being remitted to a state of an
a7chy and misruie.
2. The guarantee by Congress of equal
suffrage to all loyal men in the South, was
demanded by every consideration of public
safety, of gratitude and OF justice, and must
be maintained, while the question of suf-
frage in all the loyal States properly belongs
TO the people Of those States.
3 That we recognize the great principles
laid down in the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence as the true foundation Of democratic
government and we hail with gladness every
effort toward making these principles liv-
ing reality on every inch of American soil.
l. That we highly commend the spirit of
magnanimity and forgiveness with which the
men who have served the rebellion, and who
are now frankly and honestly cooperating
with US in reconstructing the Southern State
Governments upon the basis of impartial
Justice and equal rights, are received back
into the communion of the lOyal people, and
that we are in favor of the removal of the
disqualifcations and restrictions imposed
upon the late rebels in the same measure as
the spirit of disloyalty dies out, and as may
be consistent with the safety of the loyal
people.
5. We denounce all forms of population
as national crime and national honor re-
IL, DF ho
edness in the utmost good faith to our cred
itors at home and abroad, not only accord
ing to the letter, but the spirit Of the laws
under which it was contracted.
6. 1t is due to the labor Of the nation
that taxation should be equalized and re
duced as rapidly as the national faith Will
permit.
= The national debt, contracted as it has
been for the preservation of the Union for
all time to come, should be extended over
a fair period for redemption, and it is the
duty of Congr ess to reduce the rate of in
terest thereon whenever it can be honestly
done.
s That the best policy to diminish our
burden Of debt is to improve our credit, so
that capitalists will seek to lend Us money
Mt lower rates Of interest tAan we now pay
and must continue to pay, as long as repudi-
alton, partial or total, open or covert, IS
threatened or suspected.
9. The Government of the United states
should he administered with the strictest
economy. The corruptions which have been
so shamefullv HuTSed and tOstered by Andrew
johnson, call loudly for radical reform.
10 We PROFOUNDLY deplore the untimely
and tragic death Of Abraham Lincoln, and
regret the accession of Andrew Johnson to
the Presidency; who has acted treacherous-
" to the people who elected him and the
cause he was pledged to support; has usurp-
ed high legislative and judicial functions :;
has refused to execute the laws; has used
his high Office TO induce other officers to vio-
late tie laws: has employed his executive
power To render insecure the lives, proper
tv. peace, liberty and life of the citizen;
has abused the pardOuing power; has de-
uounced the National Legislature as uncon-
stitut,onal has persistently and habitually
resisted, by every means in his power, every
proper attempt at the reconstruction OF the
States lately in rebellion; has perverted
the public patronage into an engine Of
wholesale corruption, and has been justly
impeached for high crimes and misdemean-
ors. and properly pronounced guilty thereof
bY the votes of thirty-fve Senators.
IL The doctrine of Great Britain and
other European powers, that because man
is once a subject he is always so. must be re
sisted ut every hazard by the United states
as relic OF the teudal times, not authorized
bv the law of nations, and at war with our
national honor and independence. Natural
lied citizens are entitled to be protected in
all their rights of citizenship, a. though
they were native born. No citizen of the
United States, native or naturalIzed, must
he liable TO arrest or Imprisonment by any
foreign power. for acts done or words spo-
ken in this country; and il 50 arrested and
imprisoned it i the duty ol the Government
to interfere in his behalf.
II. OF all who were faithful in the trial OF
the late war there were none more entitled
- Suecial honor than the brave soldiers ana
Scameu who endured the hardships OF the
camp and cruise, and imperIled their lives
in the service of the country The bountles
and pensions provided by law for these brave
defenders of the Union are obligations new
er to be forgotten. The widows and orphans
Of the gallant dead are the wards Of the peo-
plea sacred legacy, bequeathed TO the na-
tiou's protecting care.
l3 As immi grafton has IN the past added
to the wealth Of the country, the develop
ment of our resources, and the increase OF
our power as a nation, the coming of the
oppressed of all nations should be foStered
and encouraged by an impartial and just
policy.
II This Convention tenders its sympathy
to ali the oppressed people which are struS-
Cling for their rights
NATIONAL EXPENDITURES.