The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-05-28
Thc 1snnicnl 1olntth,.m.

! jll'tt Cl0ttN, O-NHlN DItt III Ndtlltll COl-
youti1n in the ely Of Chicago, on the
2o,h day of May, 1868, make tie follow
| inc declaration of rrincipl5s:
tigst-We congratulate the country on
the assured success Of the reconstruction
acts Of Congress, as cyinccd by the adop-
ton in a majority OF the States lately in
rebellion, OF their own Constitutions, and
securing equal civil and political rights
to all and We regard it Us the duty of
government to sustain those institutions
and to prevent the people of such States
from being romittod to a state Of anarchy.
Scconl-Tho guarantee by Congress
of equal suffrage to all loyal men in the
South was demanded by every considera-
ton of public safety, of gratitude and JUS
tice, and must be maintained, while the
question of suffrage in the loyal States
properly belong to the people of those
States.
Third-We dcnomco all forms of re-
pudiution as a national crime, and naton-
nj honor requires the payment of public
Indebtedness in the utmost good faith to
an t'"uI'!ohN at hJHio ana "Dlodu, NOT
only according to the letter, but the spirit
Of the laws under which itwas contracted.
Fourth.-It is due to the labor Of the
nation that taXatioa should be oqualized
and reduced us rapidly as the national
FAITH Will permit.
tlith-Ihe national debt, contracted
rs 1t has been, Tor the preservation OF the
Union, Tor all time to come, should be OK
tcuded over 1dIr period Tor redemption,
ana 1t IS the duty OF Congress toredaco the
rate OF interest thereon whenever 1t can
honestly DC zone.
SiXth-Ihat the best policy to dinin-
iah our burden OF debt Is to 50 improve
oar credit that capitalists will seek to loan
us money at lower rates OF interest than
we now pay, and must continue 90 pay rs
long as reputation, partial or local, open
or covert, l. threatened or.SnSpeeted.
Seyenth-llhe government Of the Unit
Ell States should be administered with the
Strictest economy, and the corruptions
/ when nave been so Sh&mcluiLy nurScd and
fostered By Andrew johnson call loudly
Tor radical reform.
h1ghth-Ne profoundly Geplorc the I'M
timely ana tragic death OF Abraham Linz
coin, ana regret the accession OF Andrew
johnson to the Presidency, who has acted
treacherousiy to the people who elected
nm anu the cause ne was pledged TO sup
port; usurPed, high legislative and judic!-
al functions; hgS refused to execute the
!a%Si nus used his nigh oilto to induce
other officers to ignore and violate the laws;
has e.APioyed ms executive powers to rem
dor lncc"re the properly, place, liberty
ana III! Oh 'he cl'Ichs; has abused the
paruo"hg power; mas denounced Tue Ma
tlohal Legislature as unconstitutional has
PerSlstontiy resisted, by every measure in
NJ" power every proper attempt at NC re-
construction o! thG states lately III reboIL-
ION MS perverted tne puohc patronage
ih'o ah engine OIL, ".oioSaI9 corruption,
ana mas oceh Ju7Ily lmPeached Ior hIgh
crimes ana mi'oGMe''i'r", ana properly
guilty thereon by the votes OF thrty-hye
senators
Alnth-lhe doctrine OF Great Britain
and other European powers that because
man Is once ii SUBJECT ne Is always so
must pc resisted at every hazard by the
United states; as a relic OF fcudal time
not authorized by inc law OF nations, and
at war with our national honor and indie
Pehdence. NatITalized citizens ought to
be protoctcd"n all their rights of citizen
SNIP as though tney were natural born,
and no citizens OF the United States, nat
ural Or 1aturolihed, must be liable to ar
rest and imprisonment by any foreign
power Tor acts done or words spoken in