The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1868-07-02
Rep,Iblican Platform.

make the following declaration OF
principles;
LIST. We congratulate the country
on the assured success OF The recon-
struction policy of Congress, as
sevlnced by the adoption, In a majority
Of the States lately ia rebellion, OF
constitutions securing equal civil and
political rights to ALL and regard it as
the duty of the Government to sus-
tain those institutions, and to prevent
the people of such States from being
remitted to state of anarchy.
2d. The guarantee by Congress, OF
equal suffrage to all loyal men
in the South was demanded by every
consideration of public safety, OF graf
itude and justice, and must be main
tanned, while the question of suffrage
in all the loyal States prope ly be-
longs to the people of those States.
81. We dcnOuncc all forms of re-
pudiation as a rational crime, and the
national honor requires the payment
of the public Indebtedness, in the ut
most good faith, to all creditors, at
home and abroad, not only according
to the letter, but the spirit of the laws
under which it was contracted.
4th. 1t Is due to the labor OF the
nation that taxation should be equal
lied and reduced as rapidly as the
national faith will permit.
9TH, The national debt, contracted
as it has 6een, for the preservation of
the Union for all time to come, should
be extended over fair period for re-
demtion, anu it is the duty of Con-
grcss to reduce the rate OF interest
thereon, whenever it can honestly be
done.
9th, That the best policy to dlmin-
ish our burden of debt is to improve
our credit that capitalists will scck.to
loan us money ut lower rates of in-
terest than we now pay, and must
continue to pay so long rs repudia-
tion, partial or total, open or covert,
is threatened or suspected.
Z. The Government of the United
States should be administered with
the strictcst economy, and the cor
ruptions which have been so shame
fully nurtured and fostcled by Andrew
Johnson call loudly for radical re-
form.
Sth. We profoundly deplore the un-
timely and tragic death of Abraham
Lincoln, and regret the accession OF
Andrew Johnson to the Presidency
who has acted treacherously to the
people who elected him and the cause
he was pledged to support; has usurp-
ed high legislative and Judicial func-
tions; has refused to execute the laws ;
has used his high office to induce
othcc officers to ignore and violate
the laws; has employed his executive
powers to render insecure the prop
erty, peace, liberty and lite of the
citizen has abused the pardoning pow
er; has denounced the National Leg
islatare rs unconstitutional; has per-
sistently and corruptly resisted, by
every measure in his power, every
proper attempt at the reconstruction
of the States lately in rebellion; has
perverted the public patronage into
into an engine of wholesale corrup-
tion, and has been justly impeached
for high crimes and misdemcanors,
and properly pronounced guilty there
of by the vote of thirty-live Senator'S.
Och. The doctrine of Great Britain
and other European powers that be-
cause a man is once subject, he is
always so, must be resisted at every
hazard by the United States as relic
of the feudal time, not authorized by
the law of nations, and at war with
our national honor and independence.
Naturalizcd citizens are entitled to be
protected in all their rights of clti-
zenship, as though they were natural
born, and no citizen of the United
States, natural or natualized, must be
liable to arrest and imprisonment by
any foreign power, for acts done, or
words spoken, in this country, and if
so arrested and imprisoned, it is the
duty Of the Government to interfere
in his behalf.
10th. OF those who were faithful
in the trials of the late war. there
were none entitled to more especial
honor than the brave soldiers and
seamen, who endured the hardships
of the campaign and cruise, and I'M
periled their lives in the service of the
country. The bOunties and pensions
provide by law, for these brave de-
Tenders of the nation, are obligations
never to be forgotten. The widows
and orphans OF the gallant dead are
the wards of the people, a sacred leg
acy bequeathed to the nations pro-
hcting care.
18th. Foreign emigration which in
the past has added so much to the
wealth, development Of resources,
and increase of power of this nation,
the asylum of the oppressed of all ma
tions should be fostercd and encOur-
aged by a liberal and just policy.
18th. This Convention declares it:
sympathy with all the oppressed peo-
pie who are struggling for thcil
rights.