The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-15
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL PLATFORM

The National Republican party of the United
States assembled in National Convention in the city
of Chicago, on the 2lst day of May, 1885, make tho
following declaration of principles
/. We congratulate the country on the assured
of the reconstruction policy of Congress- as
evinced by the adoption, in the majority of the
States lately in rebellion, OF constitutions securing
equal civil and political rights to ALL and it is the
duty of the Government to sustain those institutions
and to prevent the people of such States from being
remitted to state of anarchy. a.
e The guaranty by Congress of equal suffrage to
all loyal men at the South was demanded by every
consideration of public safety, OF gratitude, and of
justice and must be maintained; while the question
of suffrage in all the loyal States properly belongs
to tho people of those States.
8. We denounce all forms OF reputation
tonsl crime and the national honor requires the
payment of the public Indebtedness In the utter
good faith to all creditors at home aud abroad
not only according to letter, but the spirit of the
laws under which it was contracted.
A. 1t is due to the labor of the nation that taxa
ton should be equalized, and reduced az rapidly
the national faith will permit.
s. The national debt, contracted as it has been for
the preservation of the Union for all time TO come
should be extended fair period for redemption
and is the duty of Congress to reduce the rate of
interest thereon, whenever it be honestly done.
0. That the best policy to diminish burden of
debt Is to improve our credit that capitalists will
seek loan money at lower rates of interest than
we now pay, and must continue 10 pay long as re-
pudiaton partial or total open or covert is threat
ened or suspected.
administered with the strictest economy; and the
corruptions which have been SO shamefully nursed
and f3stered by Andrew johnson call loudly for radi-
! cal reform.
| g. We profoundly deplore the untmely and tragic
death of Abraham Lincoln and regret the accession
to the Presidency of Andrew Johnson, who has acted
treacherously to the people who elected him and the
cause he was pledged to support; who has usurped
high legislative and judicial functions who has re-
| fused to execute the laws who has used his high
Office to induce other officers to ignore and violate
the laws; who has employed his executive powers
render insecure the property, the peace, liberty
and life Of the citizen; who has abused the pardon
| ing power; who has denounced the national egisa-
| ture unconstitutional; who has persistently and
corruptly resisted, by every means in his power,
| every proper attempt at the reconstruction of the
| States lately in rebellion; who has perverted the
| public patronage int engine of wholesale cor
| rupton and tho has been Justly impeached for
| high crimes and misdemeanors, and properly pro-
nouncsd guilty thereof by the vote of thirty five
| Senator's
o. The doctrine Of Great Britain and other Eu
ropean powers that because man is once subject
he is always must be resisted at every hazard by
the United States relic OF feudal times, not au
thorzed by the laws OF IatoDs, and at war with
| national honor and Independence. Naturalzed cit
liens entitled to protection in all their rights OF
citizenship, as though they were native-borD; and
| no citizen of the United States, native natural
| lied must be liable to arrest and imprisonment by
any foreign power for acts done words spoken in
this country; and If so arrested and imprisoned, il
Is the uuIy 10 Interfere III De'
| half.
TO- OF all who were faithful in the trials of the
late war, there entitled to more especial
| honor than the brave soldiers and who en-
dured the hardships Of campaign and cruise and i'm
perilled their lives in the service of the country
the bountes and pensions provided by the laws fol
these brave defenders of the nation obligations
never to be forgotten the widows and orphans of
the gallant dead the wards of the people-a
cred legacy bequeaihed to the nations protecting
care.
H. Foreign immigration, which In the past has
added so much to the wealth, developement, and re-
Sources and increase of power to this republic, the
asylum of the oppressed of all nations, should be
fostered aud encouraged by liberal and just policy
H. This convention declares itself in sympathy
with all oppressed peoples struggling for their rights
10. That we highly commend the spirit Of msg
| nanimity and forbearance with which men who have
| served in the rebellion, but who now frankly and
honestly cooperate with In restoring the peace
of tho country and reconstructing the south
| ern State governments upon the basis of impartial
justice and equal rights are received back into the
| communion of the loyal people, aud we favor the
removal Of the disquafcations aud restrictions i'm
posed upon the late rebels in the same measure al
the spirit of dsloyalty will die out and as may be
sistent with the safety of the loyal people.
IA. That recognize the great principles laid
down in the Immortal Declaration of Independence
as the true foundation of democratic government
and we hail with gladness every effort toward max
ing these principles living reality on every inch
American soil.