The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-18
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, 1866, make the
following declaration of principles:
l. We congratulate the country the assured
success 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 the people Of such States from being
RENTED to state of anarchy. Yl
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 the people of those States
8. We denounce all forms of reputation as ma
tionsl crime; and the national honor requires the
payment of the public indebtedness in the utter
most 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 equazed and reduced rapidly as
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;
is the duty of Congress to reduce the rate of
interest thereon, whenever it be honestly done.
G. That the best policy to diminish burden of
debt is to SO improve our credit that capitalists will
seek to loan money at lower rates Of interest than
we now pay, and must continue 10 pay long
pudiation partial or fota open or covert ID threat
| ened or suspected.
7. The Government of the United States should be
administered with the strictest economy; and the
corruptions which have been so shamefully nursed
and fostered by Andrew johnson call loudly for rad
/ cal reform.
| g. We profoundly deplore the untimely 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
to render insecure the property the peace, liberty
and life of the citizen who has abused the pardon
ing power who has denounced the national legisa-
ture as unconstitutional; who has persistently and
corrupty 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 into an engine of wholesale cor
ruption; and who has been Justly impeached FOL
| high crimes and misdemeanors aud properly pro
| nounced guilty thereof by the vote OF thirty'hye
| Senators.
| O The doctrine of Great Britain and other Eu
ropean powers, that because man is once subject
he is al ways So be resisted at every hazard by
the United States as relic of feuda times not au
thorized by the laws OF rations and at war with ou
national honor and independence. Naturalized GU
liens are entitled to protection in all their rights
| citizenship, as though they were native-born; ant
no citizen of the United States native or natural
ized must be liable to arrest and imprisonment .!
auy foreign power for acts done words spoken II
this country and, if so arrested and imprisoned,
is the duty OF the Government to interfere in his be
half.
TO- OF all who were faithful In the trials of tb
late war there were none entitled to more especla
| honor than the brave soldiers and seamen 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 10
| these brave defenders of the nation are obligation
never to be forgotten; the widows and orphans o
the gallant dead are the wards of the people-a So
| cred legacy bequealhed to the nations protectin
| care.
IL Foreign immigration, which in the past he
| added so much to the wealth. development, and re
sources and increase of power to this republic, tn
| asylum of the oppressed of all nations, should b
fosered and encouraged by liberal and just polio,
10 This convention declares itself in sympath
with all oppressed peoples struggling for their rights
49, That we highly commend the spirit of mag
nanimity and forbearance with which men who hav
served in the rebellion, but who now frankly an
honestly cooperate with us in restoring the peac
| of tho country and reconstructing the south
err State governments upon the basis OF impartia
Justice and equal rights, received back into tn
communion OF the loyal people; and we favor tn
removal of the disqualifcatons and restrictions In
| posed upon the late rebels In the same measure q
the spirit of dsloyay will die out and as may be col
sistsnt with the safety of the loyal people.
IA That We recognize the great principles lai
down in the immortal Declaration OF independence
as the true foundation of democratic government
and We hail with gladness every effort toward NAL
ing these principles living reality on every inch
American soil.