New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-14
President National Republican Convention
and the Vice Presidents.
WAsHrNaroN. June Ia. Is

/
| To Hon. Thomas Settle and others President and
Vice Presidents of the National Republican
Convention, held at Philadelphia on the fifth
and sixth instant:
GENTLEMEN-YOur note of the tenth in
| slant, conveying to me the action of the
| convention in placing my name in nOmina-
| tion for the office of Vice President of the
United States, is before me. Ineed not give
| you the assurance of my grateful appecia-
| tiOn Of the high honor conferred upon me
by this action of the fifth national cOnven-
tiOn of the Republican party. Sixteen years
ago, in the same city, was held the first
meeting of the men who, amid the dark
ness and doubts of that hour of slavehOld-
ing aseendency and aggression, had assem-
bled in national convention to confer with
each other upon the exigencies in which
that fearful domination had brought their
country. After full conference, the highest
point of resolve they could reach, the most
they dared to recommend, was the avowed
purpose to prohibit the existence of slavery
in the Territories. Last week the same
party met, by its representatives from
thirty-seven States and ten Territories, at
the same great centre of wealth, inteli
gence and power, to review the past. take
note of the present, and indicate its line of
action for the future. As typical facts,
headlands Of the nations recent history,
there sat on its platform, taking prominent
and honorable part in its proceedings,
admitted on terms of perfect equality
to the leading hotels of the city,
not only the colored representatives of the
race which were ten years ago In abiect
slavery, but one of the oldest and most
prominent Of the despised abolitionists, to
whom was accorded as to no other, the
warme3t demonstrations of popular regard
and esteem, an ovation not to him alone.
but TO the cause he had 80 ably and for so
many years represented, and to the men
and women, living and dead, who had
toiled through long years of obloquy and
self-sacritice for the glorious fruinOns Of
that hour. 1t hardly needed the brilliant
summary OF its platform to set
forth its illustriOus achievements. The
very presence Of those men was alone sig-
niticant Of the victories already achieved,
the progress already made, and the great
distance which the nation had travelled be-
tween the years 1856 and 1872. But grand
as has been its record, the Republican party
rests not on its past alone it looks to the
future, and grapples with its problems of
duty and Of danger. Il proposes, as OBJ
Jects OF its immediate accomplishment,
complete liberty and exact equality for all
the enforcement Of the recent amendments |
TO the national constitution; reform IN |
the civil service; the national domain to be |
set apart for homes for the people; the ad- |
JustmenC OF duties on imports so az t0se- |
cure remunerative wages to labor; the ex- |
tension of bounties to all soldiers and |
sailors who, in the line of duty, become |
disabled; the continual and careful encOur- |
agement and protection of voluntary immi- |
grafton. and the guarding with Jealous care |
of the rights Of adopted citizens; the aboli- |
ton of the franking privilege, and the |
speedy reduction Of the rates of postage; |
the reduction Of the national debt and the |
rates of interest, and the resumption of |
specie payments; the announcement of /
American commerce and of ship building; /
the suppression of violence, and the pro |
lection Of the ballot-bov. 1t also placed /
on record the opinions and purposes
Of the party in favor Of amnesty; |
against all forms of reputation, and in
dOrsed the humane and peaceful policy Of \
the administration in regard to the Indians.
But while clearly defining and distinctly
the policy of the Republican
party on these questions Of practical legisla-
ton and administration, the convention did /
not ignore the great social problems which