The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-05-07
Address and Resolutions Adopted q
-t Cincinnati,


Ag ~ -s. Cincinnati. %
3 Mr. Horace White, from the Commit
tee on Platforms reported resolutions
unanimously adopted by the committee.
Theiresolutiohs are prefaced by the fol.
lowing address,:
The administration now in power has
rendered itself guilty Of wanton disre.
gard of the laws OF the land, and OF
usurpation of powers not granted by the
Constitution. It has acted as if the
laws had binding force only for those
who are governed. and not for those who
govern. 1t has thus struck blow at
the fundamental principles of oonstitu-
tional government and the liberties of
citizens. The President of the United
States has openly used the powers and
opportunities Of his high Office for the
promotion OF personal ends. He has
kept notoriously corrupt and unworthy
men in places OF power and response
bility, to the detriment of the public
interests. He has used the public service
OF the Government as machinery of
partisan and personal influence, and in
terfered with tyrannical arrogance in the
political affairs Of States aud municipali-
ties. He has rewarded with influential
and lucrative Offices men who had &C.
quired his favor by valuable presents,
thus stimulating decentralization of our
political life by his conspicuous example
He has shown himself depiorably une-
quail to tho tasks imposed upon him by
the necessities Of the country, and culpa
by careless of tho responsibilities of his
high Office.
The partisaus of the Administration.
assuming to be the Republican party,
and controlling its organization, have
attempted to justify such wrongs and
palliate such abuses, to the end of main
tanning partisan ascendancy. They have
stood in the way of necessary investiga-
tions and indispensable reforms, pre-
tending tha. no serious fault could be
found with the present administration of
public affairs, thus seeking to blind the
eyes of the people. They have kept
alive the passions and resentments of
the late civil war, to use them to their
own advantage. They have resorted to
arbitrary measures in direct conflict with
the organic law, instead Of appealing to
the better instincts and latent patriotism
of the Southern people, by restoring to
them those rights, the enjoyment of
which is indispensable to successful
administration of their local affairs, and
would tend to promote patriotic and
hopeful national feeling. They have de-
graded themselves and the name of their
party, once justly entitled to the conf
dence Of the nation, by o base syco-
phanoy to the dispenser OF executive
power and patronage, unworthy of re-
publican freemen. They have sought to
stif1e the voice of just criticism, to stifie
the moral sense of the people, aud to
subjugate public opinion, by tyrannical
party discipline. They are striving to
maintain themselves in authority for
selfish ends, by an nnsorupulous use of
power which rightfully belongs to the
people, and should be employed only in
the service Of the country. Believing
that an organization thus led and con.
trolled can no longer be of service to the
best interests of the republic, we have
resolved to make an Independent appeal
to the sober judgment, conscience and
patriotism OF the American people.
The following are the resolutions in
full:
We, the liberal Republicans of the
United States. in national convention
assembled at Cincinnati, proclaim the
following principles as essential to lust
Government:
First. We recognize the equality of all
men before the law, and hold that it is
the duty of the Government. in it's deal
ings with the people, to mete out equal
and exact justice to all, of whatever ma
tivity, race, color or persuasion, reii-
gious or political.
Second. We pledge ourselves to main
tain the union of these States, emanci-
patton and acknowledgements, and to op-
pose any re-opening of the questions
settled by the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments Of the Constitu-
ton.
Third. We demand the immediate and
absolute removal Of oil disabilities i'm
posed on account of the rebellion, which
was finally subdued seven years ago. be-
lieving that universal amnesty will re.
suit in the complete pacifcation of all
sections OF the country.
Fourth. Local self-government, with
impartial suffrage, will guard the rights
of oil citizens moro securely than any
centralized power. The public welfare
requires the supremacy of the civil over
the military authority, and the freedom
of person under the protection of the
Aa6eas corpus. We demand for the in