American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-25
Horace GreeIey's Acceptance.
The following is the letter of ac-
ceptance of Mr.. Greeley, addressed
to the officers of the Cincinnati Con-
ventiOn:

to the officers of the Cincinnati Con-
ventiOn:
NEW YoRK, May 90. 1872.
G. NTLFMEN--I have chosen not to acknow-
| ledge your letter of the 3D. inst, until could
| learn how he work of your Convention was
received ill all arts of our great country, and
Judge whether that work was approved and
| ra tised py the masses OF our fellow citizens.
Their response has from day to day reached
| me through kilograms, letters and the COM
ments OF journalists independent of official
patronage and indifferent to the smiles or Ia
| vors OF power.
| The nun Der and character of these uncrn-
| strained, unpurchased, unsolicited utterauces
satisfy me that the movement which found
expression at Cincinnati has received the
stamp of public approval. and been hailed by a
majority of our countrymen as the harbnger
0. be ter Gay tor the Republic. 1 do not
msinterpret this approval especially COM
plmentary to myself, nor even t. the chival-
r0us and justly eStee ed gentleman with
whose lme | thank the Convention for asso-
ciating I; l receive and welcome il a
| S ontaneous and deserv. tr butte 10 that ad-
mirable platform o. principles wherein your
| Convention so tersely, So luciuly and forci-
bly, set forth the convictions VIII CHI impelled
and the purposes which guided i S course
The platform which. casting bennd it the
wreck and rubbish OF worn out con entions
and bygoue feujs, embodies i'll fit anu few
words tne neeus and aspirations OF to-day
though thousands stand ready to cond mn
YOUR every act. Hardly a syllable OF criticism
or cavil has been AIMED at yoLr platform, o.
| which TIE substance may be iairiy eptOmiz,
| as tolows:
| /. II the political rights and franchises
which have been acquired Trough our late
bloody convulso:i must AID shall be guaran-
| tced maintained, eIjoyed and respected ever
more
i :. All the political rights and franchises
Which have been lost through that cenvulsis'u
5 .ould aid must be promptly restored and re-
| established, so tat there shall be then
| forth no prescribed class and no DISTINGUISHED
| caste within the limits of our Union. whose
long estranged people shall re-uuite and IA
| terIiize upon the broad basis OF universal am
nesty. with impartial suffrage.
| 3. Tnat subject to our solemn constitutional
| obi cations TO maintain the equal ghts OF all
ciuzens our policy should aim at local SELF
government and not at Capitalization hat
the civil authority should be supreme over the
military that the writ OF habeas corpus should
be jealousy upheld as the saieguara OF pei
sOnal freedom.
| 4. That the individual citizen should enj y
| h largest liberts cosIsient til public oruer,
and that there shall be no Federal suuversion
o. The internal policy OF The several States
and munich ,alities, but that each all be lie t
Tree to ENFORCE the rights a. promote the
/
as the judgment OF its own people snail pre-
scribe
| u. There shall be a real and not merely u
simulated reform i'll the civil service OF the
nepu Bile. to VIII CHI end 1t is iudisp, nsa bic that
/ III, chief dispenser OF It's vast oItical patron.
ag shall Ue shielded the main tempta-
ton To use h. power ltishly by rule mex
oraoIy ioruldding and precludng Reelection:
ina the raising OF revenue. whether by tariff
or otherwise. be recognized and treated as
tine peoples Immediate busin.s IS to be shape
and directed by them through their represent
| atves i'll Co. G. ess, whose action thereon the
| President mnst neither overruie by his veto,
| attempt to dictate, nor presume To punish, by
bestow .ng oihce onl, those who a. rec with
him. or Withdrawing it from those who do not.
Is. That the public lands mus be sacredly
| reserved tor occupation ard acquisition by
cul,vators, ami not reckles,ly suv ander,d on
the projectors 0. railroads, for which our peo-
| pie nave no present ..ecu, and the premature
C ructIons OF which ANNUALLY plungIng
US into deeper and deeper abysseS OF loresn
Inde b edhess.
T. That the achievement OF these purposes
OIL universal bentcence Use p-cted aud sought
ut the hands of all who appIove them il re-
specuve OF last affiliations
.. That the public iaitn must at all haZa DIS
be m tintained and the national credit pre-
served.
That the patriotic devotion lnd nestima
Bile services o. our fellow -cit'..eus whu as
soldiers or sailors. upheld tie ia aud main
tanned the unity OF the republic shall ever be
gratefully remembered and honorably rcquit-
o
hese propositions ably and forciby
pr, ed II the platform oi your Convention,
have alreauy hxeu e att ntIUn and Com
m.nded the respect Il large majority OF
our couhtrym.n WAC Joyful adopt mem as
do MS the basis y. a t'u,, ue etcent natio-. Il
recuustruc,ion-o, IL new departure rom ,eal-
Gus stri.es and hates. whicn have longer
adequate motive or even piau-.b bic pretext.
into an atmOsi 'rere 0 peace, fraternity AMI
mu uai good " |.
In drill sergeants o deaaving
organizations flourish menacinSlN Their trun-
cn.ons anu ahsr,iy insist ti'at tue tiled snail
be closed ADJ Strengthened IN VAN do the
wnIpp.rs OF parties once vital, because rooted
IN the Nitii neeus % The ioIf, protest a. aii,st
strayInS and bolt ng, "enounce men 10 wise
theu interiors as traitors and renegades, and
threaten them v 18th Iu,amN and ! am
confident that the American people have al
ready made your cause their own. ull re-
solved tIat their brave hearts and strong
arms shall bear 1t on iii triumph.
In thus attn and with distinct UNDER
standing that ii elected shall be the Presl-
d. mt. not OF IL parry but OF the whole people,
4 accept your nom, nation in the cOnhuent
trust that the masses OF our coun;rymen.
North and south, are eager to clasp hands
acrJss the bloody cirasm hich has too long
divided them. iorgett ng that they have been
enemies in the oyiul CONSEQUENCES tnat they
are, and must hen eforth, remain. brethren
Yours. gratefully,
HORACE GREELEY.
To Hon Earl SchuIz, President Hon g W
Julian ice President, and Messrs VIM
L. Mclean, j. G. DAVIDSON, j. ii Rh DIS,
Secretaries OF the National onvenuon OF
the Liberal Republicans OF the United !
States. !