The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-10-26
Liberal Republican Platform.
Address and Declaration Of Principles
Adopted by the Convention Of Liberal
Republicans in Cincinnati, May Bird,
1879.

Adopted by the Convention Of Liberal
Republicans in Cincinnati May 3rd
1872. ~
| THE ADDRESS,
! The administration now in power has rend
cred itself guilty Of wanton disregard of the
| laws Of the lalll, and has usurped powers
! not granted by the Constitution. 1t has
acted us if the laws had binding force only
for those who are governed, and not for those
who govern. Il has thus struck bow ut
the fundamental principles of constitutional
government, and the liberties Of the citizens.
The President OF tho United States has
openly used the powers and opportunities Of
his high office for the promotion Of personal
ends. He has kept VIGOROUSLY corrupt and
unworthy men tn places Of power and re-
sponsibility. to the detrimcnt Of the public
interest. He has used the public service Of
and personal influence, and interfered with
tyrannical arrogance in the political affairs
OF States and municipalities. He has re-
warded with influential and lucrative Offices
men who had acquiredhis favor by valuable
presents, thus stimulating decentralization Of
our political life by his conspicuous example.
He has SHOWN nlself 'lcplorabiy unequal to
ties of the country, and culpably careless of
the responsibilities of his high Office.
+ The partisans Of the administration. as
summing to be the Republican party and con-
trolling its organization, have attempted to
justify such wrongs and palliate such abuses,
to the end Of maintaining party ascendancy.
They have stood i'll the way OF necessary i'll
designations and indispensable reforms. pre-
tending that no serious fault could Ne 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 for their own advantage. They have
resortcd to arbitrary measures, in direct con-
fiict with the organic law, instead OF appeal
ing to the better instincts and latent patriot
ism Of the Southern people by restoring to
them those rights the enjoyment Of which is
indispensable for Il successful administration
OF their local affairs, and would tend to move
q patriotic and hopeful national feeling
They have degraded themselves and the
name OF their party, once justly entitled to
the confidence Of the nation, by q base syco-
phancy to the dispenser of executive power
and patronage unworthy OF Republican free
men. They sought to stitle the voice Of just
criticism, to stif1e the moral sense of the peo-
pie, and to subjugate public opinion by
tyrannical party discipline. They are striv-
ing to maintain themselves in authority for
selfish ends by an INSCRIPTIONS use OF the
power which rightfnlly belongs to the people,
and should be employed only in the service
OF the country.
Deli1,hiS th',t al, organization thus led and
ton.io.Ie'. e.'' no IohSer pc 81 service TO the
". iiI.ereS$1 q 1he rePupic' we nave re-
soivou 70 hahe an independent appeal TO the
sober judgment, conscience, and patriotism
OF the American people.
THE DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES.
Tberpfore we +he ;hor,1 pon,,l1;.,, ~
+bn ITn;toJ St+ns i; N"t;..i P1,'''.i VI
assamlIal ~ f,;n';nn,+; ,,,i.;,. ~, ~
LOWING nrincinles NJ essn,,t;,l - ins+ c.,
ment: = 1'''' oo'''n-
/. We rccoonize thc cou,1;tv of OH ,,o,,
before the law and hold that + 10 +hn ~.
of Government In it's DEALINGS Will, the ,,.o.
ple to metc ont enunl and xact inst;c. ~ r .,l
of whatever nativity racc colo, nr ,,a ,w""'
sion. religious or poIticnl
9. We nleIee ourselves RI m,;,+,;, +,,o
Union az these States am.ne;n.+;n,, a''1 Wv. n,'
am, IN omoso ,,,., nI ,,.
of the questions settled Nv tho Tl';,tnn''tii
and Fiftccpt ,,nen.l,mn,,t. ti'
the CONSTITUTION. "A'"'s ~
3. We demand the ;mmcdato and ,hso
lute removal of ali disahilit;.s i,,nnsnI ~, ,
count of the rebellion which ,ras o a,'i
.lund seven Years ayo. heliev;na tl,at , NM;
ycrsal amnesty will rcsnlt in cnnnlata MI;
ficati0n in MI sections of tho connt,,.
4. Local selfpovernment With ;,,,,t;.1
suffrage. will guard the riphts of ali n;t;z.'.
more Securely than nnv crntral;zel ,',x...,
The public welfare reui,ires the s,,nrrm,c,
Of the civil over the military authnr;tv nn.,
freedom Of ncrson unIcr tTe nrntcnti;,,' '', ~
lie haLcas corpus. We demand for thc in.
liyidual the largest liberty consista,t VII,
public order, for the State sele"ovcrnm ",r'
md for the nation n return tn the mcthnJs ~
ocacc and the coustitutionnl E,nit,t;nns "
bower. Va
$ The civil service of tbc Goyer,,,a,+ hoe
become n. mere instrument of ,a,i;sa,, t ,as
INV and personal aml;t;on and on l,,,;aat
Il selfish greed n Il scandal and ,a,,,."n.,,
mon free institutions. and breeds q ,Iapno"ai
zatiop dangerous to the ncrnetn;tv of ,au,I
ican .;oyernment We tlnr.f,,. ...,en,.I ~.
horongh reforms Of civil se,.v;ee Is ., a". W
he most pressing neccsst;ns nf H.. l,o,," -.
hat honesty. canacity. and ticl;tv n' c nu
ute the only valid claims to null;c c,nr1n,.-
ncnt; that the Offices Of he Gnvcrnn r,oa
ease to lie 4 matter vf arbitrary t,,-n,;t;sn,
md matrunaee. and that nnl,I;c s+.+;n,, I.
.omt. opain q most of honor m +I;s ,,,l =
. imnerntivelv renu;rcd that NO p.o.;.1 III.
hall lie :. candidate for re-elrction
6, We demand a system Of Fe,lor,1 +,
,tion which shall not r1nncccss,,.;l1, ;n+o,
ere with the industry az tho naon1a and
which shall provide the means nncnr.o , az ~
,ay the expenses of the Government. ccon".