The Weekly Washington telegraph., 1872-05-15

Deiow we publish the address OF the
Liberal Republicans to the people, and
also their platform adopted at Cincin.
natl:
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
The Administration now in power,
has rendered itself guilty of wanton
disregard of the laws of the land and
of powers not granted by the constitu-
tion. 1t has acted as if the laws had
binding force only for those who gov
erned and not for those who govern.
1t has thus struck blow at the funda-
mental principles of constitutional
government and the liberties of the
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
responsibility TO the detriment of the
public interest. He has used the pub
lie service Of the government as a
machinery of partizan and personal
influence and interfered with technical
arrogance in the political affairs of the
States and municipalities. He has
rewarded, with influential and lucre-
tive office, men who had acquired his
favor by valuable presents, thus stimu,
lating tie Generalization Of our polit-
ical life by his conspicuous example; he
has shown himself deplorably unequal
to the tasks imposed upon him by the
necessities Of the country, and oulpa-
bly, careless Of the responsibilities of
his high office. The partizans 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 maintaining partizan as
tendency. They have stood in the
way of necessary investigation and
indispensable reform that as serious
fault as could be found with the pres.
ent administration of public affairs is
the seeking to blind the eyes of the
people by keeping alive the passions
and resentments of the late civil war
for their own advantage; they have
rcsorted to arbitrary measures, in d.
rect conflict with the organic law, in.
stead OF appealing to the betterinstincts
and latent patriotism Of the Southern
people by restoring those rights the
enjoyment of which is indispensable
for successful administration of local
affairs, and would tend to move a pa
triotio and hopeful nation feeling.
They have degraded themselves and
the name of their party, and are Justly
entitled to the confidence of the nation
by base sychophancy to Executive
power and patronage unworthy of re-
publican freemen. They have sought
to silence the voice of just criticism,
to stiae the moral sense of the people,
and to subj lgate public opinion by
tyrannical party discipline. They are
striving to maintain themselves in au-
thority, for selfish ends, by an unscru.
pulous use of the power which right,
fully belongs to the people and should
be employed only in the service of the
country. Believing that an organiza>
ton thus led and controlled can no
longer be of service to the best inter-
ests Of the republic. we have resolved
to make an independent appeal to the
sober Judgment, conscience and patri-
otism Of the American people.
THE PLATFORM.
We, the Liberal Republicans of tho
United States, in national convention
assembled at Cincinnati, proclaim the
following principles as essential to just
government;
First-We recognize the equality Of
all men before the law, and hold that
it is the duty of the government, in its
dealings with the people, to mete out
equal and exact justice to all, whatev-
er nativity, race, color or persuation,
religious or political.
Second-We pledge ourselves to
Al. ..u.1u e