The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-11-01
Mr.. GKEELEY's REPLY.
NFw YORK, MAY

NEw York, May 20, 1872.
GENrLEurN-I have chosen not to acknowl-
edge your letter Of the 81 inst until could
learn how the work Of your convention was
received in all parts Of our great country, and
Judge whether that work was approved and
ratified by the mass Of ogr fellow-citzens
Their re-porse ha. from day to day reached
me through telegrams, letters, and the com
ments Of journalists, independent Of official
patronage and Indifferent to the smiles or
frovus Of power. The number and character
Of these uncoustrained, unpurchased, unsolici-
ted uttcrauces, satisfy me that the movement
which found expression at Cincinnati has NJ
caiyed the stamp Of public approval and been
hailed by majority Of our country a. the
harbingur Of better day for the republic,
do not mi.intorpre, this approval as cs-
pccially complimentary To myself, nor even
to the chiyalrous and justly esteemed gentle
man with whose name thank your convon-
tion for as.ociating mine. | receive and vel
come II a. q spontaneous and deserved tribute
to the admirable platform Of principles where
in your convention 50 tcr-ely, so luciily, SO
forciJly set forth the convictions which i'm
pellcd and the purposes which guided is course
platiormwhich, casting behind it The wreck
and rubbish Of worn out contentious and by
gone fu37, cmbodics in iit and few words the
needs and aspirations Of to-day. Though
thousands stand ready to condemn your every
act, hardly syllyalle Of criticism or cayil
has been aimed a, your platform, Of which
the substance may be fairly epiiomized as fol-
lowe:
/. All the political rights and franchises
which have been acquired through our late
bloody convulsion must and shall he guaran-
teed, maintained, enjoyed and respected ever
more.
?. All the political rights and franchises
which have been lost through that conyulsion
should and must be promptly restored and re
established, so that there shall be henceforth
no prescribed class and no disfranchised caste
within the limits Of our Union, whose long
estranged people shall reunite and fraterni1e
upon the broad basis of universal amnesty
with impartial suffrage.
3. That, subject to our solemn constitutional
obligation to maintain the equal rights of all
citizens, our policy should aim at local self
government, and not at Capitalization; that
the civil authority should be supreme over the
military; that the writ Of haboas corpus should
be iealonsly upheld as the safeguard of per-
sonal freedom; that the individual citizens
should enjoy the largest liberty consistent with
public order; and that there shall he no Fed
eral subversion of the internal policy Of the
several States and municipalities, but that each
shall be LEFT free to enforce the rights and pro-
mote the well-being Of is inhabitants, by such
means as the judgment Of its people shall pre-
scribe.
4. That there shall be a real and not merely
a stimulated reform in the civil service Of the
republic; to which end Il Is indispensable that
the chief dispenser of its vast social patron
age shall be shielded from the main tempta-
ton to use his power scldshly, by a rule mex
orably forbiddirg and preoluding his rc-elec-
tion.
| 8. Raising Of the revenue, whether by tariff
or otherwisl, shall be recognized and treated
as the peoples immediate business, 10 b'
shaped and directed by them through theii
representatives in Congress, whose action
thereupon the President must neither over
rule by his vote, attempt TO dictate nor pre-
sumo to punish by bestowing Office only on
those who agree with him, or Withdrawing i
from those who do not.
D. That the public lands must be saeredly
reserved for occupation and acquisition by cal
tiyatora, and not reeklossly sgusndsred o.