The Van Buren press., 1876-08-08
GOV. HENDRICKS LETTER
Accepting the Democratic Nominu.
tlOn for the Vice Presidency.
SARATOGA. Aug.4. !.

SARATOGA, Aug. 1.
The following is Gov. Hendricks let
ter accepting the democratic nomination
for Vice. President
INDIANAPOLIS, July "a, 1876.
To Hon. John A. McClernand, chairman,
and others Of the Committee Of the Ma
tional Democratic Convention
GENTLEMEN Il have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt Of your eommu-
nication, in which you have formally no.
tilted me of my nomination by the ma
tional democratic convention at st. Lou-
is, as their candidate for the Office of
vicc-presdent ofthe United States. 1t
is nomination which | had neither ex-
pcctcd nor desired, and yet | recognize
and appreciate the high honor done me
by the convention. The choice of such
II body, pronounced with such unusual
unanimity and accompanied with so gen
erous an expression Of esteem and conf
dence, ought to outweigh all merely per-
sonal desires and preferences ofmy own.
1t is with this feeling, and / trust, also
from deep sense of public duty, that
now accept the nomination and shall
abide the judgment of my countrymen
1t would have been impossible for me to
accept the termination if / could not
heartily indorse the platform of the con-
vention. ! am gratitied, therefore, to be
able unequivocally to declare that agree
in the principles, approve the policies,
and sympathize with the purposes, enun-
ciated in that platform.
The institutions of our country have
been sorely tried by the exigencies of a
civil war, and since the peace, by sell
fish and corrupt management OF public
affairs, which has shamed us before civil
lied mankind by unwise and partial leg
islation. Every industry and interest of
the people have been made to suffer, and
in the executive departments of the gov
ernment dishonesty, rapacity and venal-
ity have debauched the public service.
Men known to be unworthy have been
promoted, whilst others have been de-
graded for fidelity to official duty. Pub
lie office has been made the means ofpri-
vate profit, and the country has been of
Tended to see class of men who boast
the friendship of the sworn protectors
Of the state, amassing fortunes by de-
trauding the public treasury and by cor
rupting the servants of the people. In
such crisis of the history of the coun-
try, | rejoice that the convention at st.
Louis has so nobly raised the standard
Of reform. Nothing can be well with us
or with our affairs until the public con-
science, shocked by the enormous evils
and abuses which prevail, shall have been
demanded and compelled in an unspair-
ing reformation of our national admins
tration in its head and in its members.
In such retormotion the removal of n
single officer, even the president is COM
paratively a trihing matter, ifthe system
which he represents and which has fos-
tered him as he has fostered it, is suffer
ed to remain. The president alone must
not be made the scape-goat for the enor-
mites Of the system which infects the
public service and are the means of de-
struction Of our institutions in some re-
spects. ] hold that the present execu-
tive has been the victim rather than the
author Of that vicious system; congress
sional and party leaders have been stron-
ger than the president. No one man
could have created it, and the removal
of no one man can amend it, 1t is thor
oughly corrupt, and must be swept away
rcmorselessly y by the selection of a gov
ernment composed of elements entirely
new and pledged to radical reform The
first work Of reform must evidently be
the restoration of the normal operation
of the constitution of the United States
with all its amendments. The neccssi-
ties Of war cannot be pleaded in a time
of peace. The right oflocal selfgovern-
ment as guaranteed by the constitution,
must be everywhere restored, and the
centralized; almost personal imperialism
which has been practised must be done
away with, or the first principles of the
republic will be lost.
Our financial system of expedients
must be reformed. Gold and silver are
the real standards of value, and our ma
tional currency will not be perfect me-
dium of exchange until it shall be con-
vertible at the pleasure Of the holders.
As | have heretofore said, no one desires
Il return to sepcie payment more earnest
ly than do, but do not believe that it
will be, or can be, reached in harmony
with the interests of the people by arti-
fetal measures by contraction of the cur
rency any more than ! believe that
wealth or permanent prosperity can be
created by an imitation of the currency.
The laws of finances cannot be disregar-
ded. The financial policy fthe govern
ment, if indeed it deserves the name Of
policy at all, has been in disregard of
those laws and reform; it has disturbed
business confidence, as well as hindered
IL return to specie payments. One tea-
ture of that policy was the resumption
clause of the act of 1875, which has en-
barrascd the country by the anticipation
Of compulsory resumption for which no
preparation has been made, and without
any assurance that it would be practica
bic. The repeal of that clause is neces
sary that the natural operation of finan-
cai laws may be restored; that the bust
ness of the country may be relieved from
its disturbing and Oppressive influence,
and that return to specie payments may
be facilitated by the substitution of wiser
and more prudent legislation, and which
shall mainly rely on a judicious system
of public economy and official rctrench-
mcnt, and, above all, in the promotion
- :. al Al.