National Republican., 1876-08-12
p Z A T F o r M
OF THE
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY


| land was to be purgej of human slavery, and
when the strength of the government of the
people by the people and for the people was to
| be demonstrated, the Republican party came
| into power. Its deeds have passed into his
| tory, and we look back to them with pride.
| Incited by their memories and high aims for
| tie good of our country and mankind, and
| looking to the future with courage, hope and
| purpose, we, the representatives of the party,
| the National Convention assembled, make the
| following declaration of principles
| l. The United States of America is a nation,
not league. By the combined working of
| the national and State governments, under
| their respective constitutions, the rights of
every citizen are secured at hoDe and protected
| abroad
9. The Republican party has preserved these
governments 10 the hundredth anniversary of
| the nations birth, and they are now the en-
| bodiments of the gIeat truths spoken at its
| cradle-"that all men are created equal; that
| they are endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights, among which are life, lib
| erty and the pursuit of happiness; that for the
| attainment of these ends governments have
| been instituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed"
Until these truths are cheerfulIy obeyed, or,
if need be, vigorously enforced, the work Of
tie Republican party is unfinished.
3. The permanent pacification of the South
ern section of the Union, and the complete
protection of its citizens in the free enjoyment
of all their rights are duties to which the Re-
publican party stands sacredly pledged. The
power to provide for the enforcement of the
principles embodied in the recent constitu-
tional amendments is in the Congress Of the
United States, and we declare it to be the
solemn obligation of the Legislative and Ex-
ecutive Departments of the Government to
put into immediate and vigorous use all their
constitutional powers for removing any just
causes Of discomfort on the part of any class,
ms
comIl liberty and exact equality in the eX-
ercise of all CIVIL political and private rights.
To this end we imperatively demand Con-
gress and Chief Executive whose courage
and fidelity TO these duties shall not falter
until these results are placed beyond dispute
or recall.
4. In the first act of Congress signed by
President Grant, the National Government as
suued to remove any doubts of its purpose to
discharge its just obligation to public creditors,
and solemnly pledged its faith to make proyi-
sion, at the earliest practicable moment, for
the redemption of United States notes in coin
Commercial prosperity, public morals and the
national credit demand that this promise be
fulfilled by a continuous and steady progress
to specie payment.
5. Under the Constitution the President and
heads of departments are to make nomina-
tions for Office, the Senate is to advise and
consent to the appointments, and the House
of Representatives is to accuse and prosecute
faithless officers. The best interests of the
public service demand that these distinctions
be respected, and that Senators and Represen
tatiYes, vino may be judges and accusers,
should not dictate appointments to office. The
inyariable rule for appointments should have
reference 70 the honesty, fidelity and capacity
OF the appointees, preferring friends of the
party in power for places where harmony and |
vigor Of administration require its policy to be
represented, but permitting all others to be |
filed by persons selected with sole reference
to the efficiency of the public service and the
right of all citizens to share in the honor of |
rendering faithful service to their country.
6. We rejoice in the quickened conscience of |
the people concerning political affairs, and will |
hold all public officers to rigid responsibility,
and engage that the prosecution and punish |
ment OF all who betray official trusts shall be |
speedy, thorou IN and unsparing.
z. The public school system of the several |
States is the bulwark of the American Repub- |
lie, and, with view to its security and perma-
mence, we recommend an amendment to the |
Constitution of the United States forbidding
the application of any public funds or prop
erty for the benefit of any schools or institu- |
tions under sectarian schools. |
8. The revenue necessary for the current ex- |
penditures and the obligation of the public |
debt must be largely derived from duties on |
tmportations, which, so far as possible, should |
be adjusted to promote the interest of Ameri- |
can labor and advance the prosperity of the |
whole country.
9. We reaffirm our opposition to further
grants of the public lands to corporations and |
mOnopolies, and demand that the national do |
main be devoted to free homes for the people.
10. 1t is the imperative duty of the Govern |
ment to modify existing treaties with European |
Governments, that the same protection shall |
be afforded to the adopted American citizen |
that is given to the native born, and that all |
necessary laws should be essed to protect |
immigrants in the absence of power in the |
States for that purpose.
IL. 1t is the immediate duty of Congress to
investigate the effect of the immigration and /
importation Of Mongolians upon the moral |
and material interests of the country.
II. The Republican party recognizes with ap-
proval the substantial advances recently made |
toward the establishment of equal rights for
women, by the many important amendments |
effected by Republican Legislatures in the
laws which concern the personal and property |
relations of wives, mothers and widows, and
by the appointment of women to the superin-
tendence of education, charities and other hub
lie trusts. The honest demands of this class
Of citizens for additional rights and privileges
and immunities should be treated with respect
full consideration.
13. the Constitution confers upon Congress
sovereign power over the Territories of the
United States for their government. In the
exercise OF this power, It is the right and the
duty of Congress to prohibit and extirpate in
the Territories that relic of barbarism, polyg-
amy, and we demand such legislation as shall
secure this end and the supremacy of Ameri-
can institutions in all the Territories.
IA. The pledges which the nation has given
to our soldiers and sailors must be fulfilled.
The grateful people will always hold those |
who peried their lives for the country's pres
ervation in the kindest remembrance.
Is. We sincerely deprecate all sectional
feeling and tendencies. We therefore note
with deep sOlicitude that the Democratic |
party counts as its chief hope of success on
the electoral vote of a united South, secured |
through the efforts of those who were recently
arrayed against the nation; we invoke the
earnest attention of the country to the grave
truth that a success thus achieved would re-
open sectional strife and imperil the national
honor and human rights.
l6. We charge the Democratic party as
being the same in character and spirit as when
1t sympathized with treason; with making its
control of the House of Representatives the
triumph and the opportunity of the nations |
recent foes; with reasserting aud applauding |
in the National Capitol the sentiments of un-
repented rebellion; with sending Union SOL
diers to the rear and promoting Confederate
soldiers to the front; with deliberately pro-
posing to repudiate the plighted faith of the
Government; with being equally false and
imbecile upon the overshadOwing financial
question; with thwarting the ends of justice |
by its partisan mismanagement and Obstruc- |
tien of investigations: with proving itself,
through the period of its ascendancy in the
Lower House of Congress, utterly incompetent
to administer the Government. We warn the |
country against trusting a party thus alike
unworthy, recresnt and incapable
II. The National Administration merits
commendation for its honorable work in the |
management of our domestic and foreign
affairs, and President Grant deserves the con