Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-05


The following Is Governor Hendricks letter
Of acceptance:
INDIANAPOLIS July "a, 1876. -GeutclDcn {:
| have be ionor 70 ackns Wedge The receipt nl
your communication in Which you haze form
ally notified IN, OF my nomination by the ma
tiana democratic contention at st. Louis a.
thrir can!iia.e for the office Of VICE President
OF the Uui,ed States Ii is a nomlnali)n which
| had ngithcr exp cted nor desired, and yet
rccugo'z u and appreciate the nigh homer by the
convention. The choice Of such 4 boiy, pro
n unced with such uousua uaanimliy, and ac-
c0mpanied with ~ generous an txprt ss'on OF
esteem and corfideccc, GU ht 10 cu,wcieh
merely personal desires aal preferences OF my
own.
1t is with this feeling, and trust also from
a cep s4rsc Of public duty, tina. naw accept
the nomination. ard shall abide the judgment
Of NY coun'rymcu L would have been impos-
siblo for ne 70 accept the p0mnalon Ii | c0ui
not heartily endorse the Platform OF the con
VENT u | .m .ra.iiad, therefore, to be able
unruuiv 5ca y to declare that | agree in tic
principles, approve the p licIr> aud sympathlza
with the purposes cnuncatcd 10 tina; PLATFORM.
The institutions Of sur cOunlry have been sore
ly tried by the xxi gercieS OF civil war, an! since
pnac, by Il self h and corrupt manag"m OF 81
public affairs, which has shamed Us before
civilized mankind by unwise and partial legls-
latlon.
Ev, ry industry aud Interest Of the p ope
havr been made to suffer. and in the ,Xecutlv :
departments If the government dishonesty. RI
pacty aud veuaty have dcbauched the puOlic
service. Men known to be unworthy have been
prouoted, whilst Others have bcro di>gr iced
for fidelity TO pfiaia duty. Public otic2 has
been made the means # private profit, ana the
c,u1try has been off ,nded to see a class OF men
WAC boast the Friendship Of sworn projectors Of
the State amas>ing fortunes by dciraudlng the
public treasury and by c,rruptiDg the Servants
of III people. ln such u crisis Of the history
Of the county rel &c? tina, the convention at
St. Louis has no nobly raised the standard Of
reform.
Nothing eau be we'll with cur affairs until
the public Conscience, shocked by The enorGous
evils aud abuses which prevail, shall have i"
uanded and cDmp:lc an ursparlng reiurma
tiol Of our rational administration, Iu its head
and its members. In such reformation the r.
moval Of single officer, even the President, is
comparatively trinlng matter II the sys,' III
which he represents, and which has tustcrcd
him as h. ha, tostercd it, is suffered to remain.
The President alone must not BE- ma'ie the
scupsgoat for The cuormItle> Of the system which
infccts the public service and threatens the
destruction OF our institutions. II some re-
spects | hold that the plescut executive has
beeo fhe victim rather thar the author Of that
vicious system Congressional and party lcalrrs
have been stronger than the President. No zone
man could have created it and the removal OF
10 one man can amend it. Ii IL thoroughly
corrupt aud must be swept remorselessIy away
hy the selection Of Il government Composed OF
elements entirely new and pledged to radlcal
reform.
The first rk of reform must evidently be
the restoration Of normal operation OF the con-
sriu;lou of the United States, with all It's
amendments. The necessity OF war cannot be
pleaded 10 time OF peace. The right OF loc.l
self govrrnm Mt is guaranteed by the constItu-
ton of the Union, and must be everywhere re-
stored and centralized. The almost personal
which mas been practiced must Re
done away or the fis; PRINCIPLES Of the rerub
lie will b. lost. Our Fl Iaocial system Of cxpe
dents must b. reform d. Gold apl silver are
the real standard OF values, and our oationa
"ll! not be- a perfect mediums OF cx-
change unti It shall be convertible at the pleas
ure Of the holder. As have heretofore SAID,
10 Que desires return 0 specie payments more
earnestly than | 10. but | Do not be Icve that It
will cr eau ne reached 10 harmony with the IN
ler.>tS OF the people By artificial measures Tor
contraction Of the currency any more than l
believe wealth or permanent property can he
created by an lDh,tion Of The cuTTcucy.
The laws of hDauca clnuot be iisrrgsrdcd
with lmpunity. The inanclal policy Of the
Cover. LII nt if indeed il deserves the name OF
policy at ali, has been ia disregard Of those
laws, aod therefore has disturbed commercial
aud business confidence as we'll as hindcrcd re-
:uro to specie payments Ole feature Of that
policy was the resumption clause of the act OF
1875, which has embarrassed the country by
Anticipation of a compulsory resumption for
which 20 preparation has been made, and with
Jul any assurance that it would be practical.
The repeal Of that clause is necessary that
he natural operations OF financial laws may be