The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-05-08

In the Chicago Convention of 1860
the infant Republican party was in the
buoyancy of hope, and in the earnest
ness of honesty, for the most part,
After an impassioned appeal from
George William Curtis and others, it
injected q portion of the Declaration
of Independence into its platform. 1t
proclaimed itself the party of liberty
-in somewhat guarded terms. 1t was
not then forgotten that the Declara-
tion of fIndependence,w " hose principles
ere made q part of the Republican
creed in 1860, contained such charges
as the following against the encroach-
ments of Kingly power:
he has refused his assent TO laws
the most wholesome and necessary for
the public good.
He has kept among US, In times of
peace, standing armies, without the
consent of our Legislature.
"He has affected to render the mill
itary independent of, and superior to.
the Civil power;
And "for quartering large bodies of
armed troops among us" King George
Ill. was also indicted in the Declare
ton. The Republicans in 1860 made
their appeal to the country in the name
Of Liberty. The Wing party had
broken to pieces in hopelessness be-
tore the party with the historic name,
whose principles always had a major
ity of the votes of the country, aud,
we may interpolate, will always have
whenever q fair vote upon the prin-
ciples underlying our Government can
be obtained. And, accordingly, the
National Republican Convention in
1860. when the Greeleys and the Se-
wards and the Corwips and the Cur
tises and the Evartses fEvarts nomi-
mated Seward in the Conventi0n) and
the Andrews and the Wilson's and the
Schurzes and the Summers and the
Lanes and the Wades and the Stew
enses and the great lists of great men
that composed the Republican party
when Lincoln was nominated, adopt
ed the following resolution, the fourth
plank in the platform of principles:
"ZXat the maintenance inviOl0te of
the rights of the States. and especially
the right Of each State to order and
control ats Otcn domestic institutions
according to its OiUn judgment exclu-
siveiy, is essential to that balance Of
p0sOeSs on sc1sich the perfection and en-
0urance of0ur political fabric depends;
and zoe denOunce the ldsuless invasi0M
By armed force Of the soil of any State
0rIeyyitOry,no matter under ach0t pre-
tert, as among the grauest of crimes"
, This was the doctrine of the Repub-
lican party in 1860, the creed of its
hope, and youth and glory.
The people of the country had not
then been educated in trampling the
rights of States beneath their feet, and
it was necessary to frame . platform
not positively hostile to public senti-
ment. The Republican party rode
into power upon this doctrine. A res
olution expressing the doctrine of the
Republican party to-day upon this
subject would read about as follows:
7" That the maintenance inyiolate of
the rights of the Executive to usufp
the rights OF the States, and especially
the right of the Executive Department
to order aud control the army at the
polls in it's own judgment exclusively,
and to cause Deputy .Marshals with
out limit to be appointed to election
eer for the Republican party, TO be
paid out of the Federal Treasury, and
to see to ii that juries in United States
Courts in one.half the country are
packed in the interests Of Republicans,
is essential to that perpetuation Of Re-
publican power on which the perfec-
ton and endurance of our political
fabric depends; and we denounce the
lawless invasion by Legislative force
of the soil, of the army, and of the
Deputy Marshals, and of the Execu-
tive in these respects, no matter un-
der what pretext, as revolutionary
and among the xravest of crimes."-
Enquirer.