Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-07-22
cen. sssnELb's lETTER of ACCEPTANCE.

Gen. Garfield has forwarded 10 Sen
ator HosF. Of Massachusetts,, ihe follow
lngietter Of acceptance Of the nomins.
ton tendered him BY the republican na-
iionai convention:
Mentor. OAio. July 10. 1880. -Deas
Sir: On the evening Of the 8th of jane
last had the honor to receive from
you, ID presence ofthe committee cl
which you were chairman, The an
nouncement that The republican naiion-
ai c0nsehti0n at ChicaE0 bad tifai day
uominsted me for their candidate fcs
President OF the United States. i ac-
cep. the nomination with gratitude Tor
the confidence il implies. and with .
deep sense Of the responsibilities It nm
poses. cordially indprse The prinei-
pies set forth in the platform adopted
by the convention. On nearly all the
subjects Of which il treats my opinions
are on record amoag the published pro-
ceedings of Congress-. venture. how
ever, to make special mention Of some
of the principal topics which are likely
to become subjects of discussion, with
out renewing the controversies which
have been settled during the past twen-
ty years, and with no purpose or wish
to revive the passions Of the late war.
II should be said that while republicans
fully recognize and viii strenuously de-
lend all the rights maintained by the
people and all the rights reserved TO the
States. they reject the pernicious doc
trtne of State supremacy, which so long
crippled the functions Of the national
government, and at one time brought
the Union very near TO destruction.
They insist that the United States is q
nation with ample power ofselfpreser-
vatlon, that its constitution, and the
laws made in pursuance thereof, are the
supreme Law Of the land; that the right
of the nation to determine the method
by which its own legislature shall be
created cannot be surrendered without
abdIcating one Of the fundamental pow
ers OF the government; that the nation
al laws relating to the. election OF Rep
resentatives in Congress shall neither
De violated or cvsled; thai every sEec-
tor shall be permitted freely and with
out intimidation TO cast his lawful bal
lot at such election and have il honest
ly counted, and that the potency Of his
vote shall not be destroyed by the frau
daleni vote Of any other person. The
best thoughts and energies of our peo-
pie should be directed TO those great
questions of material .well-being in
which all have q common interest.
Such efforts viii soonest restore perfect
peace TO those who were lately in arms
against each other, for justice and good
will will outlast passion; but it is certain
that the wounds OF the war cannot be
completely healed and the spirit oI
brotherhood cannot fully pervade the
whole country until every citizen, rich
or lor, white or black, is secure in
the free and equal enjoyment of every
civil and political right guaranteed by
the constitution and the laws. Wher-
ever The enjoyment Of this right is moi
assured. discomfort will prevail. immi-
grafton will cease, and the social and
industrial lorce viii continne to be dis
turbed by the migration OF laborers aud
the consequent diminuiion of prosperi-
ty. The national government should
exercise all its constitutional authority
to put an end TO these evils, for all the
people and ell the States are members
Of one body. and no member can suffer
without injury 10 ali. The most serious
evils which now affect the South arise
from the fact that there. is not such free
dom and liberation oI political opinion
and action that the minority party
can exercise an effective and whole
some restraint upon the party in power.
Without such restraint party rule be-
comes tyrannical aud corrupt. The
prosperity which is made possible in the
South by its great advantages OF soil and
climate win never be realized until ev-
cry voter can freely and safely support
any party he pleases. Next in import
ance to freedom and justice is popular
education, without which neither JUS
tice nor freedom can be permanently
maintained. Its interests ere entrusted
to the States and the voluntary action
Of the people. Whatever help The na-
tiOn can justly afford should be gener-
oasly given to aid lhe States in support
ing common schools, but il would be
unjust to our people and dangerous to
our institutions to apply any portion OI
the revenues Of The nation or Of the
Stale 10 ihe support OF sectariap schools.
The separation Of the Church aud The
State in everything relating TO taxation
should be absolute. On the subject d
national finances mr views have beea