The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-17

HIS LETTER TO THE PEOPLE-AN
ABLE DOCUMENT.

HIS LETTER TO THE PEOPLE-AN
ABLE DOCUMENT.
Justice 10 All Will Bring Peace and Pros
perity to All-Cure for National Ills.
The Issues of the Day.
General Garfield has forwarded to Sen
atnr lloar of Massachusetts, the follow
ton rendered him by the Republican
National Conventions:
MENTOR, Ohio, July II. 1880.
DEAR SIR:-On the evening of the Stl
of June last, | had the honor to receive
from You in the presence Of the commit.
tee of which you were chairman. the
official announcement that the Republi-
can National Convention at Chicago had
that day nominated me as their candi
date for the President of the United
States. accept the nomination with
gratitude for the confidence it implies,
and with Il deep sense of the responsible
tiles it imposes. | cordially indorse the
principles set forth in the platform adopt
ed by the Convention. On nearly all the
subjects of which it treats. my opinions
are on record among 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.
Without reviewing the controversies
which have been settled during the last
twenty years, and with no purpose or
wish to revive the passions of the late
war, it should be said that while the Re-
publlcans fully recognize and will siren
uously defend all the rights retained by
the people, and all the rights reserved to
the States, they reject the pernicious doc
trlne of State supremacy which so long
crippled the functions of the National
Government, and at one time brought
the | Mon very near to destruction
They insist that the United States is a
nation with ample power Of self-preser-
walton; that its Constitution and the laws
made i'll pursuance thereof are the su-
preme law of the land: that the right of
the Nation to determine the method by
which its own Legislature shall be ere
atcd cannot be surrendered without alb
dicating one of the fundamental powers
relating to the election of Representa-
tives in Congress shall neither be violated
nor evaded; that every elector shall be
permitted freely and without intimida-
ton to east his lawful ballot at such cleo
ton and have it honestly counted, and
that the potency of his vote shall not be
destroyed by the fraudulent vote of any
other person.
The best thoughts and energies of our
people should be directed to those great
questions of National well-being in which
all have Il common interest. Such efforts
will soonest restore perfect peace to those
who were lately i'll arms against each
other; for justice and goodwill will out
last passion. But it it is certain that the
wounds of the war cannot be completely
healed, and the spirit of brotherhood
cannot fully pcrvade the whole country
until every citizen, rich or poor, white or
black, is secure in the free and equal en-
joymcnt of every civil and political right
guaranteed by the Constitution and the
laws. Wherever the Ell joyment of these
rights is not assured discomfort will pre-
vail, immigration will cease. and the So
cial and industrial forces will continue to
be disturbed by the migration of laborers
and the consequent diminution of pros
perity. The National Government should
exercise all its constitutional authority
to put an end to these evils; for all the
people and all the States are members of
one body, and no member can suffer with
out injury to all. The most serious evils
which now atflict the South arise from
the fact that there is not such freedom
and liberation of political opinion and
action that the minority party can exer-
else an effective and wholesome restraint
upon the party in power. Without such
restraint party rule becomes tyrannical
and corrupt. The prosperity which is
made possible in the South by its great
of soil and climate will never
he realized until every voter can freely
and safely support any party he pleases.
POPULAR EDUCATION.
Next i'll Importance to freedom and
justice is popular education, without
which neither freedom nor justice can be
permanently maintained. It's interests
are intrusted to the States and to the
voluntary action of the people. What
ever help the Nation can justly afford
should he generously given to aid the
but it would be unjust to our people and
dangerous to our institutions to apply
any portion of the revenues of the Ma
ton OF Of the States. TO the support of
sectarian schools. The separation of the
Church and the State in everything re-
lating to taxation should be absolute,
TIE NATIONAL FINANCES.
On the subject of National finances.
my views have been so frequently and
fully expressed that little is needed i'm
the way of additional statement. The
public debt is now 81 we'll secured and
the rate of annual interest has been SO
reduced by refunding, that rigid economy
in expenditures and the faithful appica
ton of our surplus revenues to the pay
ment of the principal of the debt will
gradually but certainly free the people
from its burdens. and close with honor
the financial chapter of the war; At the
same time the Government can provide
for all its ordinary expenditures and dis
charge its sacred obligations to the SOL
diers of the Union, and to the widows
and orphans of those who fell in its de-
fence. The resumption of specie pay
ments, which the Republican party so
and successfully accom-
pliShed, has removed from the field of
many questions that long
and seriously disturbed the credit of the
Government and the business of the
Our paper currency is now as
rs the flag, and resumption has
not only made it everywhere equal to
coin, but has brought into use our store
of gold and silver. The circulating me
dunn is more abundant than ever before.
and we need only to maintain the equal
ity Of all our dollars to insure to labor
and capital Il measure of value from the
use of which no one can suffer lass. The
great prosperity which the country is
now enjoying should not he endangered
LI1r nv ,.inlnnt 1l,n i q.