Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-18
Gen. s,bteu,s Acceptance.

Gen. S,bley's Acceptance.
ST.. PAUL, Sept. 13, 1880.
Messrs. w. w. McNair, P. II. Kelly and VIM.
M. Campbell; Committee:
GENTLEMEN: have the honor to acknowl
edge the receipt of your official announce
ment of this date, of my nomination as the
candidate of the Democracy for Congress in
the Third Congressional district of this
State. Having some years since retired from
active participation in politics 1 can aver
with perfect sincerity that l neither sought
nor desired the no mination, but would have
been pleased if the convention had placed in
the field some more active member of the
party. AS it is, the Democracy have chosen
me by unau imous vote of their representa-
tives, to be their standard bearer in the CAM
paign which is before US, and respectfully
inform you that accept the nomination.
My record, public and private, is cosval
with the existence of the Territory and State
of Minnesota, and it is therefore the less
necessary that I should define at length my
position upon the questions at issue between
the two great political parties of the coun-
try. lifelong Democrat, l have always
held to the doctrine OF strict construction
of the constitution as Indispensable to the
perpetuity of our form of government. The
respective powers of the federal
and State governments, are so we'll
defined in that instrument, that there should
be no conflict between them. The union of
these states is indissoluble except By revolu-
ton, for it is political heresy to main tain that
the constitution contains within itse If the
seeds of its own destruction.
If elected, I shall deem it my duty to resist
to the utmost any violation Of the public
faith, and any attempt by Congress to inter-
fere with the constitutional amendments, or
with the legislation for their enforcement t,
and emphatically any recognition of South
ern claims growing out of the war of the re-
bellion. would oppose Congressional tin
kering with the finances of the country when
they shall have been fixed upon a safe and
sound basis, but would favor such a revis-
ion of the tariff as would eliminate from it
the feature of protection of class interests,
and reduce it to one of revenue only, upon
articles of luxury and not of necessity.
Especially do regard it TO be the duty
of Congress to strike from the statute book
the legislation which has sunk this nation
from leading rank am ong the commercial
powers of the world, to comparatively
insignificant position. When our govern
ment was under Democratic control, our
merchant ships were found in every sea
bearing the commerce of our people, but
under Republican rule the carrying trade to
and from foreign ports has been transferred
to the vessels of competing nations and
the benefits which should accrue to our own
citizens, are enjoyed by aliens. Such con.
dition of affairs is humiliating to our ma:
tional pride and Congress should apply a
speedy remedy.
The improvement of the navigation of the
great lakes and of the Mississippi river to
the gulf is of such national Importance that
the members of Congress from
the west, irrespective of party,
should be unit insisting, that these high
ways of commerce be no longer suffered to
remain partially unavailable, by reason of i'm
pediments which can readily be removed.
However great the cost to the federal treasury,
the interest of many millions of our citizens
imperativ ely demand immediate action in
opening these avenues to the markets of
the world. The vast products of Minnesota,
and of other States and Territories IN the
northwest, are shorn of much of their value,
by the cost of transportation by rail to the
centers of trade in the east.
The Republican party had its origin in the
controversy between the North and South
which eliminated in civil war; It is there
fore an organization not national but purely
sectional, and its existence can only be per-
petuated by continuation of the ill feeling
between the sections engendered by the war.
Four years ago, the country manifested it's
desire for a change of rulers by a heavy
majority vote, and I firmly believe that
change is ON the eve of being accomplished
by the election of Hancock and English.
The Democratic party, chastened and puri-
fed by long years of adversely, can be de-
pended on to condact the affairs of
the nation wisely, ably and economi-
calIy, and not only to restore the
diminished prestige of the republic abroad,
but to bring about harmony and fraternal
feeling between the North and the South,