Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-07-20
GARFIELD'S LETTER OF
ACCEPTANCE.
MENTOR, o., July l2.

of June last I had the honor TO receive
from you in the presence Of the committee
Of which you were chairman an official
announcement that the Republican Ma
tional Convention at Chicago had that
day nominated me as their candidate for
President of the United States ! accept
the nomination with gratitude for the
confidence it imposes and with deep
sense Of the responsibility it implies. l
cordially indorse the principles set forth
in the platform adopted by the conven.
ton. On nearly all the subjects of which
it treats my opinions are on record among
the published proceedings OF Congress.
| venture, however, to make special
mention of some of the principal topics
which are likely to become the subject
of discussion without reviewing the con-
troversies which have been settled during
the Ast'twenty years, and with no pur-
pose or wish revive the passions Of the
late war. It should be said that while
the Republicans fully recognize and will
strenuously defend all the rights retained
by the people and all the rights reserved
to the States, they reject the pernicious
doctrines of State supremacy which so
long crippled the functions of national
government and at one time brought the
Union very near to destruction. They
insist that the United States is nation
with ample power of self-preservation;
that its constitution, and 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 powers Of the govern
ment; that the national laws relating to
the election Of representatives in Con-
gress shall neither be violated nor evadcd;
that every elector shall be permitted freely
and without intimidation to cast his
lawful ballot at such election 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 a common interest. Such efforts
will soonest restore perfect peace to those
who were lately in arms against each
other, for justice and good viii outlast
passion. But it is certain that the
wounds of war cannot be completely
healed and a spirit Of brotherhood cannot
fully pervade the whole country until
every citizen, rich or poor, white or black,
is secure in the free and equal enjoyment
of every civil and political right guaran-
teed by the constitution ard lLws. Wher-
ever the enjoyment Of these rights is not
assured discon,ent will prevail, immigra-
ton will cease and social and industrial
forces continue to be disturbed by the
migration of the laborer and the copse-
quent dimunition Of prosperity. 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 without injury to
the whole. The most serious evils which
now afflict the South arise from the fact
that there is not such freedom and toler-
alton Of political opinion and action that
the minority party can exercise an eifect-
i've and wholesome restraint upon the
party in power. Without such restraint
party rule becomes tyrannical and cor
rupt. The prosperity which is mad.
possible in the South by its great adyan-
tage of soil and climate will never be
realized until every voter can freely and
safely support any party he pleases.
Next in Importance to freedom and
justice is popular education, without
which neither justice nor freedom can be
permanently maintained. Its interests
are intrusted to the States and to the
voluntary action Of the people. What
ever help the nation can justly afford
should be generously given to aid States
in supporting common schools. But it
would be unjust to our people and dam
gerous to our institutions to apply por-
ton of the revenues of the nation or Of
the States to the support Of sectarian
schools. The separation Of church and
state in every thing relating to taxation
should be absolute.
On the subject of national finance my
views have been so frequently and fully
expressed that little is needed in the way
of an additional statement. The public
debt is now so well secured and the rate
of annual interest has been so reduced
by the refunding that rigid economy in
expenditures and faithful application Of
our surplus revenues to the payment Of
the principal Of the debt will gradually
but certainly free the people from its
burdens and close with honor the fnan.
cial chapter of the war. At the same
time the government can provide for all
its ordinary expenditures and discharge
its sacred obligations to soldiers of the
Union and to the widows and orphans OF
those who fell in its defense. Resump-
ton Of specie payments, which the Re-
publican party so courageously and sue
cessfully accomplished, has removed from
the field Of controversy many questions
that long and seriously disturbed the
credit Of the government and the business
of the country. Our paper currency is
now as national as the flag, and resump-
tion has not only made it everywhere
equal to coin, but has brought into use
our share of gold and silver. The cir
culatino medium is more abundant than