Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-07-22
GARFIELD'S LETTER OF ACCEP-
LANCE.

| June last had the honor to receive from you,
| in the presence of the committee Of which you
were chairman, the Official announcement that
the republican convention at Chicago had that
! day nominated me as their candidate for pres
| ident. | accept the nomination with grail
tude for the confidence it implies, and with
deep sense of the responsibilities it imposes.
| [ endorse the principles set forth in the plat
form adopted by the convention. On nearly
all of the subjects ON which it treats, my opin-
ions are on record among the published pro-
| ceeding, of congress. venture. however, to
| make especial mention of some of the princi-
pal topics which are likely to become subjects
| of discussion.
Without reviewing the controversies which
| have been settled during the last twenty
years. and with 40 purpose Or wish to revive
the passions of the late war, it should be said
that while the republicans fully recognize,
and will strenuously defend all the rights re-
served to the state, they reject the pernicious
doctrine of state supremacy, which so long
| crippled the functions of the national govern
nlent, and at one time brought the country
| very near to destruction. They insist that the
| United States is nation, with ample powers
of self preservation, that its constitution and
laws, made in pursuance thereof, are the SUI
premacy of the land, that the right of the ma
| lion to determine the method by which its
|
rendered without abdicating one of the funda-
mestal powers of the government, that the
national laws relating to the election of repre-
sentatives in congress shall neither be violated
| or evaded, that every person shall be permit
| ted to freely and without intimidation cast his
| lawful vote at such election and have it hon
estly counted and that the casting 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
| these great questions of national Well-heing in
which all have common interest. Such
efforts will soonest restore to perfect peace
those who were lately in arms against each
other, for justice and good will will eutlast
| passion but it is certain that the wounds of
| the war cannot be completely healed and the
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 guaranteed by the constitution and the
laws. Wherever the enjoyment of these
rights is not assured discomfort will prevail
| immigration cease and the social and industri-
al forces will continue to be disturbed by the
emigration of laborers and the consequent
diminution of prosperity. The national gov
eminent should exercise all its constitutional
authority to put an end to these evils, for the
| people and all the states are members of one
| body and no man can suffer without injury to
| All.
| The most serious evils which now aff1ct the
south arise from the fact that there is not
such freedom and tolerance of political opin-
| ion and action that the minority party can
| exercise an effective and wholesome restraint
| upon the party rule which has become tyran-
| nical and corrupt. The prosperity which is
made possible in the south by its great advant-
| ages 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 he permanently main
tanned. Its interests are entrusted to the states
and the voluntary action of the people. What
ever help the nation can afford should be gen.
erously given to aid the states in supporting
the common schools, and it would be unjust
to the people and dangerous to the constitu-
ton to apply portions of the revenues of the
nation or of the states to the support of secta-
rian schools. The separation of the church
and state in everything relating to taxation
should be absolute.
On the subject of national finances my
views have been SO frequently and fully ex-
pressed that little is needed in the way of an
additional statement. The public debt is now
so we'll secured and the rate of the annual in
WA Wv oSNAA
rigid economy in expenditure and the applica-
ton of our surplus revenue to the payment 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 ordinary expenditure and dis
charge its sacred obligations to the soldiers of
the Union and the widows and orphans of
those who fell in its defense. Theresumption
ty 50 courageously and successfully accom-
plshed has removed from the field of contro-
versy many questions that long and seriously
disturbed the credit of the government and
the business OF the country. Our paper cur
rency is now as national as the flag, and re-
sumption has not only made it everywhere
equal to coin, but has brought into use our
store of gold and silver The circulating
medium is more abundant than ever before, and
we need only to maintain the equality of our
dollars to insure to labor and capital meas
ure of value from the use of which no one can
suffer loss. The prosperity which the coun-
try is now enjoying should not be endangered
by any violent change or doubtful financial
experiments. In reference to our customs
law, policy should be pursued which will
bring revenue to the treasury, and will enable
the labor aud capital employed in our indus
tries to compete favorably in our markets
with the labor and capital of foreign produc-
lions. We legislate for the people of the
United States, not for the whole world, and it
is our glory that the American laborer is more
intelligent and better paid than his foreign
competitor. Our country cannot be indepen-
dent unless its people with their abundant
natural resources possess the requisite skill at
any time to clothe, arm and equip themselves
for war and in time of peace to produce all the
necessary Implements of labor. 1t was the
manifest intention of the founders of the gov
eminent to provide for the common defense,
not by staneing armies alone, but by raising
among the people greater army of artisans,
whose intelligence and skill should power
fully contribute to the safety and glory of the
nation.
Fortunately for the interests of commerce
there is no longer any formidable opposition
to the appropriations for the improvement of
our harbers and great navigable rivers, pro-
vided that the expenditures for that purpose
are strictly limited to works of national inn
portance. The Mississippi with is great
tributaries is of such vital importance to so
many millions of people that the safety of its
| navigation requires exceptional consideration,
in order to secure to the nation the control of
all its waters. President Jefferson negotiated
the purchase of vast territory, extending
| from the Gulf of Mexico 10 the Pacific ocean,
and the wisdom of congress should be invoked
to devise some plan by which that great river
shall cease to be terror to those who dwell on
| its borders, and by which its shipping may
safely carry the industrial productions of
i twenty-five millions of people. The interests
| of agriculture, which is the basis of all our
material prosperity and in which seven
twefths of our population are engaged. as
well as the interests of our manufactures
demand that the facilities for cheap transpor-
tai0n shall be increased by the use of all our
great water courses
The material interests of this country, the
traditions of settlement and the sentiments of
cur people, have led the government to offer
the widest hospitality to emigrants, who seek
our shores for new and happier homes, will
ling to share the burdens as well as the benefit
of our society, and intending that their poster
ity shall become an undistinguishable part of
our population. The recent movement of the