The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-08-19
POLITICAL.
GEN, GARFIELD'S LETTER OF
ACCEPTANCE.

General Garfield has forwarded from
his home at Mentor, Ohio, 10 Senator
Hoar, OF Massachusetts, the following
letter of acceptance of the nomination,
rendered him by the Republican National
conventions
MENTOR, o, July IL.
DEAR SIR: On the evening OF the
eighth OF June last l had the honor TO
receive from you in the presence OF the
committee OF which you were chair
man, the official announcement that the
Republican national convention at Chi
cago had hat day nominated me as their
candidate for President OF the United
States. l accept the nomination with
gratitude for the confidence it implies,
and with a deep sense OF the response
bilities it imposes. | cordially indorse
the principles set forth in the platform
adopted by the convention. On nearly
all the subjects of which 1t treats, my
opinions are on record among the pub
lished proceedings of Congress, | ven
tire, however, 10 make special men
ton of some of the principal topics
which are likely TO become subjects oil
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
Republicans fully recognize and will
strenuously defend all the rights re-
tanned by the people, and all the rights
reserved TO the States, they reject the
pernicious doctrine 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 n nation with ample power OF
self-preservation; hat 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 n OF the funda-
mental powers of governments that the
national laws relating to the election Of
representatives in Congress shall neither
be violated nor evaded; 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
10 those who were lately In arms against
each other; for justice and goodwill
will outlast 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 as.
sured discomfort will prevail, emigra-
ton will cease, and the social and in
dustrial forces will continue to be dis
turbed by the migration of laborers and
the consequent diminution of prosperity.
The national government should exer-
else 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 IA suffer
without injury to all. The most serious
evils which now atfiict the South arise
from the fact that there is not such
freedom and liberation of political
opinion and action that the minority
marty can exercise 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 advantages of
soil and climate will never be realized
until every voter can freely and safely
support any party he pleases.