Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-29

The republican party, in national con-
vention Assem- bled at the end OF twenty
years since the federal government was
first committed to its charge, submit to the
people of the United States this brief re-
port of It's administration 1t suppressed
a rebellion which had armed nearly q
million men to subvert the national aU
thority. It reconstructed the union Of the
states with freedom instead Of slavery as its
cornerstone. 1t transformed four million
human beings from the likeness of things
to the rank of citizens. II relieved con-
gress from the Infamous work of hunting
fugitive slaves and charged it to see that
slavery does not exist. 1t has raised the
value of our paper currency from thirty
eight per cent. to the par OF gold. 1t has
restored upon solid basis the payment in
coin of all the national obligations and has
given US currency absolutely good and
equ0lin every part of our extended country.
1t has lifted the credit Of our nation from
the point where per cent. bonds sold at o6
to that where per cent bonds are eagerly
sought at premium. Under It's admins
tration, railways have increased from thIr y
one thousand miles in 1860 to m ore than
eighty thousand in 1879. Our foreign trade
has increased from $4,000 600 to 81, 5O0,
| t00,00J in the same time, and our exports,
which were $40 .010 less than our i'm
ports in 1850, were $z64 0O,0O0 more than
| our imports in 1879. Without resorting to
| loans, it has, since the war closed, defray ed
| the expenses of the government, besides
paying the sccruing interest on the public
| debt and disbursed annually moro than
| s30,G00Ct0 for soldiers pensions. It has
| paid 1888, COO coo of the public debt, and,
| by refunding the balance at lower rates,
| has reduced the annual Interest charge
! from nearly $l51 ,0J0,0J0 to $69, coo, 900.
| All the Industries of the country have re-
| viyed. Labor is in demand. Wages have
! increased, and throughout the entire coun-
| try there is eYi1ence Of a coming prosperity
| greater than We have ever enjoyed. Upon
this record the republican party asks for
| tue continued confidence and support OF
| the people, and this convention submits for
their approval the following statement OF
the principles and purposes which will
continue to guide and inspire its efforts:
We affirm that the work of the last
| twenty-one years has been such as to com
| mend itself to he favor of the nation, and
that the fruits of the costly victories which
we have achieved through immense diff
culties should be preserved; that the peace
regained should be cherished; that the dis
severed Union, now happily restored
should be perpetrated, and that the liber.
ties secured to this generation should be
| transmitted undiminished to future gene
rations: that the order established and
that the pensions promised should be paid
that the debt so much reduced should bt
extinguished by the full payment of every
dollar thereof; that the reviving industries
should be further promoted, and that the
commerce, already SO grest, should bs
steadily encouraged,
2. The constitution of the United States
is supreme law and not mere contract
Out of confederate states il made soy
ereign nation. Some powers are denied t
the nation, while others are denied to tn,
states; but the boundary between thu
powers delegated and those reserved is K
be determined by the national aud not the
state tribunals.
8. The work of popular education is on,
left to the care of the several states, but j
is the duty of the national government t.
aid that work to the extent Of its constitu
tional ability. The intelligence tof the ma
tion il but the aggregate intelligence in tn
several states. and the destiny Of the nstioi