The San Francisco call., 1895-10-13
REPUBLICAN ANNIVERSARY.

1t has been proposed in the East to as
semble on the 18th of next June conven-
ton of the surviving delegates to the Re-
publican convention held in Philadelphia
in that month of 1856. The proposal has
much to commend it, and has met with
such warm approval that it may be fairly
counted among the political probabilities
of the coming year.
The only objection to the proposition as
it has been stated is that a convention
thus constituted would be too small for
the occasion. Such meeting would be
practically a celebration of the fortieth an
n1versary of the National Republican
party in the city where its foundations
were so widely and patriotically laid, and
in such celebration every cid Republi-
can who has survived from that time
should have a representative. The sur
vjvors of the original delegates must be
few in number. There were but 600 OF
them originally. In the natural order of
events most of these must be dead, for
forty years is a long time in the life of an
individual, and among the survivors many
are too worn with years or with disease to
make long journey, even to attend so
glorious reunion as that would be.
A better plan would be to call upon all
Republicans throughout the Union who
indorsed the action and the platform OF
that historic convention and supported
Fremont in the campaign that followed
to organize in their various States and
elect from among their number a full list
of delegates to the convention designed tc
celebrate the anniversary of date so i'm
Tnrtqnt n tha bIctnr n nf Of f,-v
only, but of liberty and republican insti-
tutions throughout the world.
a convention of this kind could not fai
to renew the ardor of the old pioneers Of
the party and would be an inspiration tc
all the patriotic youth of the land. Il
would recall to public attention the early
history of the great party organized fol
freedom and the Union, and remind men
of the fidelity with which those early
pledges have been kept and the arduou:
labors by which so much has been done tc
accomplish them, to maintain them anG
to render them the Inviolable heritages o.
the American people.
The platform adopted by the convention
OF '56 pledged the party to the principles
OF the Declaration of Independence, de-
clared it to be the duty of the people tc
oppose any attempt to introduce slavery
into any Territory of the United States,
denounced polygamy and slavery as twin
relics of barbarism, condemned the Demo
cratic administration of the time for the
| crime against Kansas, called for the
immediate admission of that Territory a:
free State, proclaimed the foreign
policy embodied in the "Ostend circular
as a disgrace to American diplomacy
called for the construction of railroad tc
the Pacific Ocean and indorsed a policy O.
public Improvements of rivers and har
bors by the General Government.
Such is the early platform of the party
that ever since its foundation has repre-
sented true Americanism at home an6
abroad. 1t is certainly worth while cele
brating the fortieth anniversary of such an
event, and the old pioneers of the party
will have the earnest support of the
younger members if they undertake tt
carry it out.