390 



ILLINOIS. 



Resolved, That, by the fundamental principles of 

 the Kepublican party, it is the right and duty of all 

 its supporters to condemn every existing abuse in na- 

 tional, State, and municipal governments, and zeal- 

 ously advocate all needful reforms, as has been done 

 with success from the time the party was first organ- 

 ized. No party that ever existed in this country 

 can justly boast of so much independence of thought, 

 speech, and action. It is this freedom that has 

 drawn to it the enthusiastic support of so many in- 

 telligent, unbiassed, and generous young men, and 

 repelled so many sordid and disciplined office-hunt- 

 ers, who would make merchandise of their fellow- 

 men, by reducing them to political slavery. 



Resolved, That all sovereignty emanates from the 

 people, a portion of which they have delegated to 

 the United States Government, for national purposes, 

 and to guard the people against oppression in and 

 out of the United States ; a still larger portion of 

 which they have delegated to State governments, for 

 local, domestic, and municipal purposes, and the 

 residue of that sovereignty over natural rights and 

 civil privileges they have expressly reserved for 

 themselves in bills of rights and restrictions against 

 the encroachments of national, State, and municipal 

 governments; and no sound Kepublican wishes to 

 deprive the nation, the States, counties, cities, towns, 

 villages, or individuals, of any of their legitimate 

 constitutional rights ; and all pretences that the Ke- 

 publican party desires or intends to establish a con- 

 solidated government of unlimited powers, nre gra- 

 tuitous slanders, unworthy of the age. 



Resolved, That the Kepublican party is the party 

 of progress, and human rights, and duties. W e are 

 for equality of all before the law, and the preserva- 

 tion of constitutional rights, and we disapprove of 

 all unconstitutional legislation for the cure of any of 

 the disorders of society, whether irreligion, intem- 

 perance, or any other evil. We oppose'the surren- 

 der of individual freedom to those who ask that their 

 prejudices, practices, or creed, shall be the law of 

 the land ; we demand equal and just rights and du- 

 ties for every human being, and the largest liberty 

 consistent with the public good, and the preserva- 

 tion of social order. 



Resolved, That the necessities of the Government 

 require so large a tariff upon importations that the 

 question of free trade is not one now before the 

 American people ; the only question left is, how to 

 so adjust the tariff that it will most promote the 

 labor, industry, and general welfare of the country, 

 without being oppressive to any interests of society ; 

 and we know of no better way to dispose of this sub- 

 ject than that adopted by the Kepublican party in 

 Congress : to learn wisdom from experience, reduce 

 taxation as fast as possible, and remove all unneces- 

 sary burdens upon the necessaries of life. 



Resolved, That, in adjusting the details of a system 

 for raising revenue, to cover the necessary require- 

 ments of the Government and meet its liabilities, 

 care should be taken to so regulate the imposts that 

 they will press least upon the growing industries of 

 the country, cheapen the necessaries of life, and af- 

 ford to labor the fairest promise of permanent re- 

 ward. 



Resolved^ That we most heartily indorse the rec- 

 ommendation by President Grant of the adoption of 

 proper measures by the national Government for the 

 protection of immigrants, recognizing as we do, in 

 those natives who flock to our shores, a most valu- 

 able addition of other countries to the population 

 and wealth of our whole country. 



Resolved, That the gratitude of the nation is due to 

 our soldiers and sailors, whose patriotism and valor 

 saved the Union, and made our country, in fact as 

 well as in name, a nation of freemen. 

 ^ Resolved, That the people of the United States owe 

 Ulysses S. Grant a great debt of gratitude for his pa- 

 triotic devotion to the interests of the people, in war 

 and in peace ; that we have unabated confidence in 

 his integrity, patriotism, ability, prudence, and 



judgment ; and hereby instruct our delegates to (he 

 Philadelphia Convention to vote for and use all hon- 

 orable means to secure his nomination as tlie lie- 

 publican candidate for the presidency of the United 

 States. 



The delegates of the Democratic and Liberal 

 Republican parties of the State met in separate 

 conventions, at Springfield, on the 26th of June. 

 The following resolutions were adopted in the 

 Democratic Convention : 



Resolved, By the Democrats of Illinois in conven- 

 tion assembled, That the platform of principles 

 adopted by the Cincinnati Convention, togctherwith 

 the clear interpretation of the same enunciated in 

 the letter of Horace Greeley, in accepting the nomi- 

 nation of that convention for the oth'ce of President 

 of the United States, offers a common ground upon 

 which liberal ruen of all political parties can con- 

 sistently unite in opposition to personal government 

 and its attendant official corruption. 



Resolved, That our delegates, this day chosen, to 

 represent us in the Democratic National Convention 

 to assemble at Baltimore, be instructed to act and 

 vote as a unit in the spirit of the foregoing resolu- 

 tion. 



The Liheral Republicans, over whom Gov- 

 ernor Palmer presided, adopted the folio wing 

 platform : 



Resolved, That we cordially approve and reaffirm 

 the principles contained in the Cincinnati platform ; 

 and that in the success of those principles, and par- 

 ticularly in the thorough reformation of the civil 

 service and the discontinuance of political patronage 

 whereby the taxes collected from the people are 

 employed to override the will of the majority, we see 

 the only salvation of a free government. 



Resolved, That in the administration of our State 

 affairs every effort should be made to lighten tax- 

 ation by the strictest economy in the expenses of the 

 government; that in the construction of our public 

 buildings and in the management of our public 

 institutions, all extravagance should be avoided: 

 that the officers of the government should be held 

 to strict accountability in the discharge of their du- 

 ties, and that all unnecessary and cumbersome legis- 

 lation should be avoided. 



Resolved, That we can never forget the sacrifices 

 made by the soldiers and sailors whcse bravery saved 

 the nation, and we deem it our duty to secure to 

 them the full reward of their patriotism ; we there- 

 fore declare ourselves in favor of the equalization of 

 their bounties and of the most liberal recognition of 

 their services in the public employment of the 

 country, having regard only to their fitness for such 

 employment and not to tbe rank they held in the 

 military service. 



Resolved, That the cause of equal rights cannot be 

 considered established as long as any oppositii n 

 thereto exists. Therefore, we hail with unfeigned 

 satisfaction the evidence presented to us of the ces- 

 sation and disappearance of such opposition in all 

 parts of our common country. 



Resolved, Upon this declaration of principle we 

 take our stand before the people of this State as the 



Earty of Liberal reform, of reconciliation and peace, 

 iviting all persons, without regard to previous po- 

 litical association, to cooperate with us in the en- 

 deavor to secure the success of the principles which, 

 while just and true in themselves, are broad enough 

 to include nil the political necessities of the hour end 

 the aspirations of every patriotic citizen. 



Resolved, That the administration of Governor 

 Palmer has been characterized by a noble spirit 

 independence and a fearless adherence to the cause 

 of morality, and the interests of the people as 1 

 understood them ; and thanks are due and arc here- 

 by tendered to him for his jealous guardianship o 

 the public Treasury and the example he has furnished 



