sustained under most extraordinary burdens, and new bonds negotiated at lower rates; the revenues have been carefully collected and honestly applied. Despite the annual large reductions of rates of taxation, the public debt has been reduced during Gen. Grant's presidency at the rate of $100,000,000 a year. A great financial crisis has been avoided, and peace and plenty prevail throughout the land. Menacing foreign difficulties have been peacefully and honorably compromised, and the honor and the power of the nation kept in high respect throughout the world. This glorious record of the past is the parties best pledge for the future. We believe the people will not intrust the government to any party or combination of men composed chiefly of those who have resisted every step of this beneficial progress.

Second: Complete liberty and exact equality in the enjoyment of all civil, political, and public rights should be established and effectually maintained throughout the Union, by efficient and appropriate State and federal legislation. Neither the law nor its adminstration should admit of any discrimination in respect of citizen by reason of race, creed, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Third: The recent amendments to the national Constitution should be cordially sustained, because they are right, not merely tolerated because they are law, and should be carried out according to their spirit by appropriate legislation, the enforcement of which can be safely trusted only to the party that secured those amendments.

Fourth: The national government should seek to maintain an honorable peace with all nations, protecting its citizens everywhere, and sympathizing with all people who strive for greater liberty.

Fifth: Any system of the Civil Service under which the subordinate positions of the government are considered rewards for mere party zeal, is fatally demoralizing; and we, therefore, favor a reform of the system by laws, which shall abolish the evils of patronage, and make honesty, efficiency, and fidelity the essential qualifications for public position, without practically creating a life tenure-of-office.

Sixth: We are opposed to further grants of the public lands to corporations and monopolies, and demand that the national domain be set apart for free homes for the people.

Seventh: The annual revenues, after paying the current debts, should furnish a moderate balance for the reduction of the principal, and the revenue, except so much as may be derived from a tax on tobacco and liquors, be raised by duties upon importations, the duties of which should be so adjusted as to aid in securing remunerative wages to labor, and promote the industries, growth, aud prosperity of the whole country.

Eighth: We hold in undying honor the soldiers and sailors whose valor saved the Union; their pensions are a sacred debt of the nation, and the widows and orphans of those who die for their country are entitled to the care of a generous and grateful people. We favor such additional legislation as will extend the bounty of the government to all our soldiers and sailors who were honorably discharged, and who in the line of duty became disabled, without regard to the length of service or the cause of such discharge.

Ninth: The doctrine of Great Britain and other European powers concerning allegiance-"Once a subject always a subject"-having atlast, through the efforts of the Republican party, been abandoned, and the American idea of the individual's right to transfer his allegiance

having been accepted by European nations, it is the duty of our government to guard with jealous care the rights of adopted citizens against the assumption of unauthorized claims by their former government; and we urge the continual and careful encouragement and protection of voluntary immigration.

Tenth: The franking privilege ought to be abolished, and the way prepared for a speedy reduction in the rate of postage.

Eleventh: Among the questions which press for attention is that which concerns the relations of capital and labor, and the Republican party recognize the duty of so shaping legislation as to secure full protection and the amplest field for capital, and for labor the creator of capital, the largest opportunities, and a just share of the mutual profits of these two great servants of civilization.

Twelfth: We hold that Congress and the President have only fulfilled an imperative duty in their measures for suppression of violent and treasonable organizations in certain lately rebellious regions, and for the protection of the ballot-box, and therefore they are entitled to the thanks of the nation.

Thirteenth: We denounce repudiation of the public debt in any form or disguise as a national crime. We witness with pride the reduction of the principal of the debt and of the rates of interest upon the balance, and confidently expect that our excellent national currency will be perfected by a speedy resumption of specie payments.

Fourteenth: The Republican party is mindful of its obligation to the loyal women of America, for their noble devotion to the cause of freedom. Their admission to wider fields of usefulness is received with satisfaction, and the honest demands of any class of citizens for additional rights should be treated with respectful consideration.

Fifteenth: We heartily approve the action of Congress in extending amnesty to those lately in rebellion, and rejoice in the growth of peace and fraternal feeling throughout the land.

Sixteenth: The Republican party propose to respect the rights reserved by the people to themselves as carefully as the powers delegated by them to the state and to the federal government. It disapproves of the resort to unconstitutional laws for the purpose of removing evils by the people to either the State or national government.

Seventeenth: It is the duty of the general government to adopt such measures as will tend to encourage American commerce and shiping.

Eighteenth: We believe that the modest patriotism, the earnest purpose, interference with rights not surrendered by the sound judgement, the practical wisdom, the incorruptible integrity and the illustrious services of Ulysses S. Grant have commended him to the heart of the American people, and with him at our head we start to-day upon a new march to victory.

THE ORIGINAL

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION.

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME.

We, the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting.

WHEREAS the Delegates of the United States of America in Congress assembled, did, on the fifteenth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven, and in the second Year of the Independence of America, agree to certain Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, in the Words following, viz:—

Articles of confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. ARTICLE I. The Style of this Confederacy shall be "The United States of America."

ART. II. Each State retains its Sovereignty, Freedom, and Independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and Right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled.

ART. III. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm League of Friendship with each other, for their common Defence, the Security of their Liberties, and their mutual and general Welfare; binding themselves to assist each other, against all Force offered to, or Attacks made upon them, or any of them, on Account of Religion, Sovereignty, Trade, or any other Pretence whatever.

ART. IV. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual Friendship and Intercourse among the People of the different States in this Union, the free Inhabitants of each of these States, Paupers, Vagabonds, and Fugitives from Justice excepted, shall be entitled to all Privileges and immunities of free citizens in the several States; and the people of each State shall have free Ingress and Regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the Privileges of Trade and Commerce, subject to the same Duties, Impositions, and Restrictions as the Inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that such Restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the Removal of Property imported into any State, to any other State of which the Owner is an Inhabitant; provided also, that no Imposition, Duties, or Restriction shall be laid by any State, on the Property of the United States, or either of them.

If any Person guilty of, or charged with Treason, Felony, or other high Misdemeanor in any State, shall flee from Justice, and be

found in any of the United States, he shall, upon Demand of the Gov. ernment or executive Power of the State from which he fled. be deliv. ered up and removed to the State having Jurisdiction of his Offence. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each of these States to the Records, Acts and Judicial Proceedings of the Courts and Magistrates of every other State,

ART. V. For the more convenient Management of the general Interests of the United States, Delegates shall be annually appointed, in ' such Manner as the Legislature of each State shall direct, to meet in Congress on the first Monday in November, in every Year; with a Power reserved to each State, to recal its Delegates, or any of them, at any Time within the Year, and to send others in their Stead, for the Remainder of the Year.

No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor by more than seven Members, and no Person shall be capable of being a Delegate for more than three Years in any Term of six Years; nor shall any Person, being a Delegate, be capable of holding any Office under the United States. for which he, or another for his Benefit, receives Salary, Fees, or Emolument of any Kind.

Each State shall maintain its own Delegates in a Meeting of the States, and while they act as Members of the Committee of the States. In determining Questions in the United States, in Congress assembled, each State shall have one Vote.

Freedom of Speech and Debate in Congress shall not be impeached or questioned in any Court, or Place out of Congress, and the Members of Congress shall be protected in their Persons from Arrests and Imprisonments, during the Time of their going to, and from, and attendance on Congress, except for Treason, Felony, or Breach of the Peace.

ART. VI. No State, without the Consent of the United States in Congress assembled, shall send any Embassy to, or receive any Embassy from, or enter into any Conference, Agreement, Alliance, or Treaty with any King, Prince, or State; nor shall any Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under the United States, or any of them accept of any Present, Emolument, Office, or Title of any Kind whatever from any King, Prince, or foreign State; nor shall the United States in Congress assembled, or any of them, grant any Title of Nobility.

No two or more States shall enter into any Treaty, Confederation, or Alliance whatever between them, without the Consent of the United States in Congress assembled, specifying accurately the Purposes for which the same is to be entered into, and how long it shall continue.

No State shall lay any Imposts or Duties, which may interfere with any Stipulations in Treaties, entered into by the United States in Congress assembled, with any King, Prince, or State, in pursuance of any Treaties already proposed by Congress, to the Courts of France and Spain.

No Vessels of War shall be kept up in Time of Peace by any State, except such Number only, as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in Congress assembled, for the Defence of such State, or its Trade; nor shall any Body of Forces be kept up by any State, in Time of Peace, except such Number only, as in the Judgment of the United States, in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the Forts necessary for the Defence of such State; but every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined Militia,

sufficiently armed and accoutred and shall provide and constantly have ready for Use, in public Stores, a due Number of Fieldpieces and Tents, and a proper Quantity of Arms, Ammunition and Camp-equip

age.

No State shall engage in any War without the Consent of the United States in Congress assembled, unless such State be actually invaded by Enemies, or shall have received certain Advice of a Resolution being formed by some Nation of Indians to invade such State, and the Danger is so imminent as not to admit of a Delay, till the United States in Congress assembled can be consulted: nor shall any State grant Commissions to any Ships or Vessels of War, nor Letters of Marque or Reprisal, except it be after a Declaration of War by the United States in Congress assembled, and then only against the Kingdom or State and the Subjects thereof, against which War has been so declared, and under such Regulations as shall be established by the United States in Congress assembled; unless such State be infested by Pirates, in which Case Vessels of War may be fitted out for that Occasion, and kept so long as the Danger shall continue, or until the United States in Congress assembled shall determine otherwise.

ART. VII. When land Forces are raised by any State for the Common Defense, all Officers of or under the Rank of Colonel shall be appointed by the Legislature of each State respectively, by whom such Forces shall be raised, or in such Manner as such State shall direct; and all Vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made the Appointment.

ART. VIII. All Charges of War, and all other Expenses that shall be incurred for the common Defence or general Welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common Treasury, which shall be supplied by the several States, in Proportion to the Value of all Land within each State, granted to or surveyed for any Person, as such Land and the Buildings and Improvements thereon shall be estimated, according to such Mode as the United States in Congress assembled shall from Time to Time direct and appoint.

The Taxes for paying that Proportion shall be laid and levied by the Authority and Direction of the Legislature of the several States, within the Time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled.

ART. IX. The United States in Congress assembled shall have the scle and exclusive Right and Power of determining on Peace and War, except in the Cases mentioned in the sixth Article-of sending and receiving Ambassadors entering into Treaties and Alliances, provided that no Treaty of Commerce shall be made, whereby the Legislative Power of the respective States shall be restrained from imposing such Imposts and Duties on Foreigners, as their own People are subjected to, or from prohibiting the Exportation or Importation of any Species of Goods or Commodities whatsoever-of establishing Rules for deciding, in all Cases, what Captures on Land or Water shall be legal, and in what Manner Prizes taken by land or naval Forces in the Service of the United States shall be divided or appropriated-of granting Letters of Marque and Reprisal in Times of Peace-appointing Courts for the Trial of Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas-and establishing Courts for receiving and determining finally Appeals in all Cases of Captures, provided that no Member of Congress shall be appointed a Judge of any of the said Courts.