The Nevada Democrat., 1858-08-11
T11E .pEMocRATIC PLATFORsr.

tic institutions of the country:
RESOLVED. That the American Democracy place their
trnst In the intelligence the patriotism and the discri
mating justice of the American people.
RESOLVED That we regard this a distinctive feature
Of our political creed which proud to maintain be-
fore The world as the great moral element in form of
government springng from and upheld Dy the popular
will and contrast with the creed and practice o cd
eralism under whatever name or form which seeks 10
palsy the will Of the constituent and which conceives no
fmposture too monstrous for the popular credulity
RESOLVED THEREFORE,, That entertaining these views,
the Democratic party Of this Unon through their Dele
gates assembled in gener. Convention coming together
In spirit concord Of devotion to the doctrines and
faith of free representative government and appealing to
their fellow citizens for the rectude Of their intentions,
renew resser before the American people the decar
atoms Of principles avowed by them when former
casons in general Convention they have presented their
candidates for tho popular suffrages.
l. That the Federal Government is oflimted power
derived solely from the Constitution and the grants OF
power made therein ought to be strictly construed by all
the departments and agents Of the and that
1t is nexpeden and dangerous to exercise doubtful con-
stitutioDal powers.
O. That the Constitution does not confer upon the Gen
era Government the power to commence and carry on
general system of internal improvements.
g. That the Constitution does confer authority upon
the Federal Government directly or indirectly TO
the debts Of the several States contracted for local and in
ternal improvements other State purposes nor would
such assumption be just or expedient
A. That Justice and policy forbid the Federal Gov
foster branch of industry to the detriment
of any other to cherish the interests of portion to
the injury Of another portion oour common country that
every citizen and every section OF the country has right
to demand and insist upon equality of rights and priv
eges and TO CONF ete ample protection OF persons and
property domestic violence foreign aggression
g. That IL is the duty every branch of the Government
enforce and practice the most rigid economy in conduct
ing public affairs and that no moro revenue ought to
be raised than required to defay the necessary expen
ses othe Government and for the gradual but certain
tinctOn of the public debt
g. That the proceeds of the public lands ought to be
credy applied to the national objects specified in the Con
gtitu and
rbuton such proceeds among the States alike inex
pedient in policy and repugnant to the Constitution
T. That Congress has no power to charter national
bank that believe such an institution one OF deadly
hostility to the best interests Of the country dangerous
to republican institutions and the liberties OF the peo-
pie and calculated to place the business of the country
within the control OF concentrated money power, and
above the laws and the will OF the people and that the
results of Democratic legislation in this and other fnan-
ca upon which issues have been made between
the two political parties Of the country have demonstrated
to candid and practical men OF all parties their soundhess
safety and utility, In all business pursuits.
g. That the separation Of the moneys of the Government
from banking institutions is indispensable for the safety of
the funds of the Government and the rights Of the people
o. That decidedly opposed to taking from the
President the qualified veto power by which he is enabled
under restrictions and responsibilities amply sufficient to
guard the public interests to suspend the passage OF bill
whose merits cannot secure the approval OF wothrds OF
the Senate and House of Representatives until the Judg
ment OF the people can be obtained there and which
has saved the American people from the corrupt yranca
domination of the Bank of the United States and from
corrupting system Of general internal improvements
TO- That the liberal principles embodied by Jefferson in
the Declaration of Independence and sanctioned in the
Constitution which makes ours the and oi hOery' ana
the asylum of the oppressed Of nation have ever
been the cardinal principles in the Democratic faith and
every attempt to abdge the privilege OF becoming citizens
the of soil among ought to be resisted with
the sam spirit which swept the alien and sedon laws
from our statute books.
And WHEREAS Since tho foregoing declaration uni
formly adopted by predecessors p National Conven
tions an adverse political and religious test has been
cretly organized by party claiming TO be exclusively
American it is proper that the American Democracy
should clearly define its relation thereto and declare its
determined opposition to all secret political societies. by
whatever they may be called.
RESOLVED That the foundation of this union of States
having been laid in, and its prosperity, expansion and
pre- eminent example in free government built upon entire
freedom in matters of religious concernment and no re-
spect person in regard TO rank place of birth party
justly be deemed national constitutional in accord
with American principles, which bases its exclusive
place. And hence political crusade in the nineteenth
century, and in the United States of America against
Catholic and foreign born il neither justified by the past
history the future prospects of the country nor in uni
with the spirit of liberation ana enlarged freedom
which peculiarly distinguishes the American system of
popular government
RESOLVED, That we reerate with renewed energy of |
purpose the well considered declarations Of former Con
venons upon the sectional issue of Domestic Slavery and
concerning the reserved rights Of the Statesu
l. That Congress has power under the Constitution
interfere with control the domestic institutions of the
Sta tes and that such States the and prop
or Judges of everything apperanng to their own affairs
not prohibited by the Constitution that all efforts of the
aboltioniss Others made to induce Congress to inter
ere with questions of slavery, to take incpen steps
relation thereto calculated to lead to the most alarm
ing and dangerous consequences and that all such efforts
have inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of
the people, and endanger the stability and pemanency of
the Unon and ought not to be countenanced by any
friend OF our political institutions.
Q That the foregoing proposition covers, and in
tended to embrace the whole subject Of slavery agitation
60
Union standing this national PLATFORM will abide by
and adhere to faithful execution of the acts known
the promise settled by the Congress of 1885,
the act for recaiming ugitives from service labor
included which act being designed to carry out
press provision of the Constitution cannot with fidelity
thereto be repealed changed to destroy im
pair its efficiency.
g. That the Democratic party viii resist all attempts
renewing in Congress out of It, the agitation Of the
slavery question under whatever shape color the
attempt may be made.
A. That the Democratic party will faithfully abide by and
uphold, the principles laid down in the Kentucky and
Virginia resolutions of 179s and in the report of Mr. Mad
ison to the Virginia legislature in 1893 that adopts
those principles constituting Of the main founda
ons its political creed and is resolved to carry them
out in their obvious meaning and import
And that We may distinctly meet the issue on
which sectional party subssting exclusively slavery
agitation now relies to test the fidelity of the people,
north and SOUTH to the Constitution and the Union
/. RESOLVED, That claiming fellowship with and desr-
ing the cooperation OF all who regard the preservation
the Union under the Constitution the issue
and repudiating all sectional parties and platforms
cernng domestic slavery which seek to embro the States
and nce to treason and armed resistance to law in the
Territories and whose avowed purposes if contaminated
must end in civil war and dsunion. The American De-
mocracy recognize and adopt the principles contained
the organic laws establishing the Territories of Kansas
and Nebraska embodyng the only sound and safe
tion Of the slavery question: upon which the great ma
tona idea of the people of this whole country repose
in its determined conservatism of the Union-Non Inter
ference by Congress 0h Slavery State and Iyroru or
in the District Of Columbia.
p That this the basis Of the Compromises Of 1850
confirmed by both the Democratic and Whg parties in ma
tiona Conventonsratifed by the people in the election
OF ls62and rightly applied to the organization of Terri
tories in 1854
g. That by the uniform application of this Democratic
principle to the organization of territories and to the ad
mission of new States with without domestic slavery
as they eectthe equal rights of all the States will
be preserved ntacthe original compacs of the Consttu-
ton maintained nvioate-and the perpetuity and expan-
sion of this Union insured to its utmost capacity
bracng, in peace and harmony every future American
state that may be constituted annexed with republi
form of