The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-07-17
INDIANA DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

tion of the country the deplorable effects of a
denarture from its time honored and conservative
nrinciples and the triumph of sectiOnaliSm; and
firmly believing that the Union and the Corstitu
tion can be preserved alone by the restoration OF
that party to power we invite all the Union men
throughout the land TO unite with in sustaining
lis organization and carrying out its principles.
/ Therefore.
Resolred. ! That we reafIirm and endorse the
political princirles that from time to time have
been put forth by the National Conventions of
the Democratic party
! 3 That we are pnalterahly attached 10 the
! Constitution. hy which the Union of these States
was formed and established and that faithful
observance ofit- principles can alone continue the
existence of the Unon and the permanent happi-
ness Of the people.
g. That the present civil war has mainly re-
suited from the long continued. unwise, and ia
natical agitation, in the North of the question OF
domestic slavery. the consequent organization OF
n geographical party. guided by the sectional plat
forms a3onted nj Buffalo. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
and Chicago. and the DEVELOPMENT thereby of
sectional hate and jealousy. prodscirg (as had
lone be IN foreseen and predicted Nv us) its cOun
ternart in the South of st cesson. disunion. and
armed resistance TO the General Government, and
! terminating in bloody strife between those who
shonld have been forever hound together by fra
1 tsrnal bonds thus bringing upon the whole coun-
trv calamity which now to meet as loval
c;t;zcns striving for the adoption Of that mode of
settlement best calculated to again restore union
and harmony.
4 That in rejecting all propositions likely to
result in a satisfactory adjustment of the matters
! in disnute between the North ard the South. and
especiallv those measuT es which would have Sc
! cur.d the border slave States to the Union and a
harty co-operation their part in II constitution
al and legal measures to procure return Of the
more Southern States TO their allegiance the Re.
publican party assumed fearful responsibility,
and acted in total disregard of the best interests
of the whole country.
i ,. That if the party in power had shown the
same desire to settle. hy amicabe adjustment. our
;n-ornal dis, ensons before hostilities had actually
comm, euced that the Administration has recently
1 exhibited to avoid n war with our ancient enemy
Great Britain, we confidently believe that peace
and harmony would now reign throughout all our
borders.
6. That the maintenance of the Union upon
the nrin,.ipps of the Federal Constitution should
be the controlling object OF all who profess loyal
tv 10 the Government-and in our Judgment this
nurrose can ONLY he accomplished bv the aScer-
dencv Of a Union party in the Southern States
which shall. bv q counter revolution. dSp'ace thOs,
who control and direct the present rc bcl!ion. Tha
M efnrt 10 create or sustain such partv can he
suc essfll which is not based upOn definite set
dement, of the questions at issue between the two
sections: and We therefore demand that some sucI
settlement be made hv additional CONSTITUTIONS
Guaranty either initiated bv act Of Congress OF
through the medium of National Convention.
I. Tint the Republican party has fully demon
straied its inability to conduct the Government
through its present difficulties.
: That wo are utterly opposed TO tho twir
eresies. Northern sectionalSm and Southern So
c..ssion. as inimical to the Constitution and tha
, fraemcn rs they value the boon Of civil libcrt'
and the peace Of the country, should frOwn indig
I alntr upon them.
@ That in this national emergency the )em0c
rae, of Indnna, banishiug all feeling of passion
and resentment, will rccollcct only their duty t,
+ the whole country: that this war should not b,
f waccd in the spirit of conquest or snbingaton
nor for the pnrposc of over!hr2wing or interfern.
with the rights or nstit tons Of the States ont 4
= defend AMI maintain the siprem"cv of the Con
sttution. and to preserve the Union with al tn
dignity, equality AID tights of the several State
: unimpa.red, and that as soon rs these objects ar
accomplished the war ought TO cease.
10. Tha: we will sustain. with all onr energies
n war f1r .he maintenance of the Constitution. an
of the integrity of the Union under the Constitution
but we ara opposed TO war for the emanci' atiO
of the negroes, or the subjugation of the SOutler
States
= H. That the purposes avOwed and advocate
by the Northern di'unionists, to iibera'e and arm
ihe negro slaves is disgrace to the age. calcula
ted to retard the suppression Of the rebellion an
meets our nnQuaigcd condemnation.
10 That the total disregcrd Of the writ Of hn
bcqs corpus bv the authorities over us, anil III
seizure and Imprisonment Of the citizens of loya
States where the iuliciaI, is in full operation
without warrant or law and without assigning an
cause or giving to the party arrested any oppOrtu
. nifty of defense, fragrant iolatIons of the Cor
stitution and most alarming acts Of usurpat,on {
power. which should receive the stern rebuke q
every lover of his country and Of every man VIII
If prizes the security and blessings OF life, liberty ar
property.
l3. That the liberty of speech and of the rre.
arc guaranteed to the people by the Constitution
and nom hut usurper would deprive them of thes
rights they are ines;imabe to the citizen an
formidable to tyrants Onlv. And the attemnt
which have been made since our present unfortl
nate troubles, to muzzlc the press and Stihe fre
discussion, are exercises of dcspotic power again
4 which freedom revots and which not be toll,
: rated without converting frcemen into slaves
H. That the seizure of Mason and Slidel o
= board a neutral vessel, on the high seas WI
either in accorda nee with international law, an
p SO leral or else in violation of such law, and :
illee al If the former, we lamert that our natio
has been Inundated by their surrender, under
b" threat if the latter, il was the duty of the AZ
ministration at once to have disavOwed the act {
their officer and instead OF incarcerating the ca,
~ tivcs in Fort Warren, to have Immediately 7,
te paired the wrong by placing them, as far as pra
ticable, in the same condition in which that of
- Ger found them. In either event. the action
the Administration vacillating and Gov
ardlv and degrading to the dignity of great natio
ID. That the action of the Republican part
j, as manifested in the partisan character of all Al
" pointmcnts Of the Administration to civil office
. and, in holding party caucusses by the RepubIica
y members of Congress for the purpose ofimpressir
- upon the legislative action of that body the pecu
dogmas of that party, have demonstrated tn
their professions Of ''sacrifcng party platform
and party organizations, upon .he altar Of the
cou..rv," are bu. many hypocritica and fall
pretenses by which they hope to dune the unwa
~ u into their support and warn all loyal person
:. :. as they love their country, not to be deceiv,
y thereby
= I6 That the disclo made by the invest
eating committee in Congress Of the enormo
frauds that have stalked into the army and ma,
departments, duplicating the heads of those d
partments in contrivance at, if not an actu
Z" participation IN system of corruption, and
er which our brave soldiers have been defrauded
= their proper supplies, and our Government threa
ened with bankruptcy, demands d thorough inve
tieation into all our expenditures both State Al
md