The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-07-31
INDIANA DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

= maintenance OF the Union und the preservation o
the Constitution and seeing iu the present condi
: ton of the country the deplorable effects of
departure from It's time honored and conservative
principles, and the triumph of sectonalism; ant
l. firmly believing that the Union and the Corstitu
tiOn can be preserved alone by the restoration o
that party to power. we invite all the Union mel
throughout the land to unite with us in sustaining
its organization and carrying out its principles
T Therefore.
Resolred, / That we reaffirn and endorse tn,
! political principles that from time to time have
been put forth by the National Conventions O.
the Democratic party.
|. That we are unaIterably attached to the
!. Constitution, by which the Union of these States
: was formed and established and that faithful
observance ofits principles alone continue the
existence of the Union, and the permanent happi-
ness of the people.
3. That the present civil war has mainly re-
suited from the long continued, unwise, and IA
natcal agitation in the North, of the question Of
domestic slavery, the consequent organization of
geographical party, guided by the sectional plat
forms adopted at Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
and Chicago. and the development thereby of
sectional hate and jealousy, producing (as had
long been foreseen and predicted by us) IFS cOun
terpart in the South of secession, disunion, and
armed resistance to the General Government, and
terminating in bloody strife between those who
should have been forever bound together by fra
tcrnal bonds, thus bringing upon the whole coun-
! try calamity which now to meet as loyal
citizens striving for the adoption of that mode of
settlement best calculated 20 again restore union
| aud harmony.
4. That in rejecting all propositions likely TO
result in satisfactory adjustment of the matters
in dispute between the North and the South and
especially those measu which would have Sc
cured the border slave States to the Union and a
harty cooperation their part in all constitutions
al and legal measures to procure return of the
more Southern States to their allegiance, the Re.
publican party assumed a fearful responsibility,
and acted in total disregard of the best interests
| of the whole country.
/ ). That if the party in power had shown the
same desire to settle. by amicahle adjustment, our
internal dissensions before hostilites had actually
commenced, that the Administration has recently
exhibited to avoid war with our ancient enemy,
Great Britain, confidently believe that peace
| and harmony would now reign throughout all our
borders.
/ 6. That the maintenance Of the Union unon
the principles of the Federal Constitution should
be the controlling object of all who profess loyal
" to the Government-and in our Judgment this
purpose can only he accomplished, by the ascer-
dcncy Ofa Union party i'll the Southern States
which shall, by a counter revolution, displace those
who control and direct the present re tbelliOn That
no effort 10 create or sustain such a party can be
sue esSful which is not based upon a definite set
tcmeHt of the questions at issue between the two
sections; and VIC therefore demand that some such
settlement be made by additional constitutional
guaranty, either initiated by act Of Congress or
/ through the medium of National Convention
T. That the Republican party has fully demon
strated its inability to conduct the Government
through its present difficulties.
| :. That We utterly opposed to the twin
| hcresies Northern sectionasm and Southern Sc
cesSion, rs inimical To- the Constitution and that
frecmcn, as they value the boon of civil liberty
and the peace OF the country, should lrOwn ndi--
Il intly upon them
| 9. That in this national emergency the Oemoc-
rae, of Indiana, banishng all feeling OF passion
and resentment, will rccolcct only their duty 10
the whole country; that this should not be
warcd in the spirit of conquest or subiuCaton.
nor for the purpose Of overihr2wing or interfering
with the rights instt tions of the States out to
defend and maintain the supremacy of the Con
stituton. and to preserve the Union with ali the
dignity, equality aLd rights of the several States
uninpa.rcd; and that as soon these objects are
accomplished the ought to cease
10. That we will sustain with all our energies
a frr .hc maintenance of the Constitution. nnd
of the integrity of the Union under thc Constitution:
but we arc opposed to war for the emancipation
of the negroes the subjugation of the Southern
States.
IL. That the purposes avowcd and advocated
by the Northern disunoniss, to- libera.e and arm
the negro slaves, is disgrace to the age, calcula-
meets our unqusliged condemnation.
10 That the total disrcgcrd of the writ of ba
Jeas corpus by the authorities over us anl the
seizure and imprisonment Of the citizens of loyal
States where the judiciar, is in full operation
without warrant or law and without assigning any
cause giving to the party arrested any cpportu-
nifty of defense, fragrant violations of the Con.
stituton and most alarming acts of usurpation of
power, which should receive the stern rebuke of
every lover of his country and of every man who
prizes the security and blessings of life liberty and
property.
l3. That the liberty Of speech and of the press
are guaranteed to the people by the Constitution
and none but a usurper would deprive them of these
rights they are inestimable TO the citizen and
formidable to tvrants only. And the attempts /
which have been made since our present unfortu.
nate troubles, TO muzzle the press and stihc free
discussion exercises of despotic power against
which freedom revolts and which can not be tolc- |
rated without converting irecmen into slaves
IL That the seizure of Mason and Sdell on |
board neutral vessel, on the high seas, was |
either i'll accOrda nee with international law and
so legal; or else IN violation of such law and so
illeea al II the former, we lament that our nation
has been Inundated by their surrender. under n
hrsaf if the latter, il the duty of the Adj
ministration at once to have disavowed the act of
their officer, and instead of incarcerating the can
tiyes in Fort Warren, to have Immediately ,c.
paired the wrong by Placing them, far rs prac-
ticable, in the same condition in which that Off
Ger found them. In either event, the action of
the Administration was vacillating and cow
arlv and ,gradlng to the dignity of great nation
l5 That the action of the Republican party.
manifested in the partisan character of all ap- |
pointments of the Administration 20 civil office
and, in holding party caucusses by the Republican
members Of Congress for the purpose ofimpressing
upon the legislative action of that body the peculiar
dogmas of that party, have demonstrated that
-. -~Cf En... i
and party organizations, upon the altar of their
coui.rv,' are but many hypocriticai and false
pretenses by which they hope to dupe the unwary
into their support and we warn all loyal persons.
ia they love their country, not to be deceived
thereby.
J6 That tho disclo ures made by the inyesti
eating committee in Congress of the enormous
frauds that have stalked into the army aud navy
departments, duplicating the heads of those de-
partments in contrivancc at, if not an actual