The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-08-07
NDIANA DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

u
departure from It's time honored and conservative,
principles, and the triumph of sectionalism ant
firmly believing that the Union and the Cocstitu
ton can be preserved alone by the restoration o
that party to power we invite all the Union meI
throughout the land to unite with us in sustaining
its organization and carrying out its principles
Therefore,
Resolued, !. That we reaffrm and endorse thu
political principles that from time to time have
been put forth by the National Conventions o.
the Democratic party.
| g That we are unalterabv attached to the
Constitution, by which the Union of these States
was formed and established and that faithful
observance fits principles can 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.
natical 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 usl its
terpart in the South of secession, disuniOn, and
armed resistance to the General Government, and
terminating in a bloody strife between those who
should have been forever bound together by fra
ternal bonds. thus bringing upon the whole coun-
| try d calamity which we are now to meet as loyal
citizens. striving for the adoption Of that mode Of
settlement best calculated to again restore union
| and harmony.
A. 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 measures which would have se-
cured the border slave States to the Union. and n
harty cooperation 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
5. That if the party in power had shown the
same desire to settle. by amicable adjustment, our
internal dissensions before hostties had actually
commenced that the Administration has recently
exhibited TO avoid a war with our ancient enemy,
Great Britain. confidently believe that peace
and harmony would now reign throughout all our
! borders.
g. That the maintenance of the Union upon
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 be accomplished, by the asceE-
dencv Of a Union party in the Southern States,
which shall. bv counter revolution displace those
who control and direct the present rebellion. That
no effort 10 create sustain such party can be
sue cssful which is not based upon definite set
element Of the questions ut issue between the two
sections: and we therefore demand that some such
{
guaranty. either initiated by act Of Congress or
through the medium of National Convention.
:. That the Republican party has fully demon
srated its inability to conduct the Government
through its present difficulties
E. That We are utterly opposed to the twin
heresies, Northern sectionalism and Southern Sc
ccssion az inimical to the Constitution and that
freeinen. as they value the boon of civil liberty
and the peace Of the country, should frown ndig-
| a intly upon them.
g. That in this national emergency the Oemoc-
rae, of Indiana, banishing all feeling of passion
and resentment, will recollect only their duty to
the whole country; that this war should not be
, waCcd in the spirit of conquest or subiugation
nor for the purpose of overihr2wng or interfering
with the rights instit tons of the States out to
defend and maintain the supremacy of the Con
stituion and to preserve the Union with all the
dignity, equality AID rights of the several States
unimpaired: and that as these objects are
accomplished the war ought 10 cease.
10. That we will sustain, with all our energies
war far :hc maintenance of the Constitution, and
Of the integrity of the Union under the Constitution;
but we arc opposed to war for the enumeration
of the negroes or the subjugation of the Southern
States.
IL. That the purposes avowed and advocated
by the Northern disunODists, to Eberate and arm
the negro slaves. is disgrace to the age. cacula-
ted TO rcard the suppression of the rebellion and
meets unqualiged condemnation.
l2 That the total disregerd of the writ of ha-
beas corpus by the authorities us, and the
seizure and Imprisonment of the citizens Of loyal
States where the ludicar, is in full operation
without warrant or law and without assigning any
cause giving to the party arrested any opportu.
nifty of defense, fragrant iOlations of the Con-
stitution 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 fe liberty and
property.
l3. That the liberty Of speech and of the press
guaranteed to the people by the Constitution,
and none hut usurper would eprive them of these
rights they are inestimable to the citizen and
formidable to tyrants only. And the attempts
which have been made since our present unfcrtu.
nate troubles, TO muzzle the press and stihe free
discussion. exercises of despotc power against
which freedom revolts and which can not be tole-
rated without converting freemen into slaves
ii. That the seizure of Mason and SlidelI on
board neutral vessel, on the high seas, was
either III accorda nee with international law. and
so Legal; or else in violation of such law and so
illegal. If the former, we lament that our nation
has been humliated by their surrender, under a
threat if the latter, it was the duty of the Ad-
ministration at once to have disavowed the act of
their officer and instead Of incarceratng the can.
tives in Fort Warren, to have Immediately re-
paired the wrong by placing them, as far as prac-
ticable, in the same condition in which that Off
Ger found them. In either event, the action of
the Administration was vacillatine and COW
ardy nddegrading to the dignity of great nation
Is. That the action of the Republican party
as manifested in the partisan character of all an
pointments of the Administration to 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
their professions of ''sacrifcing party platforms
and party organizations, upon the altar of their
couE.ry," are but so many hypocritica and false
pretenses by whiclrthey hope to dupe the unwary
into their support and we warn all LOYAL persons.
rs they love their country, not to be deceived
thereby.
J6. That the disclo ures made by the invest.
eating committee in Congress of the enormous
frauds that have staked into the army and navy
departments, duplicating the heads of those de-
partments in n contrivance at, if not an actual
participation in system of corruption, and in
which our brave soldiers have been defrauded of
their proper supplies, and our Government threat
ened with bankruptcy, demands a thorough nves-
tigation into all our expenditures, both State and
National, and that a speedy and marked example
be made Of all such ''birds of prey" who, taking
advantage of the necessity of our country, have
fed ard fattened upon public plumber.