The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-07-15

p LATF O R M
-oF THE
OHIO DEMOCRACY
ADOPTED AT
Columbus, June NJ, 1868.

Column bus. june Al, 1868.
PREAMBLE
The Democratic party has ever been, and
vet is, a law abiding party. 1t asks nothing
but its rights under the Constitution and the
flaws. 1t resorts to no violation of either; it
countenances no violation of either. 1t has a
right to all guarantees of public and private
liberty, aud of property, contained in the fun
damcntal laws, and it will surrender not one OF
them. 1t has the right to discuss public
measures, and will discuss them. 1t has the
right to propose and advocate that policy whic h
II deems lest for the nation, and it will exer-
| else that right. 1t has a right to have its pol
lev passed upon by the people at peaccable
and untrammeIed elections, and it will main
tain that right. If found in a minority, it
Yields obedience to all lawful rule of the ma
iority; if it be the majority itself, it claims
that its lawful will be respected. Whether it
is a majority IT minority, 1t obeys all laws that
arc in force. Those that it dislikcs it seeks
to overthrow, not by violence, but by a iegiti-
mate repeal. Those that it proposes, it seeks
to carry, not by force, but by legal enactment.
And what it does in all these respects, it de-
mands, ard has a right tn demand, that all
others shall do. They owe the same obedi
ence to the. Constitution and the laws as the
Democrats owe. They have the same interest
to maintain free government, to protect hber-
ty, to be secure in their houses, persons, and
property, that Democrats have. Il is neither
their interest nor ours that despotism or an
archy should prevail; and if they wish to
avert both, let them sec to it in time that they
give no occasion for either. We will do our
duty let them remember to do theirs.
In view of the circumstances that have
brought US together, we hereby r~esolvs
RESOLUTIONS.
LllThatthe-w4llo of he peopleis the=foun
dation of all free government. That 10 give
effect to this will, free thought, free speech,
and q free press are absolutely indispensable.
Without free discussion there is no certainty
of sound judgment; without sound judgment
there can be no wise government l
2. That it is an inherent and constitution
al right of the people to discuss all measures
of their Government, and to approve or disap-
prove, as to their best judgment seems right
That they have a right to propose and advo-
cate that policy which in their judgment is
best, and to argue and vote against whatever
poi;eY seems to them 10 violate the Constitu-
ton. to impair their liberties, OF be detlimen-
tai to their welfare. u=
8. That these and all other rights, guaran-
ed to them by their constitutions, are their
rights in time of war as well as In time OF peace;
AMI of far more value and necessity in Sar than
in peace. For in peace liberty, security and
PlOPSASJ "S
are ever in peril.
4. That we now say to all whom it may
concern, not by wy of threat, but calmly and
firmly, that we will not surrender these rights
nor submit to their forcible. violation. We
will obey the laws ourselves, and all others
must obey them.
5. Thai there is a manifest difference be-
tween the Administration of the Government
and the Government itself. The Government
| aonc,cfc 0f tho civil ond poitiaal institutions
created by the Constitution, and to it the peo-
pie owe allegiance. The Administration are
but the agents of the people, subject to their
approval or condemnation, according to the
merit or demcrit of their acts.
6. That in the exercise of the right to diff.
fer with the Federal Executive, we. enter our
solemn protest against the Proclamation of the
President of the United States, dated the first
day of January, one thousand eight hundred
and sixty three, by which he assumesto eman-
cipate slaves in certain States; holding the
same to be unwise, unconstitutional and void
7. That We declare our determined opposi
ton to a system of emancipation by the States
upon compensation to be made out of the
J Treasury of the United States, as burthensome
upon the people, unjust in its every nature
and wholly without warrant of the Constitu
ticn
8. That we declare that the power which
j loo 4Ak1AblJ OSOh oaLl ~ " bhS oAA
! of the United States, whereby, under guise o
a military necessity, he has proclaimed and
ektended-or asserts the right to proclaim o.
extend-martial law over States where wa
does not exist, and has suspended the writ O
I ha6eas corpus, is unwarranted by the Constitu
e ton, and its tendency is to subordinate civil
e to military authority, and to subvert our FREE
government asRr
g.. That VIC deem it proper further to de
? clare that we, together with the truly loya
l people of the State, would hail with pleasure
and delight any manifestations of a desire OF
the part CT the seeded States to return tt
, their allegiance to the Government of tn,
Union, and in such event we would cordial,
and earnestly cooperate with them in the res
0 ~toration of peace and the procurement of sucl
. proper guarantees as would give security to al
I their interests and rights.
10. That the soldiers composing our arm
o les merit the warmest thanks of the nation
s Their country called aud nobly did they re
spond. Living, they shall know a nation
gratitude wounded, a nations care and dy
! ing they shall live in our memories, and mon
T uments shall be raised to teach p~osterity t
T honor tie patriots and heroes who offered thei
liycs at their country's altar. Their widow
and orphans shall be adopted by the nation, t
be watched over and cared for as objects trul
worthy a nations guardianship.