North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-08-30


met at Harrisburg "n the 9th was presided
over by Richard Vaux, who, upon taking The
chair, SAID
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION: The
Democratic party of Pennsy vania, by her
representatives. in conformity with the an
Gent usuages of the party, are again assem-
bled in State Convention.
Since the days Of Thomas jefferson, in eve
ry crisis OF our country's history, have We as
semtled in these halls, year after year. in tn
capital Of the Commonwealth bold and de-
tiant have We stood, by the principles of con
stltutional liberty, which can alone maintain
us as happy and prosperous people.
Amid threats Of violence and :he menaces
Of power, the Democracy never qualed Dn
ring lhe last four Years of war and oppression.
when all the pressure nf executive power
was used 10 control ;be Dsmocratic party,
when 10 be Democrat Was something more
thau at auy period in our past history, rheDe
mocracy net the enemy upon the great lr'nc-
pl s"t the Constitution ard d, fled the artI
il rV.r tJlee ri
We have met again. Let us do as our fa-
theirs in all ages before us have done, stand
on the broad principles of the Constitution
and ask for all 1t gives To the States or to the
people. and he salnfit with nothing else.
These principles cannon be changed by fI-
naics or OVerridden bv knaves. fAppans+
Our fathers made this cnmpacr "f {, d. raI'vr
Unnn under hardly less than inspiration, and
il cannot be altered BY fanatics or degraded
bv power. Its provisions ale for us and our
children, and military necessity shall not de
prive either these rights and privileges The
rights of .he people are as dear t o US as the
rights OF the States, and the rights OF the
States are as dear to the people as are their
individual rights. One thing must b. dis
tinctly understood. Our dignity and man
hood must not be degraded by social equality
with an inferior race! [Grcat cheerinel. -.
GeHllemeu of the Convention: Having bv
your partialIty, been chosen t" Preside over
your deliberations, ask your indu lgence, and
promise to perform my duties to the best of
my ability. The Chair is now ready for any
motion that may be made.
The Convention finally adopted, nnani-
IN usly, the following r rs"luti"ns, reprIt,d
by the Hon. Jeremiah S. Black:
PLATFORM:
WHEREAS. 1t Ia the imperative duty and should
be the exclusive :sire of every American citizen
ntrusted with the power of ofc0ntnng public aft Irs
by his vote otherwise, to See that they are adin-
istared with single eye to The great obie cts which
out oref hRrs had in view when they laid the foun-
lations OF this republic, viz: To form more ertect
un on establish justice insure domestic tranquil
ty provide for the common defence ; promote the
general welfare and secure the blessings Of Ii ery
70 ourselves and our posterity.
WHEREAS The men and the party adm nistering
the Federal Government since 1861 have betrayed
their trust violated their sacred obligations disre-
garded the commands Of the fundamental law, cor
ruptIy suuandered the public money, den Ell justice
to the peore perverted the whole government from
its original purpose, an thereby have brought on
untold calamties upon the country therefore be it
ReSoLred, That we. the Democracy Of PenDsyIva-
nj are now as we always have been faithful to the
Union of the States opposn ng the secession OF the
South with all our influence and having sympI thy
or association whatever with the purity IN the North
which plotted against the Union and pronounced the
Constit "a covenant with death and an agree
meat with hell"
Second That if the c,unses of the Democratic
party had prevailed the Union would have been
saved in all its integrity and honor without the
sla lighter, debt and Disgrace ofot civil war. But
when the formation Of sectional parties in the North
and in the South and the advent of of these par
ties into the seats of power made war ct which
We could not counteract, we sustained the Federal
authorities u good faith, asking nothing at their
hands except derent respect for our legal rights
and some show of common honesty in the manage
ment of our financial affairs, but in beth these par
ticulars were disappointed and betrayed
THIRD. That the Constitution established by our
revolutionary fathers is entitled to our unqualified
respect and obedience the oath to support II is bin
ding religiousy morally AM legally, at all times
under all circumstances, and in every part of the
country, upon all public officers, from the highest TO
the lowest we'll upen private citizens; 1t Is on
ly by strict observance of irs provisions, and rig
id enforcement of its obligations in all the States,
that We ca n hope for union, liberty, peace He
who willfully violates it, or counsels violation by
Others is public enemy and dishonest man.
Fourth. That among the rights guaranteed to us
by the plainest words OF the Constitution are these
Free press freedom from arbitrary arrest AMI lfe-
gal imprisonment, trial by jury the writ Of hd6eas
corpus the perfect immunity all persons in
the army navy from any species of punishment
for crime pretendet ci ime which Is not the legal
consequence of q legal conviction Oy an impartial ju
ry the absolute subordnatlon CT al military power
zens to vote at the State elections. hg to the
laws of the State.
Fifth That we fully concur with President john
con in the conviction expressed by him in 1860 and
repeated several times since, that the Federal Gov
ernment is sovereign within its prnper sphere that
it acts not through upon the States. bu directly
upon individuals that the States could not absove
the people from their Federal oblgat ions that the
S. ate ordiELn es OF secession we're utilities and,
therefore when the attempted revolution came to an
end by the submission OF the insurgents the States
were as much part of the Union as they had been
before Their people were bound to the same duties
and clothes with the rights excepting, If
course such rights as individuals among them had
legally forfeited by their own acts in the meantime,
and We hereby declare thar so can prevent
it, the resumption Of their proper places in the Union
by those States some Of whose citizens were lately
in rebellion, shall not be impeded or delayed by the
unlawful interference OF that faction at the North
which was always hostile 10 the Union which now
pronounces it legally dissolve AMI which is still
Indignantly laboring to prevent its restoration.
e.