St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-09-14
UNION PLATFORM.
Adopted at the State Convention,
held at st. Paul, Sept. 9th, 1855.

~''" " UNION PLATFOkM.
Adopted at the State Convention,
held at st. Paul, Sept. 9th, 1865.
.Resolved, That for the suppression Of the
greatest armed rebellion ever waged in the
world against liberal principles, the rights
of mankind and the integrity Of the repub-
lie, and for the great boons Of peace and
prosperity which We now enjoy, our pro-
foundest gratitude is due to Almighty God
and under Him to the wisdom, persever-
ance, courage and devotion Of the loyal peo-
pie Of the United States.
.Resplved, That while we recognize the dis !
persion of the armed forces of the rebellion,
we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the |
local feelings and the pernicious principles !
which eliminated in rebellion still exist in
The South to o great extent, and that it is
now the duty of all loyal men to unite in
demanding such wise and prudent measures
Of craftsmanship as shall complete the
glorious work of our armies, and such pre-
cautions as may be necessary 10 the future
safety and the lasting and perpetual peace
OF The nation. -,
Resolved, That having at oil times de-
nounced the dark spirit Of human slavery,
and having throughout the late war lent our
hearty and cordial support to every meas
ure looking to its suppression. We now hail
its extinction with 'unfeigned satisfaction"
and with the conviction that We have been
instrumental in cleansing the ,tion of this
foul blot and we furthermore pledge our
selves never to permit it to be revived in
any portion of the national domain, under
any new name or under any cunning pre-
tense determined that not only slavery
shall perish, but that all its forms, appli-
ances and theories shall perish with it..
Resolued, That inasmuch as the existing
remnant of the 80 called Democratic party
is saspiring to thrust its counsels upon thepeo-
pie in the questions arising out Of tho close
Of the war and inasmush as it is just and
right that that party should be held fast to
the responsibility Of its past record, we
therefore charge upon it,
l. That by course Of se,vility extend
ing through thirty years, it accustomed the
southern people to govern, inspired them
with contempt for the North, and prepared
them for that day when failing any longer
TO constituGonalIy govern the nation
they should set up the banner Of revolt.
2. That through their leaders they en-
| couraged the outbreak of the rebellion as
suring the insurgents that for every regi-
ment sent by the North against the South,
one should be sen: 10 fight in its behalf,
and that the streets Of northern cities
should run red with blood before the South
should be subjugated.
s. That by denial Of the right Of the
general Government to coerce q Stale into
obedience,-a denial resting upon the
authority Of the last Of the Democratic
Pre- idents,-they palsied the arm Of the
Government in the early days of The strug-
gle, and gave time for the reasonable con-
spiracy to organize and arm itself. +
4. That at every stage Of the great con-
test their sympathy was upon the side of
the rebellion; and that to this end they
organized secret societies for traitorous
purposes; opposed every decisive. measure
Of the general government; resisted direct
ly or indirectly the enforcement Of tho
draft; indicated riots in the great cities
filled the people with gloom and despenden-
cy, and, finally, in the critical moment Of
The struggle declared that the war was
failure, that the nation was unable to sup
press the rebellion, and clamored for meas
ures which, it carried out, could only have
resulted in tie division and destruction of
The Nation.
S. That it is now the intention of The
Democratic party, by working on The preju-
dices Of race, and with view to their own
re-establishmeut in power, TO preserve the
causes Of The rebellion by retaining the
black men of the south in a condition of
peonage and scrfdom: as an ignerant and
oppressed class, cut off from all hope of fu-
ture improvement, a source of constant
danger to the white population of the South,
and reproach to the humanity and clyili-
cation of the entire Nation. -,
| Resolved, That The spirit OF our iustitu-
! lions requires that the measure of mans
political rights shall be neither his religion,
his birth place, his race, his color, nor any
merely physical charac erislic and that it
would be subversive of both The form and
spirit of our institutions: to permit any
portion Of our population TO remain de-
graded and subject caste, taxed to support,
aud compelled to obey, government in
which they have no voice, and whose whole
machinery may be direct ed 10 their destruc-
tion. ....
/'esolved, That in he cruel murder Of the
late Executive of the United States, Abra-
ham Lincolh, we recognize :he natural re-
suli of The pernicious principles Of the
rebellion, which failing 10 destroy the life
OF the nation, struck down its ables;, most
trusted and best beloved representative !;
and we pledge ourselves to gather from his
martyrdom new devotion to the great priu-
ciples he so well maintained, aud IN defense
of which he persisted.
Resolved, That we tender to The officers
and soldiers who have SO gallau,ly sustain
ed the credit of our Slate and the nation in
The late war, our heartfelt and profound
thanks ): their services and suf1crings will
ever be borne in remembrance by q CRATE
ful people, while the names Of the gallant
dead will be cherished as the proudest lega-
cy which can be left to inspire and direct
posterity. @' j.: s. ....'. .... ....."
Resolved, That the existence of an I'm
perial government, sustained by foreign
bayonets, upon the soil of our sister re-
! public of Mexico is violation Of the es-
lablished policy of our nation, and . con-
slant threat against its institutions and
integrity, and we demand that our govern
ment shall take such steps as will lead to
the prompt withdrawal Of the invaders.
Resolved, That the present financial con-
dition Of the country demands that the
strictest economy should be practiccd in the
! admin,sl, alton vf both the Slate aud the
National governments, and we ask that 50
soon as the re.establlshed credit of the