Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-03
THE PLATFoRM.

. stitution of the United States. It declares
warm attachment to the Union under the
Constitution, and the cultivation of feel
ing of friendship and justice toward the cit
izens of our sister States declares that the
Federal Government is one of limited and
restricted powers, and has no authority to
exercise powers not specifically enumera-
ted by the Constitution that the powers
not delegated or prohibited to the States are
reserved to the States respectively or to the
people; the exercise of any power by the
Federal Government or by any of its de-
partments which has not been expressly
delegated In the Constitution, is a usurpa-
tion dangerous to the liberties of the peo-
pie, destructive to our theory of govern
ment, and an invasion of the rights Of the
States and of the people thereof .-.r
The Federal Government is as firmly
bound to respect the mandates of the Con-
stitution as the etates themselves, and when
1t violates its plain provisions it is itself in
rebellion and against the Constitution. Con-
gress has no right to deprive any State in
this Union of representation in that body.
1t is right expressly guaranteed to every
State by the Constitution itself, and any at
tempt to deprive the States of this right is
a fragrant violation of the Federal compact.
Against all such action we enter our pro-
Congress as false and recreant to the Con-
stitution. The Federal Government has no
right to abridge the freedom of speech or
the press, for our Government derives all
its powers from the people, and our officers,
from the President down, are the agents
and servants of the people, and not their
masters. The people have an undoubted
right to assemble and discuss all public al
fairs whenever they may deem it proper.
The Federal Government has no right
whatever to try civilians by military com
mission and drum-head court-martials. The
Constitution expressly says to allow mill
tary commissions and drum-head court
nlartials to supersede our courts of justice
would utterly destroy our formof Govern
ment and turn it into despotism more
fearful than that OF either Austria or Rus
sia. The life of no citizen would be secure,
and we would be driven into seclusion and
be forced to give up and surrender our lib
critics. The question Of suffrage is one
which belongs exclusively to the people of
the several States, and we regard 1t as one
OF the most fragrant outrages that was ever
perpetrated against the Constitution that
the Radical majority in Congress should |
assume the power to deprive the Southern |
States of representation, unless they should |
consent to place the negroes upon an
equality with the white race, and give them
the privilege OF voting,
We recognize the abolition of slavery as
an accomplished fact, but we most earnest |
ly assert that Kentucky has the right to
regulate the political status of the negro
race within her territory.
That, as the Federal Government is one
of limited power, it can only rightfully ex-
ercise those powers granted to it by the
States.
That, in times like these, when the people
are grievously burdened by taxation and a
gigantic national debt, it becomes the Gov
eminent to practice the most rigid economy
I'm its expenditures, and to hold to a strict
accountability all officers and contractors
who have been guilty OF corruption and
fraud.
That, for the General Government to tax
the Southern States, and at the same time
deny them representation in Congress,
would end in disruption or abject despot-
ism.
That large standing armies in times of
peace not only burden the people with
enormous taxation, but are dangerous to all
free Governments, and we recommend that
the army be reduced, as near as practical
BILE, to its former proportions in times of
peace.
And we further declare that, in whatever
form the same may be laid and collected,
they should be made equal and uniform as
far as practicable, and chat it is unjust and
contrary to the spirit and genius of the
Government that in laying and collecting
taxes there should be any Determinations
made in favor of one class of citizens against
another class, or in favor of one species of
property against another species of proper
tg, or in favor of one branch of industry
against other branches of industry, We
declare that In these times of corruption and
public plunder, when the people have been
defrauded out Of hundreds of millions by
fraudulent contractors and other public off,
GERS, that we deem it as bright omen of
the future that the President ef the United
States has announced to the country that
he will receive no presents, thus putting his
seal of condemnation on practice so pro-
life of corruption. We declare that the
President Andrew Johnson, is entitled to
the thanks of his countrymen for the veto
of those iniquitous and unconstitutional
bills known as the Freedmen's Bureau bill
and the Civil Rights bill, and that in refus-
ineto accept of the enormous and almost
unlimited powers which these acts confer
red upon him, he displayed an unselfsh-
ness not often exhibited by those In power,
and has inspired every patriot in the land
with new hope ana confidence.
In conclusion, we declare to the people of
our own liberal Commonwealth, as well as
the people of the whole Union, that. we
have met not to foment discord, bat to heal
dIssonslons, andto endeavor to the utmost
of our power to bring back our Govern
ment to its ancient purity, and to try
make it such as it was in the days of WASH
inetoD, Jefferson and jackson. We,wish
to maintain and save both the. Constitution
and The Union, as they came 10 us from the,
hands Of our patriot fathers, to preserve the
rights and liberties Of our citizens; to
maintain all the safeguards Of the Consti-
tuition intact and tnvioiate, and rescue tne
1ioyernment- from the venal grasp of that
Radical Congress whose governing princi-
pie Of action is rule or ruin. IA, iiBI!g 3
we declare that the course of the major
ity of the members OF the last Legislature