The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-24
The Nationa! Democratic
Platform.

:"
tion assembled repesiRg its trust IN the inteili.
cepce, patriotism and discriminating justice OF
the neople. standing upon the constitution as
the foundation and limitation OF the powers OF
the Government, and the guarantee OF tue I'D
critics of the citizen, and recognizing INC ques-
t;ons of slavery and secession as having been
settled for all time to come, by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern States, IN consti-
tntioial convention assembled, and never to be
renewed or reagitated. do, with the return OF
peace, demand,
Eirst The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, ana oil CIVIL go'efnlnen' ioi 'ho
American people. 49,,
Second. Amnesty for all past political often
ees. and the regulation of the elective franchise
in States by their citizens.
Third Payment Of the public debt OF the Uni
ted States as rapidly rs practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except SO
mnrb "a ia reouisite for the necessities of the
government economically administered, being
Honestly applied to such payment and where
the obligations of the Government do not eX.
pressly state upon their face, OF the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, IN right
and Justice, be paid in the lawful money oi the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation Of every species OF
nronerty according to its real value, including
Government bonds and other public securities:
Fifth. One cnrr ency for the government and
the people the laborer and the Office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bond.holder.
sixth. Economy in the administration of the
government. the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition OF the freedmen q
bureau igreat cheersl, and all political instru.
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplitcation of the system, and discontinuance
of transitional modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be equalized and lessened, the credit. OF
the government and the currency made good,
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces in time OF
peace. and tariff for revenue upon foreign i'm.
ports; and such equal taxation under the Inter
nal Revenue laws as will afford incidental pro.
lection to domestic manufactures, and as VIII,
without impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote ana encourage
the great industrial interests OF the country.
Seventh, Reform of abuses in the admlnistra.
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from Office;
the abrogaton of useless offices; the restoration
of riphtful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The snbordination oil the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the usur
pations of Congress and the uespotisih Oh the
sw ord may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat.
uralized and native born citizens at home and
abroad The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
ment to people struggling for national integri'
ty, constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights of naturaliz.
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine OF i'm
mutabe allegiance, and the claims OF foreign
powers to punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we
| arraicn the Radical party for its disregard for
right, and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges OF both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclu
sively for the maintenance OF the Government
and the protection OF the Union unuer the
Constitution. 1t has repeatedly violated that
most sacred pledge, under which was rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried ouI
| flag to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
it has, so far as it is in its power, dissolved it,
| and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military despotism and negro supre,
macy 1t has nullihed there the right of trial
| by Jury. 1t has abolished the habeas corpus
| that most sacred writ OF liberty. 1t has over
| thrown the freedom of speech anu OF the press
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional tri
bunals. 1t has disregarded in time Of peace the
| right of the people to be free from search and
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, aud even the private rooms OF lndivld
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or aiilda
Wit, as required by the organic law. IL has
| converted the American capitol into Bastile
1t has established system of spies and official
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare To resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm
portant constitutional questions TO the SUI
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tOfcur
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which is
| irrevOcably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subiG cted to
| great and atrOciOus caluInnes, merely because
| he would not prostitute his high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
ferred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history and by its frauds and moDOp
olies it has nearly doubled the burden Of debt
created during tie war 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap
pOintment. even of his own cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bascs and should IL sue
coed in November next and inaugurate il:
President, we will meet "a subjects and a COZ
uuercd people, amid the ruins OF liberty and
the scattered fragments ofthc Constitution.
And we do declare nd resolve, That ever
since the people of the United States threw of
ali subsection to the British crown, the priv
legc and trust OF Suffrage have belonged to tn,
several States aud have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
er of each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any preteXt whatever To de
priye any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is fragrant usurRatiOn of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert oul
form of government, and can only end in sin
gle centralized consolidated government, IN
which the separate existence OF the States vii
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified DIES
p0tism be established in place of Fedora
union of coequal States and that we regard tn,
reconstruction acts, so called, of Congress sucl
usurpation, and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors whC
carried the flag of our country to victory
against most gallant and determined foe mus
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran
| ties given in the law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispos
ed of under the presumption OF homestead laws
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es
| tablshed by the government. When grants o
the public lands may be allowed. necessary fol
the encouragement OF important public i'm
provcments the proceeds of the sale of sucl
lands and not the lands themselves, should b,
80 applied.
That the President of the United States, An
drew johnson, in exercising the power of hi
high office in resisting the aggress0ns OF Con
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
anu the people, Is entitled 10 the GRATITUDE
the whole American people, and on behalf o
the Democratic party We tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts i'll that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
peals to every patriot, including all the Conser
vative element and all who desire to support tn,
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, tounite with us il
the present great struggle for the liberties o
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, VT
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail al
such cooperating with us as friends and broth
ers