The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-08-18
|ry Department, Office Special Commits
sioner Of the Revenue, Washington, July
|15, 1867
Plat F o II M
OF rHs
Democracy ofthe United States

Democracy Of the United States
Equal Taxation, ,Greenbacks
for Bonds.
The Democratic party, in National Con.
vention assembled. reposing its trust in the
intelligence, patriotism and discriminating
justice Of the people, standing upon the
Constitution as the foundation and limitation
Of the powers Of the Government and the
guarantee of the liberties Of the citizen. and
recognizing the questions Of slavery and se-
cession as having been settled for all time to
come by the war or the voluntary action Of
the Southern States in Constitutional Con-
ventions assembled, and never to be renewed
or reag;tated, do, with the return of peace,
demand
First--The immediate restoration Of all
the States to their rights in the Union under
the Constitution. and Of civil government
Of the American people.
second--Amnesty for all past political Of.
fences and the regulation Of the elective
franchise in the States by their citizens.
Third-Payment Of the debt Of the United
States as rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except SO
much a. Is requisite for the necessities of the
Government, economically administered, be-
ing honestly applied to such payment, and
where the obligations Of the Government dc
not expressly state upon their face, or the
law under which they were issued does not
provide that they shall be paid in coin, they
ought in right and In justice be paid in the
lawful money Of the United States. CThun.
ders Of spplause.] 't
Fourth--The equal taxation Of every spe.
cies Of property according to Its real value
including government bonds and other public
securities. Renewed cheering, snd cries Of
"Read it sgain."l
Fifth--0ne currency for the government
and the people, the laborer and the ofice-hol
der, the pensioner and the soldier. the pro,
ducer and the bondholder. IGreat cheering
and cries Of "Read it again"
The fifth resolution wss again read snj
again cheered,
Sixth--Rconomy in the administration O.
the Government; the reduction Of the stand
ing army and navy; the abolition Of the
Freedmen's Bureau, lgreat cheers] and al
the political instrumentalities designed Il
secure negro supremacy; simplifcation of the
system and discontinuancs Of the inqu;sito
rial modes Of assessing and collecting inter
may be equalixed and lessened, the credit o
the Government and currency made good
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling
the State militia into national forces n time
of peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign
imports, and such equal taxation under the in
ternal revenue laws as will afford incidenta
protection to domestic manufactures, and a.
will without impairing the revenue, impose
the least burden,upon and do the best to pro-
mote and encourage the great industrial in
terests Of the country.
Seventh--The reform of abuses In the ad
ADMINISTRATION, the expulsion Of corrupt mel
from Office, the sbrogation Of useless Offices
The restoration Of rightful authority to ant
the independence Of the Executive and Judi
cial Departments of the Government, tn,
subordination of the military to the civi
power, to the end that the usurpations o
Congress and the despctism of the swort
may cease. sssfss4
E:ghth--Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at homl
and abroad, the assertion of American ma
tionality, which shall command the respec
of foreign powers and furnish IN exampl
and encouragement to the people struggling
for national integrity, constitutional hbert,
and indiyidusl right, and the mainteaanc
OF the rights Of naturalixed citizens agsins
the absolute doctrines Of immutsble allegi
anee and the claims Of foreign powers i
punish them for alleged crimes committe,
beyond their Jurisdiction. [Applausc.l
In demanding these measures and reform
We aIraign the Radical party for Its disregar
of right and the unparslled oppression an
tyranny which have marked its career. Al
ter the most unanimous pledge OF bot
Houses Of Congress to prosecute the wal
exclusively for the maintenance Of the Gov
ernment and the preservation Of ID
Onion under the Constitution, II has repeat
edly violated that most sacred pledge, unde
/ which alone was rallied that noble voluntee
army which carried our fag to victory; in
stead of preserving the Union 1t has, so IA
as is in Its power, dissolved It, and subjecte
ten States in time Of profound peace to mi
itary despotism, 1t has abolished the habea
corpus and trial by Jury; it has disregarde
| in times Of peace. the right of the people I
be free from searches and seizures: IL has en-
/ tered the post and telegraph Offices, and eve
the private rooms Of In dividuals and seize
their private papers and letters withou
1 any specification or notice Of affidavit IS re
quired by the law; II has converted the Amer
i lean capital into Bastile; 1t has establishes
system of spies and Official espionage t
which no crested monarchy Of Europe woul
dare to rssois, II has abolished the right o
appeal on important constitutional question
to the Supreme judicial tribunal and threa.
ems TO curtail or destroy It's original jurisdic
ton, which is irrevocable by the Constitution
while the learned Chief Justice has been sub
ljected to the most asroeious calumnies mere
4 ly because he would not prostitute his higl
Office TO the supportsof the false and partisan
charges preferred sgxinst the President; 1t
corruptions and extrayaganoe have exeelle,
anything known in history, and by its fraud
and monopolies IL has nearly doubled tn
burden Of thedebtcreated during the war
1 it hasstripped ths President of his constitu
tional power of appointment and by Its as
/ saults the pillars Of the Government ar,
rocking on their base and should it succeed
in Novsm Der next and inaugurate its Irssi
dent, We win meet % subjugated and
/ conquered people amid the ruins Of liberty
and the shattered fragments Of the Consti
tuition; and We do declare and resolve tha
ever sipoe the people OF the United 6tste
threw Of ell subjection to the British crown
the privilege and trust of suffrage have be
ionged to the several States and have beer
granted regulated and controlled exclusivel,
by the political power of each State respect
lively, and any attempt by Congress on any
ipretext whatever to deprive any State of thi
right or interfere with its exercise is a flag
rant usurpaticn of power, which can find NJ
warrant in the Constitution, and if not pre-