The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-07-24
The National Democratic
Platform.

changed, w DeaU OF Ii ioh 4NO' -
The National Democratic
Platform.
The Democratic party, in National Conven
ton assembled, rep6sing its trust IN the intelli
gence, patriotism and discriminating justice OF
the people, standing upon the Constitution az
the foundation and limitation OF the powers Of
the Government, and the guarantee OF the lib
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the ques
tions 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 consu
tutional convention assembled, and never to be
renewed or regulated 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 LOT the
American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political often
ces, 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 as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except SO
much as Is requisite 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, or 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 OF the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species OF
property according to its real value, including
government bonds and other public securities
Fifth. One curr ency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bOnd.holder ~
.,,t oil nj 4 rat IF
government, the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen's
bureau lgreat cheersl, and all political instru
mentalties designed tO secure negro supremacy;
smpliiicaton OF the system, and discontinuance
of inguisitorial modes OF assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; 80 that the burden OF taxation
NAV be equaliZed and lessened, the credit oil
the government and the currency made good
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces In time oil
peace, and q 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 az will
without impairins the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests of the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administra
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from office
the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government The sub0rdination Of the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the usnr
patiOns of Congress and the despotism OF the
sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at homo 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
aud the maintenance OF the rights oil naturaliZ
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutable allegiance, and the claims of foreign
powers to punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms We
arragn the Radical party for its disregard FOL
right, and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy which has marked its career, after thu
most solemn and unanimous pledges Of boil
houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclu
siVcly for The maintenance ui the Governing
ana ,hT protector o. 1fcdy violated that
49, s.Cfed pledge, under which was rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried OuI
flag tovictOry. Instead Of restoring the Union
il has, 80 far as it is in its power, dissolved it,
and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military despetism and negro suprc
macy. 1t has nulliiied there the right Of trial
by Jury. 1t has abolished the habeaS corpus
that most sacred writ Oi liberty. IL has over
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest, and military trials and the secret stal
chambers of inquisitOns 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 pest and telegraph
Offices and even the private rooms of indivd
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or afida
Wit, rs required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile
1t has established system of spies and Othcia
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 su
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tOicur
tail destroy It's original jurisdiction, which Is
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been sulje cted to
great and atrocious calunnies, merely because
he would not prostitute his high office to the
support of tho false and partisan charges pre-
ferred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by Its frauds and monop
Oles II has nearly doubled the burden of debt
created during the war. u has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap
pointment, even of his own cabinet. Under IL
repeated assaults the pillars Of the Government
are rocking oil their bases, and should it sue
coed in November next and inaugurate it,
President we will meet "a subjects and con
the scattered fragments Ofthe Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve, That ever
since tho people Of the United States threw of
all subsection to the British crown, the priv
lege and trust Of suffrage have belonged to the
several States, and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
er OF each State respectively; and any attemp,
by Congress on any pretext whatever TO de
prive any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is a fragrant usurpation of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert our
fern of government, and can only end in sin
gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence of the States will
he entirely absorbed, and al unqualified des
pOtism be established in place Of a Federal
union Of coequal States: and that we regard the
reconstruction acts, so called, Of Congress such
usnrpatiOn, and unconstitutional. revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag Of our country TO victJry
against most gallant and determined foe must
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
cd Of under the presumption of homestead Laws
and sold in reasonable quantities. and to none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es
ta6lished by the government. When grants Of
the public lands may be allowed, necessary for
the encouragement of important public i'm
provements the proceeds of the sale of sucl
lands, and not the lands themselves, should b.
so applied.
That the President of the United States, An
drew johnson. in exercising the power of his
high office in resisting the aggrcssiOns OF Con
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
and the people, is entitled 10 the gratitude OF
the whole American people, and on behalf OF
the Democratic party we tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
peals to every patriot. including all the Conser
vative element and allwho desire to support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, unite with us in
the present great struggle for the liberties OF
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, we
extend the right hand Of fellowship, and hail all
such co operating with US a. friends and broth
crs. ....-
THE CREDITORS
nF THORNTON F. CARTRIGHT ARE
~ hereby notified to appear at my office in the
city of Wheeling, West Virginia on the I'D day