The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-09-01
Equal Taxation, Greenbacks
for bonds.

The Democratic party, in National Con.
vsntion assembled. feposing its trust in the
intelligence, patriotism and discriminating
justice Of the people, standing upon the
Constitution as the found tion and limitation
Of the powers of the Government and the
guarantee Of the liberties Of the citizen. and
recognizing the questions OF slavery and Sc
cessicn as having been settled for all time to
come By the war or the voluntary action of
the Southern States in Constitutional Con-
ventious assembled, and never to be renewed
OF reagitated, 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 a civil government
of the American people.
Second--Amnestyf 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 as is requisite for the necessities of the
economically administered, be-
ing honestly applied to such payment, and
where the obligations Of the Government do
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, (Thun-
ders of applause.]
Fourth-The equal taxation of every spe-
cies Of property according to its real value,
including government bonds and other public
securities. Renewed cheering, and cries of
"Read it again."l
Fifth-One currency for the government
and the people, the laborer and the ofice-hol-
der, the pensioner and the soldier. the pre-.
duoer and the bondholder. [Great cheering,
and cries Of "Read it again"
The fifth resolution was again read and
again cheered,
sixth--Economy in the administration of
the Government; the reduction OF the stand
ing army and navy; the abolition of the
Freedmen's Bureau, Igreat cheersl and all
the political instrumentalities designed to
secure negro supremacy; simplifcation of the
system and discontinuance Of the inquisito-
rial modes of assessing and collecting inter-
nal revenue, SO that the burden Of taxation
may be edualized and lessened, the credit of
the Government and currency made good;
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling
the State militia into national forces in time
of peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign
imports, and such equal taxation under the in
ternal revenue laws as will afford incidental
protection to domestic manufactures, and as
will without impairing the revenue, impose
the least turden 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-
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 Judi
cial Departments of the Government, the
subordination Of the military to the civil
power, to the end that the usurpations of
Congress and the despotism of the sword
may cease.
Eighth-Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at home
and abroad, the assertion of American na-
tionality, which shall command the respect
of foreign powers and furnish an example
and encouragement to the people struggling
for national integrity, constitutional liberty
and individual right, and the maintenance
Of the rights of naturalized citizens against
the absolute doctrines of immutable allegi-
apoe and the claims of foreign powers to
punish them for alleged crimes committed
beyond their jurisdiction. [Applause.l
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraign the Radical party for its disregard
of right and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which have marked its career. AT
ter the most unanimous pledge of both
Houses of Congress to prosecute the war.
exclusively for the maintenance Of the Gov
ernment and the preservation Of the
Union under the Constitution, It has repeat
edly violated that most sacred pledge, under
which alone was rallied thst noble volunteer
army which carried our flag to victory; in
stead of preserving the Union it has, SO far
as Is in its power, dissolved 1t, and subjected
ten States in time of profound peace to mil
itary despotism, it has abolished the habeas
corpus and trial by jury; it has disregarded
In times Of peace, the right Of the people to
be free from searches and seizures: 1t has en-
tered the post and telegraph Offices, and even
the private rooms Of individuals and seized
their private papers and letters without
any specification or notice Of affidavit as re-
quired by the law; it has converted the Amer
lean capital into Bastile; it has established
system of spies and official espionage to
which no crested monarchy of Europe would
dare to resort, it has abolished the right of
appeal on important constitutional questions
to the Supreme judicial tribunal and threat
ems to curtail or destroy its original jurisdic.
ton, which is irrevocable by the Constitution;
while the learned Chief Justice has been SUBJ
ly because he would not prostitute his high
Office to the support of the false and partisan
charges preferred against the President; its
corruptions and extravaganza have excelled
anything known in history, and by its frauds
and monopolies it has nearly doubled the
burden of the debt created during the war;
it has stripped the President of his constitu-
tional power Of appointment and by its as
saults the pillars of the Government are
rocking on their base and should It succeed
in November next and inaugurate its Eresi-
dent, We will meet as a subjugated and a
conquered people amid the ruins of liberty
and the shattered fragments of the Cousti-
tutien; and we do declare and resolve that
ever since the people OF the United States
threw off all subsection to the British crown,
the privilege and trust of suffrage have be-
longed to the several States and have been
granted regulated and controlled exclusively
by the political power Of each State respect
lively, and any attempt by Congress on any
pretext whatever to deprive any State of this
right or interfere with its exercise is flag
rant usurpation of power, which can find no
warrant in the Constitution, and if not pre-
vented by :he people will subvert our form
Of government, and can only end in single
centralized and consolidated government, in
which the separate existence Of the States
will be entirely absorbed and adespotism be
established in place of a Federal Union of
coequal States; that we regard the reconstruc-
tion acts (so-called) of Congress, as such, as
usurpations and unconstitutional, revolution