The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-17
THE PLATFORM.


THE PLATFORM.
The Demooratic party, in National Convention as
sembled. reposing It's trust in the Intelligence
natriotsm, and discriminating justice OF the people,
standing upon the constitution as the foundation
and limitation cs the powers Of the government and
the pcsr r;ee Of the liberties OF the citizen, and re-
coqnzirx the questions Of slavery and secession as
;.ymp been settled for all time to come by the war;
or tho voluntary actor Of the Southern States IN
constitutional convention assembled and never W
be renewed or reagitated, do, with the return OF
peace, demand:
Fyrs, immediate restoration Of oil the States to
their rights in the Union, under the constitution
. and of civil government to the American people,
s.oor1 Amnesty for all past political offences,
end the regulation Of the elective franchise IN the
States by their citizens.
Third. Payment Of the public debt OF the un1teo
States as rapidly as practicable; all moneys drawn
from the people by taxation, except 80 much az Is
r.ouistte for the necessities Of tho government,
economically administered, being 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 We issued does not
proyide that they shall be paid IN coin, they ought
in right and In justice, be paidi 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.
Eth One currency for the government and the
people, the Iaborer and the ofaceholder. the PEN
sioner and the soldier the producer and the bond
holder.
Sirn. Economy tn the administration Of the gov
ernment; the reduction OF the standing army and
navy; the abolition Of the Freedmen's Sureau
and all political insrumentalies designed to
secure negro supremacy; aim2Bfcston OF the sys-
tenn. and disconttnuanoe Of inqcidtorisi modes
of assessing and collecting internal revenue, 30 tnat
the burden of taxaton may be equalzed and lessen
ed: the credit Of the government and the currency
made coed; the repeal Of all enactments for enroll
inc the State militia into national forces In time Of
peace and q tarlfffor revenue upon foreign imports
and such equal taxation under the internal revenue
laws az win afford incidental protection to domestic
manufactu pd as will, without impsissns the
revenue, ip5se the least burden upon and best pro-
mote AMI encourage the great industrial interests Oh
thecountry.
SSpc1tck. betOru Oh dUub66 II tAo
the expulsion of corrupt from office, the sbro-
gaon Of useless offices. the restoration OF rgns'oi
authority to and the independence Of the executive
and judicial departments Of the government, ths
subordinaton Of the military to the civil power to
the end that the usurpstions Of Congress and the
despotim Of the sword may cease.
ESghM Equal rights and protection for naturahzed
and native-born citizens ut home and abr cd, the
assertion Of American nationality which shall COM
msnd the respect Of foreign powers and furnish In
example and encouragement TO people Struggling r
national integrity constitutional liberty and indl-
vidua rights and the maintenance Of the rights OF
naturazed citizens against the obsol tie doctrine OF
immutabe allegiance, and the claims Of foreign pow
ers to punish them for alleged crime nmitted be-
yond they Jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and re .orms we ar
raign the Radical party for Its disregard OF right and
the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have
marked its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous pledge g
both Houses Of Congress to prosecute the war ex.
cluzely for the maintenance Of the government and
the preservation Of the Union under the consttu-
ton. 1t has repeatedly violated that most sacred
pledge under which alone was rallied that noble
volunteer army which carried our flag to victory.
Instead Of restoring tia Union. it has 80 far as isin
It's power dissolved IT, and subjected ten States In
time of profound peace to military despotsm and
negro supremacy; II has nuli1ed there the right OF
trial by jury; 1t has abolished the habeas corpus,
that most sacred writ Of liberty; it has overthrown
the freedom Of speech and the press; 1t has subst'
tinted arbitrary seizures, and arrests. and military
trials, and secret sta chamber nqusiions Tor the
<-iy, boad I'm time
peace the right Of the people to free from searches
and seizures It has entered the post and tee raph
Offices, and even the private rooms of individuals,
and seized their private papers and letters, without
any specific charge or notice OF affidavit, as required
by the organic law; it has converted the .Amert-
can cspitol intoa Base; it has established system
OF spies and official espionage to which no cohsdtu-
tonal monarchy Of Europe would now dare to resort
1t has abolished the right of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme judicial tri'
tnal and threatens to curtail or destroy lts or1gi-
nal Jurisdiction, which Is rrevocably vested Ivy the
constitution while the learned Chief Justice has been
subjected to the mo atrocious caiumnies, merely
because he would not prostitute his high Office to the
support Of the false and partisan charges preferred
against the President; its corruption and e1traya-
gance have exceeded anything known In history,
and by its frauds and ,nonopplies 1t has nearly
doubled the bueden Of the deo created by the war;;
has stripped the President Of his constitutional power
Of appointment, even Of his own Cabinet Under
its repeated assaults the pillars Of the govern
ment are rocking their base, and should 1t sue
oeed In November next and usugurae ITS President,
We will meet as subjected and conquered ople
amid the ruins cflberty andthe scattered fragments
Of the constitution: and we do declare and resolve
that ever snce the people Of the United States threw
on all subjecion 70 the British Grown, the privilege
and trust Of suffrage have belonged to the several
States, and have been granted, regulated and con-
trolled e1cluhively by the political power OF eao'
State respectively, and that any attempt by Congress
any pree1t whatever to deprive any State OF this
right or interfere with It's exercise, is fragrant usur-
patton Of power which can hnd no warrant 10 the
constitution, and II sanctioned by the peo
pie will subvert our form Of government and can
only end In single centralized and consolidated gov
ernment In which the separate existence of the States
win be entirely absorbed, aud an unqualified despot
ism be established in place Of Federal Union Of CO.
equal States; and that We regard the Reconstruction
acts so-oaed) Of Congress as usurpitions, and un-
constitutional revolutionary and void; that our col
diers and sailors who carried the flag Of our country
In victor against most gallant and determined foe.
all H.