The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-06-20
Demae.a.Ie Sic convention.
Resolutions Adopted By the Democratic
State Convention, at Nashville, June
9Th, 1868

The people of Tennessee, irrespective of
former party affiliations, or differences Of
opinion arising out Of the recent war, in
contention assembled for the purpose of APP
pointing delegates to represent them in the
city of New York on the fourth of July
next are profoundly sensible of the troubled
condition of public affairs, and regard the
approaching election of q Chief Magistrate
as the most important ever held since the
establishment Of the Government IN its
result to the nation at large, they conceive
is inE Owed the preservation Of the Constitu-
ton and is guarantees of equal and exact
justice, individual liberty, the general wei
fare and domestic tranquility. To them
selves, in great part labOring under disfran
chiselnent and unjust dispossession of the
primary and essential rights of citizens of
the republic, they esteem it to be a crisis on
which depends their personal freedom and
future prosperity as a ~eommunity. Thus
deeply impressed, they have convened in a
spirit of oblivion Of past Misunderstanding,
and resolved among themselves to exclude
from their deliberations for the common
good, all questions decided BY the war, and
to Danish from their breasts all unkind feel
ing they may have excited; and to take
counsel only how best they may re-establish
political zinsercourse and association with
that portion of their felIow-citizens Of other
States who coincide in opinion with them,
and desire to assist in the administration Of
the Federal government principles and
measures which will restore 1t to its integ
rity In this step, they deem it proper to
adopt the name and designation borne by
the only political organization with which
they can associate, and in thus formally
uniting themselves with the Democratic
party as 1t nor eristS, they herewith declare
the principles they maintain, and the.
measures they hold necessary for wise and
safe administration Of the public interests
l. ResoZrcd, That, as in the course of
events, the question whether State of the
American Union could, under the compact
secede, sasubmitted to a contest of arms,
and decided IL the negative; and as it is
wise that theories IN government should be
abandoned when found impracticable, there
fore, the American people, North and South,
should accept such decision as final and con-
elusive nevertheless, we assert and main
tain that the Constitution created the Federal
government supreme under well-defned hmi
cations. leaving to the States a large mass of
residuary rights and power over their do
nestle concerns, and making the Stat CO
equal in respect of such rights; and that
the result of the war has not, and should not
in any manner be construed, to impair
tAACoC AASuISj "a tslANAA4C tAC lJOHC ~ VI liz
general government Of public liberty.
2 ReS0Ired, That we recognize the sys
TEN of African slavery formerly existing in
a portion Of this country as extinguished by
the result Of the war, and that fact is rati-
fed by a binding constitutional amendment
but that we regard the measure of the Fed
eral Congress bestowing the elective fran
chise on the black race in ten States, and
with holding it from large numbers of the
white raoe-the owners Of the soil and pay
ers of the government taxes--as gross
usurpation of power, and that such subjec-
ton of these States to the political and
social control of negroes, is policy unjust
unwise and oppressive, and tending to eX-
cite war Of races; and that any measure
which seeks to deprive the white men OF
America of their rightful position OF su
periority and supremacy in the admlnlStra
ton of the governments, both Federal and
State, or to divide or impair it, is fraught
with great danger to the perpetuity of free
republican institutions.
g. ReSO}Ued That notwithstanding the
enormous frauds in the creation of the pub
lie debt and the corrupt and ruinOus eX-
travagance by which it IS being increased,
the faith of the nation.is pledged to its pay
ment, principal and interest, in the terms of
the acts Of Congress issuing the bonds which
represent it, but not otherwise; and we are
opposed to extending the time of payment
and the consequent incr, ase OF the amount
of gold interest to more than the principal !;
an also to the view that the principal Of a
large portion of these bonds is payable in
! gold and, that while we hold gold and silver
to be the true constitutional currency, we
declare that the fyetwenty bonds should be
paid In the same currency received by the
| government for their issue, and that by the
/ withdrawal of the money granted to the ma
! tiOnal banks, we hold this result can be ac-
! cOmplished without an undue increase of
! paper money, now the only circulating me-
dium and that by this means the people
can soonest be relieved of the burden of a
/ public debt CORFU ting and enslaving in its
! character; and that in this there is no in
/ fraction OF the public faith nor violation OF
contract with the holders of bonds
! 4. Res0Lced, That every species Of prop
| erty in the country, including the govern
ment bonds, which receive the equal protec
| ton of the government, should bear an equa
| share Of the burdens of taxation and thai
as Justice is the true foundation of all GOOD
governments, there should not exist favored
| class paid in gold, while the government dis
charges it's debts to the ma IS of the people
in a currency which is kept deprecated II
value by this iniquitous system.
). Re3oZred, That the doctrines and prac
tees of the radical Republican party nov
in possession of the legislative department
Of the Federal Government, and endeavor
| ing by encroachment on the powers of the
Executive and Judiciary branches to Absorb
to itself all power, will inevitably lead, if no
checked to the destruction Of the republi
can system Of government, and the civi
liberties of the people; and that it is The
highesG dictate of patriotism to oppose it II
gross and detail and that for the purpose
of rendering opposition effective, we cor
daily ally ourselves with that party who's
creed ununciated by Thomas Jefferson il
1901, and approved in substance and spiri
by the great leaders Of every party that ha
fourished until the era of the civil war an,
which is in the following words; Equa
and exact justice to all men of whateve
State or persuasion, religious or political
peace, commerce and honest friendship witt
all nations, entangling alliances with none
the support of the State governments in al
their rights as the most competent admins
! tration of our domestic concerns, and tn
surest bulwark against antirepublican ter
denotes the preservation of the genera