The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-10-03


patriotism, and discriminating Justice of the peo
pie, standing upon the Constitution as the founda-
ton and limitation of the powers of the Govern
ment and the guarantee of the liberties of the cit
iIen; and recognizing the questions of slavery
and secession as having been settled for oil time
to como by the war or the voluntary action of the
Southern States in Constitutional Convention as
sembled, and never TO be renewed rcagitated,
do with the return of peace demand:
First-Immediate restoration of all the States
to their rights in the Union under tho Constitu-
ton; and of civil government to the American
people.
SeeOnd--Amnesty for all past political ofenses,
and the regulation of the elective franchise in the
States by their citizens.
TRird-Payment of the public debt of the United
States as rapidly practicable; all moneys drawn
from the people by taxation, except so much as is
requisite for the necessities Of the Government,
economically administered, being honestly applied
to sdch 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, to be paid in
the lawful money of the United States.
FoHrtA-Equal taxation Of every species Of
property according to its real value, including
Government bonds and other public securities.
Fgth-0Re currency for the Government and
the people, the laboEer and the ofice holder, the
pensioner and the soldier, tbH producer and the
bondholder.
!SIrtA-Economy in the aam .stration of the
Government; the reduction of the standing army
and the navy; The abolition of the Freedman's
Bureau, and all political instrumentaities designed
to secure negro supremacy; simplihcation of the
system, and diseontinuance of inquisitorial modes
of assessing and collecting Internal Revenue, so
that the burden ef taxation may be equaliEed and
leSsened; the credit of the Government and the
currency made good the repeal of all enaetments
for enrolling the State militia into national forces
m time Of peace, and tariff for revenue upon
foreign imports, and such equal taxation under
the Internal Revenue laws as viii afford Incl
dental protection TO domestic manufactures, and
rs viii, without impairing the revenue impose the
least burden upon and best promote and eneour-
age the great industrial interests Of the country.
SereHtk--Reform of abuses in the adzinistra-
ton, the expulsion Of corrupt men from Of
fee, the ahrogotion of useless Offices, the
restoration of rightful authority to, and the
Independence of, the executive and judicial de-
partments 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
uraliEed and native-born citizens at home and
abroad, the assertion Of American nationality
which shall command the respect of foreign pow
ers and furnish an example and encouragement
20 people struggling for national integrity, con-
stitutional liberty and individual rights and the
maintenance of the rights of naturalized citizens
against the absolute doctrine of immutable ale
glance, and the claims OF foreign powers 70 pun
ish them for alleged crime committed beyond their
jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we
Arraign the Radical party for ts disregard Of right
and the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which
have marked its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous pledge Of
both Houses Of Congress to prosecute the war ex-
elusively for the maintenance Of the Government
and the preservation of the Union under the Con-
stitution, it has repeatedly violated that most
cred pledge under which alone was rallied that
noble volunteer army which carried our Gag 10
victory. Instead of restoring the Union it has
so far as in its power, dissolved IT. and subjected
ten States in time Of profound peace, to military
despotism and negro supremacy. II has nulliied
there the right of trial by jury; it has abolished
the habeas corpus that most sacred writ of liberty
1t has oyerthroBn the freedom Of speech and the
press; it has substituted arbitrary seizures and
arrests, and military trials and secret star cham
Der inquisitions for the constitutional tribunals it
has disregarded in time of peace the right Of the
people TO be free from searches and seizures: it
has entered the post and telegraph Offices and
even the private rooms Of individuals, and seized
their private papers and letters without any spe-
cife charge or notice of affidavit, as required by
the organic law it has converted the American
Capitol into bastile; il has established a sys-
TEN OF spies and official espionage 10 which no
constitutional monarchy. of Europe would now
dare to resort; it has abolished the right Of ap-
peal on important constitutional questions to the
supreme judicial tribunal and threatens to eurtai
or destroy its original jurisdiction which is ire
vocably vested by the Constitution, while the
learned Chief Justice has been subjected 10 the
most atrociOus ealumnies, merely because he
would not prostitute his high office to the support
of the false and partzan charges preferred against
the President. Its corruption and extravaganza
have exceeded thing known in history, and by
its frauds and monopolies it has nearly doubled
the burden of the debt created by the war. It
has stripped the President of his constitutional
Of aDuoiUfmPnt Of his Tahfnak
Under its repeated assaults the pillars of the Gov
ernment are rocking on their base, and should it
succeed in November next and inaugurate its
President we viii meet as subjected and con-
>qUered people amid the ruins of liberty and the
scattered fragmants Of the Constitution.
And We do declare and resolve that ever since
the people Of the United States threw of all sub
lection to the British Crown the privilege and trust
of suffrage have belonged to the several states
and have been granted, regulated and controlled
exclusively by the political power of each State
respectively, and that any attempt by Congress,
on any pTetext whatever, to deprive any State of
this right or interfere with its exercise, is fla
grant usurpation of power which can find no war
rant In the Constitution, and if sanctioned by the
people viii gubVert our form of Government, and
can only end in single centralized and consoI-
idated government in which the separate existence
of the States viii be entirely absorbed and an un
qualified despotism be established in place of a
Federal Union Of eoequal States.
And that We regard the Reconstruction Acts $50
called) of Congress, as such, as usurpations and
unconstitutional, revolutionary and void.
That our soldiers and sailors who carried the
flag of our country to victory against most gal
lant and determined foe must ever be gratefully
remembered, and all the guarantees given in their
favor must be faithfully carried into execution.
That the public lands should be distributed as
widely as possible among the people, and should
be disposed Of either under the pre-emption of
homestead lands, or sold In reasonable quantities
and to none but actual occupants, at the minimum
price established by the Government When
grants of the public lands may be allowed, neces-
.sary for the encouragement of important public
improvements, the proceeds of the sale of such
lands, and not the lands themselves should be so
applied.
That the President of the United States, Andrew
johnson, in exercising the power of his high Of
fee in resisting the aggressions of Congress upon
the Constitutional rights of the States and the
People, is entitled to the gratitude of the whole
American people, and in behalf of the Democratic
party we tender him our thanks for his patriotic
efforts in thatregard.
Upon this Platform the Democratic party ap-
peal to every patriot, including all the conserve
tive element and all who desire to support the
Constitution and restore the Union, forgetting all
past differences of opinion to unite with us in the
present great struggle for the liberties of the
pie, and that to all such, to Whatever party they
may have heretofore belonged, we extend the right
hand Of fellowship, and hail all such cooperating
With us as friends and brethren.