The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-05
THE PLATFORMS

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patriotism, and discriminating Justice Of the people;
standing upon the constitution as the foundation
and limitation of the powers Of the government and
the guarantee of the liberties of the citizen, and re-
cogfizing the questions Of slavery and secession as
having been settled for all time to come by the war,
or the voluntary action Of the Southern States in
constitutional convention assembled, and never to
be renewed or reagitsted, do, with the return OF
peace, demand:
First, Immediate restoration Of all the States to
their rights in the Union, under the constitution,
and of civil government to the American people.
| Second. Amnesty for all past political offences,
and the regulation Of the elective franchise in the
States by their citizens.
Third. Payment the public debt of the United
States as rapidlyas 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 such payments 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.
Fourth Equal taxation of every species Of property
according to its real value, including government
bonds and other public securities
Fifth. One currency for the government and the
people, the laborer and the oficeholder, the PEN
sioner and the SOLDIER the producer and the bond
holder.
Sixth. Economy in the administration Of the gov
ernment; the reduction Of the standing army and
navy; the abolition Of the Freedmen's Bureau
and all political instrumentalities designed to
secure negro supremacy; simpifcaton OF the sys'
tenn, and discontinuance of inquisitorial modes
of assessing and collecting internal revenue SO that
the burden of taxation may be equalized and lessen
ed; the credit of the government and the currency
made good; the repeal of all enacraents for enroll
ing the State militia into national forces in time Of
peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign imports,
end such equal taxation under the internal revenue
laws as will afford incidental protection to domestic
manufactures and as will, without impairing the
revenue, impose the least burden upon and best pro-
mote and encourage the great industrial interests of
| the country.
Sersnth. Reform of abuses in the administration,
the expulsion of corrupt men from Office, the abro-
CATION of useless Offices the restoration Of rightful
authority to and the independence of the executive
and Judicial departments Of the government, the
subordnaton of the military to the civil power, to
the end that the usurpatons of Congress and the
despodsm Of the sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for naturaized
and native born citizens at home and abroad, the
assertion of American nationality which shall com.
mand the respect of foreign powers and furnish an
example and encouragement to people struggling for
national integrity, constitutional liberty, and nd.
oFf no NJ
naturazed citizens against tine absolute doctrine Of
immutable allegiance and the claims of foreign pow
ers to punish them for alleged crime committed be-
yond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we ar
ragn the Radical party for lite disregard Of right and
the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have
marked its career.
After the most solemn and rnanimous.pleoge Of
both Houses of Congress TO prosecute the war ex.
cluHvely for the maintenance of the government and
the preservation of the Union under the consttu.
ton, it 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 the Union 1t has, far as is in
It's power, dissolved It, and subjected ten States in
time OF profound peace to military despotism and
negro supremacy; it has nuliAed there the right OF
trial by jury; 1t has abolished the habeas corpus,
that most sacred writ of liberty; it has overthrowl
the freedom of speech and the press 1t has subst-
tuted arbitrary seizures and arrests. and military
trials, aud secret star chamber inquisons for the
constitutional tribunals; 1t 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 specific charge notice of affidavit as required
by the organic law; 1t has converted the Amerl-
can capitol intoa Bastile it has established system
of spies and official espionage to which no coAstu-
onnl monarchy of Europe would now dare TO resort;
it has abolished the right of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme judicial tri-
bunal and threatens to curtail destroy its origi-
nal jurisdiction, which is irrevocably vested by the
constitution while the learned Chief Justice has been
subjected to the most atrocious calumnies' mercy
because he would not prostitute his high ofhce 10 tne
support Of the false and partisan charges preferred
against the President; its corruption and eItrava-
pance have exceeded anything known in history,
and by its frauds and monopolies 1t hos nearly
doubled the burden OF the debt created by the war;
has stripped the presdent of his constitutional power
of appointment, even of his own Cabinet under
its repeated assaults the pillars Of the govern
ment are rocking on their base, and should it sue
ceed in November next and inaugrate its President,
we will meet as q subjected and conquered p:ople
amid the ruins oflberty and the scattered fragments
of the constitution; and we do declGre and resolve
that ever since the people Of the United States threw
of all subechon to the British Crown, the privilege
and trust of suffrage have belonged to the several
States, and have been granted, regulated and con-
trolled exclusively by the political power Of each
State respectively and that any attempt by Congress
on any pre.ext Whatever to deprive any State Of this
right or interfere with its exercise is fragrant usur
patton Of power which can find no warrant in the
constitution, and II sanctioned by the peo.
ple will subyert our form Of government, and can
only end in single centralized and consolidated gov
eument in which the separate existence of the States
will be entirely absorbed, and unqualified despo-
ism be established in place of Federal Union OF CO.
equal States; and that we regard the Reconstruction
acts socaled) of Congress as usurpations, and un'
constitutional, revolutionary and void; that our SOL
diers and sailors who carried the flag Of our country
to victory against most gallant 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 presumption OF home
stead lands, or sold in reasonable quantities, and to
,o,,o t,,t octrol oc,,noDts minimum price