The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-10-13
Pr. At f O r. M
OF THE
: Democracy ofthe United States
Equal Taxation. Greenbacks
for Bonds. ,

The Democratic party, in National Con.
vention assembled. reposing its trust in the
intelligence, patriotism and discriminating
justice of the people, standing upon the
Constitution as the foundation and limitation
4 of the powers of the Government and the
guarantee of he.liberties OF the citizen, and
recognizing the questions OF slavery and Sc
csssicn as having been settled for all time to
come by the war or the voluntary action of
tie Southern States in Constitutional Con-
ventions assembled, and never to be renewed
or reagitated, do, with the return of peace,
demand-E -
First--The immediate restoration of al
the States to their rights in the Union under
the Constitution. and of civil government
Of the American people.
Second--Amnesty for all past political Of
fsncess and the regulation of the elective
dfanehise. the states by thar citizens.
Third--Payment of the debt of the United
States as rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except so
gmuch as is requisitefor the necessities ofthe
Government, economically administered, be-
ing honestly applied to such payment, and
where the obligations Of the Government do
not expressly state lupon their face, or the
flaw under whiUh they were issued does not
/ provide that they shall be paid in coin, they
ought in right and in justice he paid in the
lawful money of the United States, [Thun-
; ders of applause
: Fourt2--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
< sndth people, the laborer and the ofice-hol-
der, the pensioner and the soldier the pre-.
ducer and the bsndholder. tGreat cheering
3 and cries of 1Read it again. -
The fifth resolution was again read and
! again cheered, a.. .-vss =. 1.sS7f
Sixth--Economy in the administration of
the Government; the reduction OF the stand
ing army and navy; the abolition of the
Freedmen's Bureau, [great cheers] and all
the political instrnmentalities designed to
secure negro supremacy; simplifcation of the
Z system and discontinuance of the inquisito-
rial modes of assessing and collecting inter
nal revenue, so that the burden of taxation
may be equalized 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 a tariff for revenue upon foreign
imports, and such equal taxation under the in
ternal revenue laws as will afford Incidental
protection to domestic manufaetures, and as
will without impairing the revenue, impose
the least burden 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 a5-
! eministration, The expulsion of corrupt men
Z. from Office, the abrogation of useless offices,
. therestoration 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.
Righth-Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at home
and abroad the assertion of American ma
tionality, which shall command the respect
Of foreign powers and furnish an example
and encouragement to the people struggling
: for nationai integrity, constitutional liberty
:. and individual right, and the maintenanee
:. Of the rights of anaturalized citizens against
The absolute doctrines of immntable allegi,
t anse and the claims of foreign powers to
punish them for alleged crimes committed
beyond their jurisdiction. [Applause.1
. bsIn demanding these measures and reforms
we aIraign the Radical party for its disregard
sof 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
eminent and the preservation of the
Union under the Constitution, It has repeat
edly violated that most sacred pledge, under
which alone was rallied that noble volunteer
- army which carried our flag tVsovietor]; in
: stead of preserving the Union IL has, SO far
as is in its power, dissolved it. and subjected
ten States in time of profound peace to mil
itary despotism, it has abolishedthe 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: it 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
a 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 onimportant constitutional questions
, Z TO the Surreme judicial tribunal and threat
e ems to curtal or destroy its original jurisdic.
- tion, which Is frreyooable blythe Constitution
while the learned Chief Justice has been sub
jected to the most atrocious eaiumnies mere
ly because he would hot prostitute his high
Office to the support Of the false and partisan
: charges preferred against the President; its
: corruptions and extravaganee have 5excelled
= 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 eonstitu-
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 Iresi
dent, we will ,aeet as a subjugated and a
conquered people amid the ruins OF liberty
and the shattered fragments Of the Consti-
tutien; and we do declare and resolve that
ever since the people OF the United States
threw off all subjection to the British crown,
the privilege and trust of suffrage have be-
ionged to the several States and have been
.Sranted 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 usurpatisp 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 . adespotisnl, be
established in place of a Federal Union Of
coequal States that we regard hereconstrue-
tion acts (so-called) of Congress, as such, as
usurpations and unconstitutional, revolution
ary and void; that our soldiers and sailors
who carried the flag of our country to victo,
ry 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 widely
among the people and should be disposed
of either under the pre- emptiOn of home
stead lands or sold in reasonable quanti-
ties; that the President.,of the United states,
Andrew Johuson, (applau sci in exercising