The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-07-15

L iC ~ VIZ pAeetutAA "sfoP.SA ny
the Democratic National Convention on Tues
day. It was reported by Mr.. Murphy of New
York, chairman Of the committee on resolu-
lions
PLATFORM.
The Democratic party, in National Oonsen-
tiCn assembled, reposing its trust in the intell-
gence, patriotism, discrimination and justice
ofthe people, standing upon the constitution
as the foundation and limitation Of the powers
of the government, and the guarantee the of
liberties of the citizen, aud recognizing the
questions of slavery and secession as having
been settled for all time to come by the war,
or the voluntary action ofthe Southern States
in Constitutional Conventions assembled, and
nevsr to be repewnd or reagitated, do: with the
return of peace. demand:
FIRST The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union under the
constitution, and Of civil government to the
American people. s
Second Amnesty for all past political offen-
ces and the regulation Of the elective franchise
in the States by their citizens. ia -
8. Third. The payment of the public debt OF
the United States as soon as praotioable and
that all moneys drawn from the people by taxa
ton, except SO much as is requisite for the me-
cessities Of the, government economically, .ad-
-ministered, be honestly applied to such pay
ment and where the obligations Of the govern
ment 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, i'll right and in justice, to be paid 10
the lawful money Of the United States.
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraign the Radical party for its disregard
of right and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which hare marked its career. After
a most solemn and unanimous pledge of both
Houses of Congress to prosecute the war ex-
clusively for the maintenance of the govern
ment and the preservation Of the Union under
the constitution, it has repeatedly violated the
most sacred pledges under which alone rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried our
flag to 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 despctism and negro supremacy
has stripped the President Of his constitution.
al power disappointment even of his own Cabi-
net. Under its repeated assaults the pillars Of
the government are rocking on their base, and
should it succeed in November next and iu-
augurate its President, we will meet as sub
jugated and conquered people amid the ruins
of liberty and the scattered fragments of the
constitution.
Resolved, That in the future, as in the past,
We will adhere, with answering fidelity, to
the Union under the constitution as the only
solid foundation Of our strength, security and
happiness as people, and as framework OF
government equally conducive to the welfare
and prosperity of all the States, both Northern
and Southern.
! Resoloed, That the Union established by
the constitution is Union of States, federal
in its character, composed Of States thereby
united, and is incapable ofexisting without the
States as its continuing integral parts, and
therefore the perpetuity of the Union in it's in
tegrity depends on the preservation Of che
States in their political integrity, the govern
ment Of the United States being federal re-
public and not a consolidation of the whole
people into one nation.
Resalued, That the perpetuity of the Union
both were established by the constitution, and
and as both under the constitution, have been
}expounded in the foregoing resolutions, in con
formity With the venerable teachings of JEFF
erson, Madison and Jackson, baye ever been
held as cardinal doctrines of the Democratic
party, and they are now reiterated with in
creased aarpestpess, under the solemn conpic-
ton, that constitutional liberty can be preser-
we'd on this continent only by bringing hack
the administration Of the governmental those
| timeshonored principles Gu which, for sixty
years, there vas such unparalleled happiness
and prosperity, and in rescuing it from the
| hands ofthose who have ever held the consti.
tuition itself to be no better than covenant
With death and an agreement with hell, whose
revolutionary policy and measures have
brought such general discord, strife and war,
with its attendant ills, upon large PARTON Of
the.country, and such. widespread demoraliza-
ton throughout the whole Of it.
ResolOed, That the Democrat party in sus-
tanning the federal administration in the late
unhappy conflict Of arms did so in good faith,
with the hope and earnest wish to maintain
Fthe principles above set forth, and with no view
of waging war on the part Of the Northern
States in any spirit Of oppression against their
brethren of the South, nor for any purpose Of
conquest Of subjugation, nor purpose Of over
throwing or interfering with the rights or
established institutions Of those States, but to
defend and maintain the supremacy of the con-
stitution, and to preserve the Union with all
the dignity, equality and rights Of the several
States unimpaired. The subjugation Of these
States, or holding them as conquered territory,
would be, in the Judgment of this convention,
the destruction Of the Union itself.
Resolsed, That the highest NEED of patrio
tism is due and should ever be extanded to all
those who in the recent war periled life or for
tune for the maintenance of the onion and
the bene6cent system Of American govern
ment thereby established upon the fundalnen-
tai principles set forth in tie foregoing resell
utioEs but we have neither thanks nor sympa-
thy for those who entered and carried on the
contest for the suRjugation Of States and for
the s3bjection by federal authority Of the
white race ia any Of the States to the domin-
alton Of the black the right of suffrage, or
who shall exercise political power is matter
that rests under the constitution exclusively,