The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-12
The National Democratic
Platform.

ton assembled, repesiHg its trust in the intelli
oence. patriotism and discriminating justice OF
the neople. standing upon the Constitution as
The foundation and limitation Of the powers of
the Government, and the guarantee OF the lib
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the dues-
tions of slavery and secession as having been
sottled for all time to come, by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern states, IN constl-
tutional convention assembled, and never to be
renewed 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 for the
American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political often
ces and the regulation Of the elective franchise
in States by their citizens.
Third. Payment of the public debt of the Uni.
ted States as rapidly as practicable all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except so
mnch as is requisite for the necessities OF the
government economically administered, being
Honestly applied TO such payment and where
the obligations oil the Government DO not sA-
nressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, il right
and Justice, be paid in the lawful money of the
United States. .
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species Of
Government bonds and other public securities.
Fifth One currency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the Office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bond holder.
sixth. Economy in the administration of the
government the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen's
bureau great cEeersl, and all political instru.
mentalities designed tn secure negro supremacy;
simplitication of the system, and discontinuance
of transitional modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden Of taxation
ia n
the government and the currency made good
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
Stat. militia into the national forces i'll time OF
neace and tariff for revenue upon foreign I'M
ports: and such equal taxation under the Inter
nal Revenue laws, as will afford incidental pro
lection to domestic manufactures, and "a will.
without impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests of the country.
seventh. Reform of abuses in the administra-
tios; the expulsion of corrupt men from ONCE;
the abrogatiOn of useless offices; the restoration
Of rightful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subOrdination of the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the usur
nations of Congress and the despOtism of the
sw ord may cease
Eighth. EQUAL rights and protection for nat.
uralized and native born citizens at home and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect of foreign
noWers and furnish an example and encourage.
ment TO people struggling for national integri.
ty constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights Of naturaliZ.
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutable allegiance, and the claims OF foreign
mowers to punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we
arraign the Radical party for its disregard tor
rioht. and the unparalleled oppression and tyr.
l. hnsy oil
most solemn and unanimous pledges Of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclu.
siyely for the maintenance of the Government
and the protection of the Union under the
Constitution. 1t has repeatedly violated that
most sacred pledge, under which was rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried our
FLAG to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
il has so far il is in its power, dissolved it;
| and subjected ten States in time OF profound
peace to military despotism and negro suprc.
macy Ii has nullicd there the right OF trial
| bv Jury 1t has abolished the habeas corpus,
| fiat most sacred writ OF liberty 1t has over.
thrown tie freedom of speech and of the press.
| IL has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
| rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitons for constitutional tTl'
bunals. 1t has d isregarded in time oil peace the
| right of the people to be- free from search and
seznres 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms OF individ'
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or NOTICE, or auda'
Wit rs required by the organic law. IL has
converted the American capitol into Bastile:
| Ii has established a system of spies and Official
espionage To which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare to resort.
| 1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm
portaut constitutional questions to the su
prcmo judicial tribunal, and threatens tornr
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whichis
| irrcvocahly vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subic cted to
| great and atrociOus caluInnies, merely because
| h, would not prostitute his high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
| ferred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history and by its frauds and monop
olies it has nearly doubled the burden of debt
created during tae war. IL has stripped tine
| President of his constitutional power Of ap
pointment even of his own cabinet. Under lis
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking Oh their bases and should it sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President wGwill meet, as subjects and a con
oucred people. amid the ruins of liberty ant
| the scattered fragments ofthe Constitution.
| And we do declare and resolve, That ever
since the PEOPLE of the United States threw of
| ali subsection to the British crown, the priv
| legc and trust of Suffrage have belonged TO til,
| several States. and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively 10y the political pow
| cr OF each State respectively; and any attempt
pTive any State of this right or interfere will
| this exercise Is fragrant usurpatiOn of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert oul
| form of government, and can only end in sin
| gle centralized consolidated government, IL
| which the separate existence Oft the States vii
he entirely absorbed, aud an unqualified dcs
pOtism be established in place of Fedora
union of cOequal States; and that we regard th,
reconstruction acts, so called, Of Congress sucl
usurpatiOn, aud unconstitutional, revolutionary
| and void; and that our soldiers and sailors whit
carried the flag of our country To rict JrN
| against most gallant and determined foe mus
| be ever gratefully remembered aud all guaran
ties given in the law must DO faithfully carried
| into execution.
That the public land should he distributed
widely among the people and should be dispos
| cd of under the presumption of homestead Laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
hut actual occupants, at the minimum price Is
| tablishcd by TIE government. When grantA o
the public lands may be allowed, necessary fol
tho encouragement Of important public i'm
provements the proceeds of the sale of suci
| lands and not the lands themselves. should D'
so applied.
| That the President Of the United States, An
drew johnson, in exercising the power of hi'
| high office In resisting the aggressiOnS OF Con
greSs on the Constitutional rights OF the States
| and the people, is entitled TO the gratitude o
the whole American people, and ON behalf o.
the Democratic party we tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
| peals to every patriot, including all the Conser
vative element and all who desire 10 support th'
constitution and restore the Union forgetting
past Differences of opinion, tounite with us II
| the present great struggle for the liberties O
the people, and that TO all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged W,
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail al
1 a, Er,. af,I hraf