The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-10
The National Democratic
Platform,

y
Platform.
The Democratic party, In National Conven-
ton assembled -eposing its trust in the intelli.
pence. 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 I'D
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the ques-
tions of slavery and secession as having been
settled for all time to come, by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern States, in consti-
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 ior Tue
American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political often
ces, and the regulation OF tue 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
much a. is requisite for the necessities Of the
government economically administered, being
honestly applied TO such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not ex-
pressly 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 Justice, be paid In the awful msney OF the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation OF every species OF
nronerty according to its real value, including
government bonds and other public securities;
Fifth. One curr ency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the once holder;
the pepsioner 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 Freedmens
bureau igreat cbeersl, and all political instru-
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
Identification OF the system and discontinuance
of inauistorial modes OF assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be euualized and lesssned, the credit OF
the government and the currency made good,
| the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces in time OF
peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign i'm
norts and such edual taxation under the Inter
nal Revenue laws, as will aaordincidental pro-
lection to domestic manufactures, and as will,
without impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote ana encourage
the great Industrial interests of the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administra-
| ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from office;
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
sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at homo and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
| powers and furnish an example and encourage
| mept to people struggling for national integri
ty, constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights of naturaiz.
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
| mutable allegiance and the claims of foreign
powers to punish them Tor crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
| In demanding these measures and reforms we
arraign the Radical party for its disregard for
right and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy which has marked its career, alter the
most solemn and unanimous pledges Of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclu.
sively 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
it has, so far as it is in its power, dissolved it,
and subjected ten States i'll time OF profound
| peace to military despOtism and negro supre
macy. 1t has nullitied there the right of trial
| by Jury. 1t has abolished the habcas corpus
that most sacred writ OF liberty. 1t has over
thrown the freedom Of speech and of the press
| Ii has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
| rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional tri
bunals. 1t has disregarded in time Of peace the
right of the people To be free from search and
| SelZuTcS III HAS tlllcItu Iho pOsl anu ISiCeidpu
offices, and even the private rooms of individ
nails and seized their private papers and letters
| without any specification, or notice. or aihda
Wit, as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
| II has established 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.
portant constitutional questions to the su-
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens toicur'
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which is
irrcvocaby vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subc cted to
| great and atrOcious calunnies, merely because
| he 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 the war 1t has stripped the
President Of his constitutional power of ap-
pOintment, even of his ewn cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases and should 1t sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
| President, we will meet as subjects and n con.
qucrcd people, amid the ruins of liberty and
tie scattered fragments orthc Constitution.
| And we do declare and resolve, That ever
| since the people of the United States threw oil
all subsection to the British crown, the priv.
| legc and trust of suffrage have belonged To the
several States and have been granted regulated
and controie! exclusively by the RqlTtssat e nSS
| by Congress OH any preteXt whatever TO de-
privc any State OF this right or interfere with
| this exercise is fragrant usurpation of power,
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert our
form of government, and can only end in a sin.
| gle centralized consolidated government, in
| which the separate existence OF the States will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified DIES.
potsm be established in place of Federal
union of coequal States; and that we regard the
reconstruction acts so called, OF Congress such
usurpatiOn, and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country TO victJry
against most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran-
| ties given in the law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be disp0s-
cd of under the presumption of homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es.
| tablshed by the government. When grants of
the public lands may be allowed, necessary for
| the encouragement of important public i'm.
provcments the proceeds of the sale of such
lands and not the lands themselves, should be
30 applied.
That the President of the United States, An.
drew johnson, in exercising the power of his
high office in resisting the aggressionS OF Con.
gress OH the Constitutional rights OF the States
and the people, is entitled to the gratitude OF
the whole American people, and on behalf of
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 to support the
constitution aud restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, to unite with us in
the present great struggle for the liberties of
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, we
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all