Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-15
Democratic Platform.


the democratic party in National Con
vention assembled, reposing its trust in tn
intelligence, patriotism and discriminating
justice of the people, standing upon tn
Constitution as the foundation and limita
ton Of the powers of the government, ant
the guaranty of the liberties of the citizen
and recognizing the questions of slavery
and secession as having been settled for al
time to come by the war or the voluntary
action of the southern states in Constitu
tional Convention assembled and never te
be renewed or reagitated, do with the re-
turn of peace demand;
First-lmmediate 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 of the public debt OF
the United States as rapidly as practicable;
all moneys drawn from the people by
taxation, except 50 much as is requisite for
the necessities of the government, econom-
icalIy administered, being honestly applied
to such payment, and where the obliga-
tions 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 law
full money Of the United States. Thun-
ders of fapplause-
Fourth-Equal taxation of every species
Of property according to its real value, in
Guiding government bonds and other public
securities. Renewed cheering and cries
Of Read it again.
Flfth-One currency for the government
and the people, the laborer and the Office
holder, the pensioner and the soldier, the
producer and the bondholder. [Great
cheering and cries of Read it again. I
The fifth resolution was again read, and
again cheered.
Sixth-Economy in the administration
of the government; the reduction of the
standing army and navy the abolition Of
the Freedmen's Bureau [great cheering,
and all political instrumentalities designed
to secure negro supremacy simpifcation
of the system, and discontinuance of in
quisitorial assessing and collecting Internal
Revenue, so that the burden of taxation
may be equaized and lessesed, the credit of
the government and the 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 Internal Revenue
laws as will afford incidental protection to
domestic manufactures, and as will, with
out impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encOur
age the great industrial interests of the
country.
Seventh-Reform of abuses in the ad-
ministration, 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 theg overnment, 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.
Eighth-Equal rights and protection
for naturalized and native-born citizens
at home and abroad, the assertion of
American nationality which shall COM
mand the respect foreign powers and turn-
ish an example and encouragement to
people struggling for national integrity,
constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance Of the rights OF nat
uralized citizens against the absolute doc
trine of immutable allegiance, and the
claims of foreign powers to punish them
for alleged crime committed beyond their
jurisdiction. Applause
In demanding these measures and re-
g. +ha ortv for
disregard of right and the unI aralleled op
preston and tyranny which have marked
Its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous
pledge of both Houses of Congress to pros
ecute the war exclusively for the mainten-
ance of the government and the preserva-
ton Of the Union under the Constitution,
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 it has, SO
far as Is in its power, dissolved it, and sub
jected ten states IN time of profound peace,
to military despotism and negro supremacy.
1t has nulified there the right of trial by
Jury it has abolished the habeaS corpus
that most sacred writ of liberty it has
overthrown the freedom of speech and the
press it has substituted arbitrary seizures
and arrests, and military trials and secret
star chamber inquisitions for the constitu-
tional tribunals it has dsregarded 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 or notice of affidavit,
as required by the organic law it has cor
verted the American Capitol into bas-
tile it has established a system of spies
and official espionage to which no constitu-
tional monarchy Of Europe would now
dare to resort it has abolished the right of
appeal on important constitutional ques-
tions to the supreme judicial tribunals, and
threatens to curtail or destroy its original
Jurisdiction which is irrevocably vested
by the Constitution, while the learned
Chief-J ustice has been subjected to the
most atrocious caumnies, merely because
he would not prostitute his high Office to
the support of the false and partisan char
ges preferred against the President. Its
corruption aud extravaganza have exceed
ed anything known in history, and by its
frauds aad monopolies it has nearly doub-
led the burden of the debt created by the
war. 1t has stripped the President of his
constitutional power of appointment, even
of his own cabinet. Under its repeated
assaults the pillars of the government are
rocking on their base, and should it sue
ceed in November next and inaugurate its