The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-07-28
THE PLATFORM.

patrotism and discriminating justice Of the people;
standing upon the constitution as the foundation
and limitation Of the powers of the government and
the guar ntee of the liberties Of the CITIZEN and re-
cognzing the questions Of slavery and secession as
having been settled for all time to come by the war,
or the voluntary action Of the Southern States in
constitutional convention assembled, and never to
be renewed or reagitated do, with the return of
peace, demand:
First. Immediate restoration Of all the States to
their rights in the Union, under the constitution.
and of civil government to the American people.
Ssconi. Amnesty for all past political offences,
and the regulation of the elective franchise in the
States by their citizens.
Third. Payment ofthe public debt of the United
States rapidly as practicable; all moneys drawn
from the people by taxation. except 80 much az 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 expressly state upon their face,
or the Law under which they were issued does not
provide that they ahal be paid in coin, they ought,
in right and In justice, be paid in the lawful money
of the United States.
Fourth Equal taxation Of every species of property
according to its real value, including government
bonds and other public securities.
Fifth. One currency for the government and the
people, the laborer and the oficeholder. the PEN
aioner and the soldier the producer and the bond
holder.
Sixth. Economy in the administration Of the gov
ernment; the reduction Of the standing army and
navy; the abolition Of the Freedmen's Bureau
and all political instrumentalit's designed to
secure negro supremacy; simplifcaton Of the sys-
tenn, and discontnuance of inquisitorial modes
of assessing and collecting internal revenue, 80 that
the burden Of taxation may be equalized and lessen
ed; the credit of the government and the currency
made good; the repeal Of all enactments for enroll
ing the State militia into national forces in time Of
peace, and tarifor revenue upon foreign imports,
and such equal axation under the internal revenue
laws as will afford incidental protection to domestic
manufactures, and as will, without impairing the
revenue, impose the least burden upon and beet pro-
mote AMI encourage the great industrial interests Of
the country.
SeuenM. Reform of abuses in the administration,
the expulsion of corrupt men from Office, the abro-
cation of useless Offices the restoration Of righFul
authority to and the independence Of the executive
and judicial departments Of the government, the
subordnston Of the military to the civil power, to
| the end that the usurpaHons 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 of foreign powers and furnish an
example and encouragement to people struggling for
national integrity constitutional liberty, and indi-
vidual rights; and the maintenance Of the rights OF
naturazed citizens against the absolute doctrine Of
immutable allegiance, and the claims OF foreign pow
ers to punish them for alleged crime committed be-
yond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we ar-
ragn the Radical party for its disregard Of right and
the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have
marked Its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous pledge OF
both Houses Of Congress TO prosecute the war II.
c.usyely for the maintenance Of the and
the preservation Of the Union nnder the copstitu-
ton, st 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 H. and subjected ten States IN
time of profound peace to military despotism and
negro supremacy; Il has nulifed there the right OF
rial by jury it has abolished the hsbeas corpus,
that most sacred writ Of liberty; 1t has overthrowl
the freedom Of spee.h and the press 1t has subsh-
tuted arbitrary seizures, and arrests, and military
trials, and secret star chamber inqujsions for the
constitutional tribunals; It has dsregarded iu time OF
peace the tight Of the people to be free from searches
and seizures; 1t has entered the post and tele raph
Offices and even the private rooms Of individuals,
and seized their private papers and etters without
any specific charge notics of affidavit, as required
by the organic law; 1t has converted the Ameri-
can capitol into Bastle it has established system
OF spies and official espionage to which no cohsitu.
onal monarchy of Europe would now dare to resort;
it has abolished the right of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme judicial tri-
bunal and threatens to curta or destroy its origi-
nal jurisdiction, which is rrevocably vested by the
constitution while the learned Chief Justice has been
subjected to the most atrocious calumnies, merely
because Ee would not prostitute bis higu Office TO the
support Of the false and partisan charges preferred
against the President; Its corruption aud e1traVa-
gance have exceeded anything known IN history,
and by its frauds and monopries 1t has nearly
doubled the burden OF the debt created by the war;
has stripped the President Of his power
OF appointment, even VI Dio o"u OoDAAAS~ 0AA~eA
its repeated assaults the pillars Of tho govern
ment are rocking on their base, and should it sue
ceed in November next and naugurate its President,
we will meet as subjected and conquered p ople
amid the ruins ofberty and the scattered fragments
of the constitution; and we do declare andreiolve
that ever since the people of the United States threw
of all subjecon 70 the British Crown the privilege
and trust of suffrage have belonged to the several
States, ard have been granted, regulated and c7n-
trolled exclusively by the political power OF eacn
State respectively and that any attempt by congress
on any preeIt whatever to deprive any State OF this
right or interfere with its exercise s fragrant usur
patton Of power which can find no warrant 10 the
constitution and II sanctioned by the peo-
ne will subvert our form OF government and can
only end iu single centralized and consolidated gov
ernment In which the separate existence OF the States
viii be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified despo'-
ism be established in place Of Federal Union OF CO.
equal States; and that we regard the Reconstruction
acts lso.called of Congress as usurpatons, and un'
constitutional revolutionary and void; that our SOL
diers and sailors who carried the flag Of our country
to victory against most gallant and determined 1oe
must ever be gratefully remembered, and all the
guarantees given IN their favor must te faithfully
carried into execution.
| That the public lands should be distributed as
widely as possible among the people, and should be
DISPOSED of either under the pre-emption OF home