The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-07-18
The National Democratic
81 - PLATFORM, "-

Idtiotttts
The Democratic party in National Conven.
rence. patriotism and discriminating justice OF
the people standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and liBitatiOn Of the powers oil
the Government, and the guarantee Of tue lid
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
uIrfary action of the southern states, in const-
t,itional convention assembled and never to be
renewed or regulated, do, with the return oil
peace, demand,
First. The immediate restoration of all the
States TO their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and OF civil government lot Inc
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 of the Government do not ex'
presslv 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 rlght
and Justice, be paid in the lawful money OF the
United States.
Fourth. EQUAL taxation of every species of
property according 10 its real value, lncluulng
Government bonds and other public securities.
Fifth. One currency for the government and
the people, the-laborer and the office holder,
tho pensiouer and the soldier, the producer anu
bond holder
Sixth Economy in the administration Of the
government. the reduction of the standing army
| and navy: the abolition OF the Freedmen
| bureau IgTeat cbeers and all political instru'
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
sirnpiticatiOn OF the system, and discOntinuance
of transitional modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue: so that the burden Oi taxation
NAV be cqualZed 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
pcace and tariff for revenue upon foreign I'M
ports; and such equal taxation under the Inter.
| nal Revenue laws, rs will afford incidental pro
| lection to domestic manufactures, and as viii,
| without impairnS 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
! tioH: the expulsion OF corrupt men from office;
the abrOaatOn of useless Offices; the restoration
| of rirhilul authority to and the independence
| nr tLn Executive aud Judicial departments OF
| tLe government. The suborlinatiOn of the mil
itary 10 the civil power TO the end that the usur
patfonS OF Congress and the dcspOtism Of the
! sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uraliZed and native born citizens ut home and
abroad The assertion Of American nationality
| which shall command the respect of foreign
rowcr, and furnish an example and encourage.
mcnt to people struggling for national integri.
ty constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights of EatlIral2.
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutabe allegiance and the claims Of foreign
power, to punish them FOR crime committed
| beyond their jurisdiction.
In ,fplr q and reforms
a,roinl the Itcal party Tor its disregard for
| night and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy which has marked its career after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges Of both
| houses OF Congress to prosecute the wdr eNClu'
Siycy for the maintenance of the Government
! and the protection of the Union under the
| Constitution. 1t has repeatedly violated that
most SacrGd pledge. under which was rallied
| that noble vOlGntecrprny which carried oar
tIar Ia victory. Instead OF restoring the Union
! it has far aS IL Is III its power dissolved 1t,
and subjected ten State, in time of profound
peace to military dcspatiSm and negro supre.
macy 1t has nuliiird tlIsre the right of trial
| by Jury. 1t has abolished the Eabcas corpus,
| that most sacred writ OF liberty. IL has over.
| thrown the freedom of speech and of the press.
| 1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitiOns for constitutional tri-
bunals 1t has dsregaIdrd in time of peace.the
| right of the people To be free from search and
| ScZtrpS. II HAS tllltItil Tue post
offices, and even the private rooms of individ.
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or aiida-
Wit as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into BlStle.
| 1t has established system of spies and official
espionage 10 which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare to resort.
1t las abolished the right of appeal ON i'm
portant constitutional questions to the SUI
prcmc judicial tribunal and threatens toIcur-
tail or destroy it's original jurisdiction, whchis
| irrryOCably vested by the Constitution, while
| the learned ChIcfJustice has been subje cted 10
| great and atTocOus Calurnnics, merely because
| he would not prostitute his high Office TO the
support OF the false AID partisan charges pre-.
farred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and .uOn0p.
olies it has nearly doubled the burden OF debt
created during TIE war. 1t has stripped the
| President Of his constitutional power of ap.
pOintmcnt. even of his own cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
| are rocking on their bases, and should ii sue.
coed in November next and inaugurate it's
| President, we will meet as subjects and con.
uucrpd people. amid the ruins of liberty and
| the scattered fragments ofthc Constitution.
And We do declare and resolve, That ever
! since the people of the United States threw of
ali sUjirctiun to the British crown. the priyi-
| lego and Trust of suilraE" have belonged to the
sry.,yll Slater AL nave been granted, regulated
Gn,i controlled exclusively by the political pow.
! cT ~ each STATE Respectively; and any attempt
! by Congress on any prcteXt whatever To de.
| pIivc any State of this right or interfere with
;his exercise is 4 tlagrant 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 des.
putism he. established in place Of Il Federal
| union of coequal States; aud that we regard the
reconstruction acts, so called, of Congress such
usurpatiOn. and unconstitutional revolutionary
and void; and that OuT soldiers ana sailors who
| carried the ilag of our country TO Wet ny
against most gallant and determined foo must
| be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran.
| ties given in the law must be faithfully carried
| into execution.
| That the public land should he distributed
widely among Tue people, and should be dispOs-
ed of under the presumption of homestead laws,
aud sold in reasonable quantities. and 10 none
but actual occupants, al the minimum price c.
| tab!ishcd by the government. When grants of
| tho 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
40 applied.
That the President Of the United States. An.
drew johnson in exercising the power Of his
high office in resisting the aggrcSsions OF Con-
grcss on the Constitutional rights ol the States
and The people is entitled TO the gratitude of
tie whole American people, and on behalf Of
the Democratic party We tender him orr thanks
for his patriotic efforts Ia that regard.
Upon iAiS platform the Democratic party ap
peas - Every patriot including all the Censor
vItiyc ,lcHynt and all who desire 20 support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past diarIcuccs of opinion, tuuuitc 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
such cooperating with us n friends and broth
cTS.