The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-11
Buffalo Market.
The National Democratic
Platform.


The Democratic party, in National COnven-
ton assembled repesiRg its trust in the intelli:
gence patriotism and discriminating justice OF
the people, standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation Of the powers oil
the Government, and the guarantee of the lib
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the CUES
tons 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 constr
tutional convention assembled, and never to be
removed or reagitated, do, with the return OF
peace, demand,
First The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union, unuer the
Constitution, and of civil government Tor the
american people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political oiieR-
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
much as is requisite for the necessities OF tine
government economically administered, being
honestly applied to such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not eS-
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, ia right
and 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 curr ency 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
bnrcau Igreat cheers and all political instru-
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplifcation Of the system and discontinuance
of transitional modes OF assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be eoualized and lessened, the credit OF
| the government and the currency made good,
| the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces III 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 as will,
without mparing 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
tioa; the expulsion of corrupt men from office;
the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration
of rirhtful 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
urali2ed and native born citizens ut home and
abroad The assertion of American nationality
which Shall command ItSptCb VI
powers 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 naturdliz'
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine OF I'M
mutable allegiance, and the claims of foreign
powers to punish them for 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
l.s.lL haas s-a1t fG RnEnA
most solemn and unanimous pledges of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war eNclu-
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, far as it is in its power dissolved it.
and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military dcspotsm and negro supre.
macy. Ii has nullited thsre the right of trial
by Jury. 1t has abolished the habeas corpus,
that most sacred writ Of liberty. 1t has over
) thrown the freedom of speech and of the press.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures ami ar
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of iuquisitions for constitutional tri-
bunals. 1t has dsregarded in time of peace the
right of the people to be free from search and
seizures. Ii has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms of individ.
ualS and sezed their private papers and letters
! without any specification, or notice, or athda-
Wit as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
1t has established a system of spies and Official
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
in Europe would now dare to resort.
1t has abol shed the right of appeal on i'm.
portant constitutional questions to the SUI
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tOIcur-
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whichis
irrevOcably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been sube ctedto
great and atrOcious Calunnies, merely because
l.. i'll, an,n lao
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 il has nearly doubled the burden of debt
created during TIE war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap-
pOintment, even of his own 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 it's
President we will meet, as subjects and con.
quered people amid the ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments ofthe Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve, That ever
since the people of the United States threw off
all subsection to the British crown, the priv.
lege and trust of suffrage have belonged to the
several States. and have been granted regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow.
er ct each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any preteXt whatever to de.
prive any State of this right or interfere with
which can find no warrant in the Constitutions
and if sanctioned by the people viii subvert our
form of government, and can only end in sin
gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence of the States will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des.
potism 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
| rarriaI rhp Ulu IN yict
against most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guarau-
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 dispos
ed of under the presumption of homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and TO none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es
| tablished by the government. When grants of
! the public lands may be allowed necessary for
the encouragement of important public i'm.
provements, the proceeds of the sale of such
lands, and not the lands themselves, should be
so 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 on 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 oar thanks
| for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
peals TO every patriot, including all the COnser
vatve element and all who desire TO support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of epinion, to unite with us in
the present great struggle for the liberties Of
the people, and that to all snch, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, We
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all
such cooperating. with us as friends and. broth
crs.
Resolutions Adopted by the
Democratic State COnven-