The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-08-05
Democratic Platform.

The Democratic party in National Com
Yention assembled, reposlng its trust In the
intelligence, patriotism, discrimination and
Justice of the people; standing upon the
Constitution as the foundation and limitation
of the powers of the Government, and the
guaranteeing the liberties of the citizen, and
recognizing 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
Conventions assembled, and never TO be re-
newed 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 to
the American people.
Second Amnesty for all past political Of
fences and the regulation of the elective
franchise in the States by their citizens.
Third. The payment of the public debt
of the United States as soon as practicable:
and that all moneys drawn from the people
by taxation, except so much as is requisite
for the necessities of the Government ecc@-
nomically administered, be 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
shall be pad in coin, they ought in right
and i'll justice, to be paid in the lawful
money of the United States
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraign the radical party for its disregard
of right and the unparalleled oppression and
| tyranny which have marked its career. Af-
| ter most solemn and unanimous pledge of b
both Houses of Congress to prosecute the
war exclusively for the maintenance of the
! Government and the preservation of the
! Union under the Constitution, it has repeat
/ a6Ixy violated ln unO aonrad yN1a
which alone rallied that noble volunteer
army which carried our flag to victory; in
| stead of restoring the Union it has 80 far as
in its power dissolved it and subjected ten
| States in time of profound peace to military
| despotism and negro supremacy has strip
ped 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 succeed in November next to ir-.
augurate its President, we will meet as a
subjugated and conquered people amid the
ruins of liberty and the scattered fragments
of the Constitution.
ReSOLUed, That in the future ss in the
past, we will adhere with unsYerving fde1-
ity to the Union under the Constitution SIS
the only solid foundation of our strength,
security and happiness as people, and as
frame work of government equally coRdu-
| Give 10 llC WelldTC anu prosperity OF llo
States, both Northern and Southern,
ResOired, That the Union established bJ
the Constitution is Union of States, Fed
eral in its character composed of States
thereby united, and is incapable of existing
without the States as its continuing integral
, parts, and therefore the perpetuity of the
Union in IFS integrity depends on, the pres
ervation of the States in their political in
tegrity, the Government of the United States
being Federal Republic and not consoli-
dation of the whole people in one nation.
RESOLVED, That the perpetuIty of the
Union and the maintenance of the GoverR-
ment, as both were established by the Con
, stitution and as both under the Constitution
| have been expounded in the foregoing resc-
, lutions in conformity with the venerable
: teachings of Jefferson, Madison and Jaak-
l soIay have ever been held as cardinal dochins
/ of the Democratic party, and hey are now
3 reiterated with increased earnestness, under
f the Solemn conviction that constitutional
= liberty can be preserved on this continent
only by@bringing back the administration OF
= the Government to those time honored prin-
Z ciples on which for sixty years there was
such unparalleled happiness and prosperity,
! and in rescuing it from the hands of those
! who have ever held the Constitution itself 70
[ be no better than COY Olant with death and
1 an agreement with hell; whose revolution
airy policy and measures have brought suck
:, general discord, strife and war, with its At
q tendent ills upon q large portion of thG
7 country, and such wide spread demoraliza-
- ton throughout the whole of it.
Resolved, That the Democratic party il
sustaining the Federal administration N the
late unhappy conflict of arms did so in good
, faith, with the hope and earnest wish K
q maintain the principles above set forth, anc
,. with no view of waging war on the part Of
the Northern States in any spirit of oppres
sion against their brethren of the South, no
}, for any purpose of conquest or subjugation
# nor purpose of Overthrowing or interfering
n with the rights or established institutions O.
\ those States, but to defend and maintain tn
st supremacy of the Constitution, and to pre-
70 serve the Union with all the dignity, equSlit
IF and rights of the several States unimpaired
! The subjugation of these States or holdin
n them as conquered territory would be, i
10 the Judgment of this Convention, The deS
\ truction of the Union itself. .''-
N ReSOLUetI, That the highest need O
=, patriotism is due and should ever be exteni
y ed to all those who in the recent war perile
If life or fortune for the maintenance of Il
II Union and the bcneficent system of Amer
Iv can Government thereby established upo
n the fundamental principles set forth in u
w foregoing resolutions but we have neith
is thanks nor sympathy for those who enter,
10 and carried on the contest for the subj
y. cation of States and for the subjugstien /
"a Federal authority of the white race in Al
r. of the States to the domination of the blac
of the right of suffrage, or who shall eGerei
n political power, is q matter that rests und
h the Constitution exclusively with the sever
r.. States; there it properly belongs, and The
n it should continue ever to remain 20
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