The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-08-04
Plat TOR M
OF THE
Democracy of the United States
Equal Taxation. .Greenbacks
for Bonds.


vention assembled. reposing its trust in the
intelligence, patriotism and discriminating
justice of the people, standing upon the
Constitution as the foundation and limitation
of the powers of the Government and the
guarantee of the liberties of the citizen. and
recognizing the questions OF slavery and Sc
cessien as having been settled for all time to
come by the war or the voluntary action of
the Southern States in Constitutional Con-
ventions assembled, and never to be renewed
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 a civil government
of the American people.
Seeond--Amnesty for all past political Of
fences and the regulation of the elective
franchise in the States by their citizens.
Third-Payment of the debt of the United
States as rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except SO
much as is requisite for the necessities of the
Government, economically administered, be-
ing 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 paid in coin, they
ought in right and in justice he paid in the
lawful money of the United States. [Thun-
ders Of applause.1
Fourth-The equal taxation of every spe-
cies of property according to its real value,
including government bonds and other public
securities. Renewed cheering, and cries Of
aRead it again."J
Hfth-0ne currency for the government
and the people, the laborer and the ofice-hol-
der, the pensioner and the soldier. the pre-.
ducer and the bondholder. [Great cheering,
and cries Of "Read it again"
The fifth resolution was again read and
again cheered,
Sixth--Economy in the administration of
the Government; the reduction of the stand
ing army and navy; the abolition of the
Fieedmen's Bureau, [great cheers] and all
the political instrumentalities designed to
secure negro supremacy; simpli6cation of the
system and discontinuance of the inquisito-
rial modes of assessing and collecting inter-
nal revenue, SO that the burden of taxation
may be equalized and lessened, the credit of
the Government and currency made good;
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling
the State militia into national forces in time
Of peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign
imports, and such equal taxation under the in
ternal revenue laws as will afford incidental
protection to domestic manufactures, and as
will without impairing the revenue, impose
the least burden upon and do the best to pro.
mote and encourage the great industrial in
terests of the country.
Seventh.-The 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 Judi.
cial Departments of the Government, the
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 nat
lralized and native born citizens at home
and abroad, the assertion of American ma
tionality, which shall command the respect
of foreign powers and furnish an example
and encouragement to the people struggling
for national integrity, constitutional liberty
and Individual right, and the maintenance
of the rights Of naturalized citizens against
the sbsolute doctrines Of immutable allegi-
anoe and the claims of foreign powers to
punish them for alleged crimes committed
beyond their jurisdiction. [Applause.T
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraigu the Radical party for its disregard
of right and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which have marked its career. At
ter the most unanimous pledge of both
Houses of Congress to prosecute the war.
exclusively for the maintenance of the Gov
ernment and the preservation of the
Union under the Constitution, it has repeat
edly violated that most sacred pledge, under
which alone was rallied that noble volunteer
army which carried our flag to victory; in
stead of preserving the Union it has, SO far
as is in its power, dissolved it, and subjected
ten States in time of profound peace to mil
itary despotism, it has abolished the habeas
corpus and trial by jury; it has disregarded
in times of peace, the right of the people to
be free from searches and seizures: it has en-
tered the post and telegraph Offices, and even
the private rooms of in dividuals and seized
their private papers and letters without
any specification or notice of affidavit as re-
quired by the law; it has converted the Amer
lean capital into Bastile; it has established
a system of spies and official espionage to
which no crested monarchy of Europe would
dare to resort, 1t has abolished the right of
appeal on important constitutional questions
to the Supreme judicial tribunal and threat
ems to curtail or destroy its original jurisdic.
tion, which is irrevocable by the Constitution;
hi1o fbo lao cd H1,af hoe !,
jected to the most atrocious calumnies mere
ly because he would not prostitute his high
Office to the support of the false and partisan
charges preferred against the President; its
corruptions and extravaganza have excelled
known in history, and by its frauds
and monopolies it has nearly doubled the
burden Of the debt created during the war;
it has stripped the President of his constitu-
tional power of appointment and by its as
saults the pillars of the Government are
rocking on their base and should it succeed
in November next and inaugurate its resi-
dent, we will meet as subjugated and
people amid the ruins of liberty
and the shattered fragments of the Consti-
tutien; and We do declare and resolve that
ever since the. people of the United States
threw off all subsection to the British crown,
the privilege and trust of suffrage have be-
longed to the several States and have been
granted regulated and controlled exclusively
by the political power Of each State respect
ively, and any attempt by Congress on any
pretext whatever to deprive any State of this
light or interfere with its exercise is a flag
rant usurpation of power, which can find no
warrant in the Constitution, and If not pre-. !
vented by .he people viii subvert our form
Of government, and can only end in single |
centralized and consolidated government, in
which the separate existence of the States
will be entirely absorbed and adespotism be
in place of a Federal Union of