The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-07-16
Democrat Candidate for Vice
President.
His Revolutionary Platform.
WAsHINeToN, June 80, 1856

WASHINGTON, June 80, 1868,
Colonial James 0. Broadhead.
DEAR CoLoNEL-In reply to your
inquiries, beg leave to say that l
leave to you to determine, on con-
situations with my friends from
Missouri whether my name shall be
presented to the Democratic Conven
ton, :,nd to submit the following as
what l consider the real and only
issue in this contest:
The reconstruction policy of the
Radicals will be complete before the
next election; the States so long
excluded will have been admitted,
negro suffrage established, and the
carpet baggers installed in their
seats in both branches Of Congress.
There is no possibility of changing
the political character of the Senate
even if the Democrats should elect
their President and a majority OF
the popular branch of Congress
We can not, therefore, undo the
Radical plan of reconstruction by
Congressional action; the Senate
will continue bar to its repeal.
Must we submit ro it? How can it
be overthrown? 1t can only be
overthrown by the authority of the
Executive, who is sworn to main
tain the Constitution, and who will
fail to do his duty if he allows the
Constitution to perish under a Sc
ries of Congressional enactments
which are in palpable violation of
its fundamental principles.
If the President elected by the
Dem mocracy enforces or permits 9th
ers to enforce these Reconstruction
acts, the Radicals, by the accession
Of twenty spurious Senators and fif-
ty Representatives, will control both
branches Of Congress, and his ad-
ministration will be as powerless as
the present one Of Mr.. Johnson.
There is but one way to restore
the Government and the Constitu
ton, and that is for the President
elect to declare these acts null and
void, compel the army to undo its
usurpations at the South, disperse
the carpet-bag State governments,
allow the white people to reorganize
their OWN governments and elect
Senators and Representatives.
The House OF Representatives will
contain a majority of Democrats
from the North and they will admit
the Representatives elected by the
white people of the South, and with
the cooperation of the President it
will not be difficult to compel the
Senate to submit once more to the
obligations of the Constitution. 1t
will not be able to withstand the
public Judgment, if distinctly invok-
ed and clearly expressed, on this
fundamental issue, and it is the sure
way to avoid all future strife to put
this issue plainly to the country.
l repeat that this is the real and
only question which we should al
low to control US: Shall we submit
to the usurpations by which the
Government has been overthrown,
or shall we exert ourselves for it's
full and complete restoration ? 1t is
idle to talk Of bonds, greenbacks,
gold. the public faith and the public
credit. What can a Democrat Presi-
dent do in regard to any of these
with a Congress in both branches
controlled by the carpet baggers and
their allies? He will be powerless
to stop the supplies by which idle
negroes are organized into political
cluts-by which an army IS main
tained to protect these vagabonds in
their outrages upon the ballot.
These, and thiags like these eat up
the revenues and resources of the
Government and destroy its credit,
make the difference between gold
and greenbacks. We must restore
the Constitution before we can re-
store the finances, and to do this
we must have a President who will
execute the will of the people by
trampllng into dust the usurpations
of Congress, known as the Recon
struction acts. / wish to stand be-
fore the Convention upon this issue