The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-04
The National Democratic
Platform.

The National Democratic
Platform.
The Democratic party, in National Cvnven-
ton assembled repesing its trust IN the intelll.
cence 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 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
untary action of the Southern states in eonsti.
tutional convention assembled, and never to be
renewed or reagitatei, 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 for the
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 rs rapidly as practicablei all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except so
much as is requisite for the necessities of the
government economically administered, being
Honestly applied to such payment, and where
tbe oblirations 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 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 anu other public securities.
| Fifth. One currency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the Office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bond.hOlder.
government, the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen s
bureau Igreat cbcersI, and all political instru'
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplificatiOn of the system, and dlscontlnuance
of inquisitorial modes OF assessing ana collecting
! Internal Revenue: so that the burden of taxation
may be eQualized and lessened, the credit of
the government and the currency made good
| the repeal of all cnactments Tor enroling the
State militia into the national forces III time oil
peace and tariff for revenue upon foreign I'M
norris. and such equal taxation under the Inter
| nal Revenue laws, as will afford incidental pro
lection to domestic manufactures, and as VIII,
without impairinL the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote ana encourage
the great industrial interests of the country
| Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administra
| ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from office;
the abroration of useless offices; the restoration
| of rightful 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
pations of Congress and the despotism of the
sword may cease
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uraliZcd and native born citizens ut home and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect of foreign
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 naturaliz
| 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 It's disregard Tor
| right and the unparalleled oppression ana tyr
amy which has marked its career after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges Of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war cXClu.
| 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 so far ii is in its power dissolved it,
and subjected ten States in time OF profound
peace to military despotism and negro supre.
macy 1t has nulliiied there 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 pIcsS.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitiOns for constitutional trl
bunals. 1t has disregardcd in time Of peace the
seizures 1t has entered the post and telegraph
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 Bastle
1t has established system of spies and official
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare to resort.
1t has abolished 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 which il
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subie Cted to
great and atrOCiOus calunnes, merely because
he would not prostitute his high office to the
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 APP.
pOintment, even of his own cabinet. Under It's
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should it sue.
coed in November next and inaugurate it's
President we will meet rs subjects and a con.
Uuered 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 of
all subsection to the British crown, the privl'
lege and trust of suffrage have belonged TO the
several States, and have been granted regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow.
or OF each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any pTeteXt whatever 10 de-
prive any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is n fragrant 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 III a sin.
gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence of the States will
10 ohanp nd an lal
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
carried the flag of our country 10 victory
against a most gallant and determined foe 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 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 Is.
tablished by the government. When grants Of
the public lands may be allowed. necessary tor
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 oil his
high office in resisting the agEresslons 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 oil
the Democratic party we tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts i'll that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic part ap-
peals to every patriot including all the Conser-
vative element and all who desire TO support tue
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, TO unite with US IN
the present great struggle for the liberties OF
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all
such cooperating with us as friends and broth
ers.