The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-18
The National Democratic
Platform.

sIdSsoIfts
The Democratic party, in National Conven-
tion assembled, rcposHg its trust in the intelil.
rence, 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 oil the hO-
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the ques-
tions of slavery and secession rs having been
settled for all tim0 to come by war and the VOL
untary action Of the Southern states, IN consul
tutional convention assembled, and never TO De
renewed OF reagitated, do, with the return Oh
peace, demand,
First The immediate restoration Of all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and of civil government for Inc
American people.
Second Amnesty for all past political often.
ces, and the regulation of the elcstiye franchise
in States BY their citizens.
Third. Payment of the public debt Of that nj
ted 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, being
honestly applied to such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not eN-
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they onght, 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 and other public securities.
Fifth. One currency for the government ana
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 $
bureau lgreat cEeersl, and all political instru'
| mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
smplifcation of the system, and discontinuance
of inQuistorial modes of assessing and collecting
| Internal Revenue; so that the burden oil taSauon
NAV be equalized and lessened, the credit oil
! the government and the currency made good
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces in time OF
peace, 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 impaiIinE the revenue impose the least
burden upon and best promote aud encourage
the great industrial interests of the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the admlnistra
| ton: the expulsion of corrupt men from once;
| the abrOgatiOn of useless Offices the restoration
of riChtful 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
uraliZed and native born citizens 1T home and
abroad The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
mont tn people struggling for national inteSrl
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 its disregard FOL
III. al. nd
amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges OF both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war eXcln
sivcly for the maintenance of the Government
and the protection of the Union under IN,
Constitution. 1t has repeatedly violated thai
most sacred pledge, under which was rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried odl
flag to victory. Instead of restoring the lni0I
il has so far il is in its power, dissolved II
and subjected ten States in time of profoun'
peace to military despOtisp and negro snpre
macy 1t has nullitrd th.re the right oi tria
by Jury. 1t has abolished the haheas corpus
that most sacred writ Of liberty Ii has over
thrown the freedom of speech and Of the press
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest, and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional trl
bunals Ii has disre.aTded in time of peace thu
right of the people to be- free from search ant
seznres. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms OF lndiVid
uals and seized their private papers ana letter
without any specification or notice, or anna
Wit "A required by the organic law. IL ha
converted the American capitol into BaStie
II has established Il system of spies and oticia
espionage TO which no constitutional monarch.
in Europe would now dare to resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on I'm
pOrtant constitutional questions to the su
; preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tocuI
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which,
irrcvocablv vested by tho Constitution, Will
the learned ChiefJustice has been suhie cted Il
great and atrOciOus caluInnies, merely becaus
! be would not prostitute his high office to III
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
fcrred 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 deb
created during the war. IL has stripped IN
President of his constitutional power oi al
pointmeut even of his own cabinet. Under IL
rcpeated assaults the pillars Of the Govcrnmen
are rocking on their bases, and should II SUE
coed in November next and inauguratc ne
President we will meet, rs subjects and cor
) 0uercd people, amid the ruins of liberty an
the scattered fragments Ofthc Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve, That eve
since the people of the United States threw %
ali subsection to the British crown, the priv
lrge and trust of suffrage have belonged to tn
several States, aud have been granted, regulate
and controlled exclusively by the political pc"
or of each State respectively; and any attemp
bv Congress on any prctcNt whatever to d'
pTive any State of this right or interfere wit
this exercise is fragrant usurpatiOn of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert on
form of government, and can only END In sii
Clio centralized consolidated government, i
which the separate existence of the States wi
he entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des
pOtism be established in place of a FEEDERS
union of cocqual States; and that we regard tn
reconstruction acts, so called, of Congress sue
usurpatiOn and unconstitutional revOlutiOnar
and void and that our soldiers and sailors VIII
: carried the flag of our country to victor
against a most gallant and determined foe mus
be ever gratefully remembered, and all suarar
ties given in the law must he faithfully carrie
into execution.
That the public land should be distribute
widely among the people and should be dispo'
ed of under the presumption of homestead laws
and sold in reasonable quantities, and To non
but actual occupants, ut the minimum price Ct
tablished by the government. When grants
the public lands may be allowed, necessary 10
the encouragement of important public in
provements, the proceeds of the sale of sue
lands, and not the lands themselves, should b
so applied.
That the President of the United States, Al
drew johnson, in exercising the power OF hi
high Office in resisting the aggrcssions OF Cor
gress on the Constitutional rights OF tho State
and the people is entitled to tho gratitude q
the whole American people and on behalf q
the Democratic party we tender him our thank
for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party az
peals to every patriot including all the Consel
vative element and all who desire to support tn
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion to unite with us i
the present great struggle for the liberties q
the people, and that to all such, to whateve
party they may have heretofore belonged, "
! extend the right hand Of fellowship, and hail a
[ snch co nnerating with MS as friends and br0tl