The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-30
The National Democratic
Platform.

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---a
The National Democratic
Platform.
The Democratic party, in National Conven-
ton assembled reposiBg its trust in the intelll-
gence, 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
ssttled for all time to come, by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern states, in consti-
tutional convention 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 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 mi
ted States as rapidly as practicable; all mo2ey
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 whore
the obligations of the Government do not OK
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid i'll coin, they ought ia 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, inclu0lng
government bonds and other public securities;
Fifth. One currency for the government and
the people, the labOrer and the oihce holder,
the pcnsiOner and the soldier, the prOuucer anu
bOnd.hOlder.
Sixth. Economy in the administration of the
government the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen
bureau great cbeersI, and all political instru'
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplifcation of the system, and discontinuance
of inqusitOrial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden Of taxation
may be equalized and lesseHed, the credit OF
the government and the currency made good
thS F9Rsq & 6 S HmS2Si oE o easQiPg Time sGf
peace, and a tariff for revenue upon foreign i'm
ports; and such equal taxation under the Inter.
| nal Revenue laws, as will afford Incidental Pr
| lection to domestic manufactures and as will,
| without imparinL the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
| the great industrial interests of the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administers
| ton; the expulsion OF corrupt men from ONCE;
| the abrogatiOn of useless Offices the restoration
of rightiul 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 despotlsm OF the
sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat.
uraized and native born citizens at homo 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 integ1'
ty, constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of tho 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 for
right and the unparalleled oppression and tyr.
| amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war eXclu.
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
! il has so far as il is in its power dissolved it.
and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military despotism and negro supre.
macy. II has nulliiicd 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 press.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
rest, and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional tri.
bunals. 1t has disregarded in time of peace the
| right of the people to be free from search and
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 atiida-
Wit, as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
1t has established n 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 tofcur-
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which is
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been sube cted to
great and atrOcious caluInnies merely because
he would not prostitute his high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-.
ferred against the President. It's corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and monop-
oles it has nearly doubled the harden Of debt
created during the war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap.
pointment even of his own cabinet. Under It's
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should il sue.
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President, we will meet, as subjects and q con.
quered 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 10 the British crown, the priv.
lege and trust of suffrage have belonged TO the
several States, and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
er OF each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any pretext whatever to de.
prive any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is a fragrant usurpation of power,
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert our
forr2 of government, and can only end in a siI.
gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence Of the States will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des-
potism be established in lplace of q 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 to yict DIV
against a most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran-
ties given in tho law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispOs-
ed ef under the presumption of homestead laws,
; I'D sold in reasonable quantities. and to none
but actual occupants, 1T the minimum price es-
tablished by the government. When grants of
the public lands may be allowed, necessary for
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 of his
high office in resisting the aggressions 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 OF
the Democratic party We tender him our thanks
lot MS patriotic efforts in that regard.
pom this platform the Democratic party ap-
Peats 10 every patriot, including all the CoRser-
N ave element and all who desire to support the
CONSUMPTION and restore the Union, forgetting
Past alserences of opinion, to unite with Us in
~, ~ P.esSn' great struggle for the liberties of
party they may have heretofore BELONGED we
extend the night hand Of fellowship and hail All
such cooperating with us as friends and hroth