The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-08-12
Democratic Platform.

veatinH asseJllhled, reposing its tTEIst in, the
intelligence, patriotism, discrimination and
justice of the people; standing upon the
Constitution as the foundation and Limitation
. OF the-poWeTs of die Govsrnment, and the
guaranteeing tho liberties of the citizen, and
recognizing the questions of slavery and
secession as having been settled for all time
to cOmeiIy tbs war, or the voluntary action
Of the Southern States in Constitutional
Conversions assembled, and never to be re-
newed or reasitated, 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 To
the .Nnierican people . -.'atA .
Second Amnesty for all past political Of
fences aud tina regulation of the eIcctivc
franchise in the States 10y their citizens.
4. Third The payment of Ihe pebble debt
Of the United States soon aS practicable:
and that all moneys drawn from the people
hy taxation, except so much as is requisite
for the necessities of the Government eco-
Eomically administered, be honestly applied
10 such payment: and whero 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, To be paid in the lawful
money of the United States. -h
In demanding these measures and reforms
We arraign the ruIieal party for its disregard
Of right and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which have marked its career. Af-
ter a most solemn and unanimous pledge of
both Houses of Congress TO prosecute the
I war exclusively for the maintenance of the
Government and the preservation of the
. Union under the Constitution, il has repeat
/ edly violated the most sacred pledges under
which alone rallied that noble volunteer
army which carried our flag TO victory; in
stead of restoring the Union il has so far ~
f; in lis power dissolved il and subjected ten
I States in time of profound peace to military
! dcspOtism and negro supremacy has strip
I ped the President Of hIs constitutional power
! of appointment even Of his own Cabinet.
! Under lis repeated assaults the pillars of the
l Government are rocking on their base, and
! should it succeed in November next to in
! sJgurate ius President we will meet Us. a
/ subjugated and conquered people amid the
| ruins of liberty and the scattered fragments
of tlle Constitution, " s-' 90
! ReSOlred, That in the future as in the
/ past, we will adhere with answering fidel-
\ ity to the Union under the Constitution as
the only solid foundation of our strength,
| security and happiness as a people, and as
| y frame work of government equally condu-
| ClNt 10 lllG NelluIC anu PROSPERITY ali the
States, both Northern and Southern.
-sf2ssotUed, That The Union established by
the Constitution is Union Of States, Fed
! eral in its character, composed of States
| thnrgby united, and Is Incapable of existing
/ without the States as its continuing integral
parts, and therefore the perpetuity of the
/ Union in its integrity depends on the pres
ervation of the States in their political in
/ tegrity, the Government of the United States
being a Federal Republic and not !consoli-
dation of the whole people in enc nation.
ReSOiUed, That the perpetmty of the
! Union and the maintenance of the Govern
ment, as both were established by the Con-
stitutidnZand aszboth under the Constitution
have been expOunded in the foregoing reso-
lutions in conformity With the venerable
teachings Of Jefferson, Madison and Jack
son, have ever been held as cardinal doctrins
of the Democratic party, and they are now
reiterated with increased earneStness, under
1.-The solemn conviction that constitutional
l'liberty can be preserved on this continent
4 only by bringing back the administration of
! the Government to those time honored prin-
/ ciples on which for sixty years there was
such unparalleled happiness and prosperity,
! and in rescuing it from the hands Of those
who have ever held the Constitution itself TO
be no better than covenant with death and
AL AIItCLlGll WIN nGlV NulSC TCNOlullOn-
AIRY policy and measures have brought such
y general tiiscord, strife and war, with its at
4 teudent ills upon q large portion of the
country, and such wide spread demOraliza-
tion throughout tho whole Of it, E1 VI
III ReSOIUed, That the Democratic party in
sustaining tlle Federal administration in the
late unhappy conflict of arms did so in good
faith with Ithcs hope and earnest wish TO
maintain the-prineiples above set forth, and
y with no view of waging war on the part of
Z the Northcrp Staies in any spirit Of oppres-
sion against their brethren Of, the South, nor
for any purpose of conquest or subjugation,
nor. purpose of oveTihroWing or interfering
with the rights or established institutions of
those States, but to defend and maintain the
supremacy of the Constitution, and to pre-
servet tho Union with oil the dignity, equality
and rights Of the several States ulimpaired
The subjugatiOn of these States or holding
them as conquered territory would be, in
the judgment Of this Convention, the des-
truclion of the Union itself.
-RcSokred. -That-ths. -bietestr- meed-ef
patriotism is due. and should eyer be extend
ed to all those. Who in the recent war periled
life or fortune for the maintenance of the
Union and the beneicent system of Ameri-
can Government thereby established upon
the fundamental principles set forth in the
foregoing resolutions but We have neither
thanks nor sympathy for those who entered
and carried on the contest for the subju-
cation of States and for, the subjugstion by
Federal authority of the white race in any
; of the States to the domination of the black;
the right.Of suffrage, or who shall exercise
political power, is a matter that rests under
the Constitution exclusively with the several
States there it properly belongs, and there
r II should continue ever to remain