The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-01
The NatIona! Democratic

ton assembled repesing its trust In the intelli.
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 lib
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the ques-
tions of slavery and secession as having been
settled for all timo to come, by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern states, In const-
tutional convention assembled, ana never TO be
renewed or regulated, 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 practicaole; 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 ought, IN 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 valne, including
government bonds and other public securities:
Fifth. One curr ency for the government and
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 Freedmens
bureau great cheers, and all political instru
mentalities designed TO secure negro supremacy
simplifcation of the system, and discontinuance
of nauisitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; 30 that the burden OF taxation
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 impairing 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 administra
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from office
the abrogation 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
patiOps of Congress and the despotlsm OF the
sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at homo and
abroad The assertion of American nationality
which stall 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
mutab!e 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 Tor
II onI ba unna pa lp1p1 nnnressiOn 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
siyelv 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 ouI
flag to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
IL has, so far as il is in its power dissolved it.
and subjected ten States i'll time OF profound
peace to military despOtism and negro supre
macy 1t has nullitied there the right Of trial
by jury. 1t has abolished the ha4eas 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 disregardcd in time of peace the
right of the people to be free from search and
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, Oh notice, or atf1da
Wit as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile
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 su
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens to:cur
tail or destroy Is original jurisdiction, which Ii
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subie cted tn
great and atrOcOus caluInnes, 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 it's frauds and monop
olies it has nearly doubled the burden Of debt
created during to war. II has stripped the
President OF his constitutional power of ap
pointment even of his own cabinet. Under iti
repeated assaults the pillars OF the GOvernmen,
are rocking on their bases, and should 1t sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President we will meet, rs subjects and n con
uucrcd people amid the ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments otthe Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve, That cvel
since the people of the United States threw OF
ali Subsection to the British crown, the priyi
legc and trust of suffrage have belonged to tho
several States, and have been granted, regulated
anu tOiltfOlItu exclusively ny lu' pbllll'ti pON
er of each State respectively; and any attempt
bv Congress Oh any prcteXt whatever to dc
piivc any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is Il fragrant usurpatlon OF power
which can find no warrant III the Constitution,
and if sanctioned by the people will subyertou
form of government, and can only end in sin
gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence OF the States VIII
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified dee
potism DO established in place Of Fedora
union Of coequal States; and that We regard TIT
reconstruction acts 80 called, OF Congress suCl
usurpation and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our cOlntry TO victory
against q most gallant and determined foe mus
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran
ties given in the law must DO faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispos
ed of under the pre-. emptiOn OF homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
butActual occupants, ut the minimum price es
tablished by the government. When grants OF
the public lands may be allowed, necessary fol
provements, the proceeds of the sale Of sucf
lands, and not the lands themselves, should bt
so applied.
That the President of the United States, An
drew Johnson in exercising the power OF hi:
high office in resisting the aggressions OF Con
aud the people, is entitled to the gratitude o.
the whole American people, and on behalf o.
the Democratic party we tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
peals to every patriot, including all the Conser
vative element and all who desire TO support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, to unite with MS il
the present great struggle for the liberties o.
the people, and that 70 all such, to whateye,
party they may have heretofore belonged W,
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail al
such cooperating with us as friends and broth
erS