The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-29
The NatIona! Democratic
Platform.

PLATFORM.
The Democratic party, in National Conven.
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-
tons 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 consti-
tutional convention assembled, and 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 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 cx-
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 value, including
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 Freedmen 8
bureau Isreat cheers, and all political instru'
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplification Of the system, and dscontinuance
of inquistorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be edualized and lessened, the credit OF
the government and the currency made good,
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling tne
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 VIII,
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 admlnlstra-
ton; the expulsion OF corrupt men from once .
| the abrogation of useless Offices the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
| of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subordinatlon of the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the usur
pations of Congress and the despotlsm oil the
sword may cease. .
EIGHTH, EQUAL rights and protection for nat.
uralized and native born citizens at home and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish an example ana encourage
ment to people struggling for national integrl'
tv. constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and tbe 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 ior crime coIhhit'eu
beyond their jurisdiction.
| in demanding these measures and reforms we
arroign tho Radical party for its disregard for
right. and the unparalleled oppression ana tyr
amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges oil Doth
houses of Congress to prosecute the war eAclu.
siyely 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
FAC 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
neace TO military despotism and negro supre.
macy 1t has nullited there the rlgAt oil trlal
by iHry. 1t has abolished the habeas corpus
that most sacred writ OF liberty. 1t has over
thrown the freedom of speech and OF the press
IT has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of nquisitions for constitutional trl
bunals 1t has dsregarded in time OF peace the
right of the people to be free from search ana
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices. and even the private rooms OF lndlvld
uals and seized their private papers ana letters
without any specification, or notice, or afnua-
Wit, as required by the organic law III mas
converted the American capitoi INTO Dastiie
1t has established a system of spies ana oihcia
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
in Europe would now dare to resort.
1t has aboli shed the right Of appeal on I'm
portant constitutional questions to the SUI
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens totcur
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whichis
irrevocably vested by the Constitution while
the learned Chief Justice has been suble cted To
great and atrocious caluInnies, merely because
he would not prostitute his high ONCE 10 tne
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 Governmen,
are rocking on their bases, and should II Sc
ceeu III November next anu tnaugurate itt
President, we VIII meet, as subjects ana 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 to 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
OF of each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any preteNt whatever TO DC
priv any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is fragrant usurpatiOn OF power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert Oul
fOrR of government, and can only end in n sin
gle centralized consolidated government, IN
| which the separate existence of the States viii
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des
pOtism DO established in Fplaoe 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 whC
carried the flag of our country TO victory
against most gallant and determined foe mus
be ever gratefully remembered and all guaran
ties given in the law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be 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 es
tablshed by the government. When grants Of
the public lands may be allowed necessary fol
the encouragement of important public i'm
provements, the proceeds of the sale of such
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 his
high office in resisting the aggressOns of Con
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
and the people, is entitled to the gratitude Of
tho whole American people, and on behalf OF
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
mast 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
party they may have heretofore belonged, we
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail al
such cooperating with MS as friends and broth