The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-16
THE PLATFORM.


THE PLATFORM.
The Democratic party, in National Convention as
sembled, reposing It's trust in the inteihgence'
patriotism, and discriminating justice OF the people;
standing upon the constitution as the founaauon
and limitation of the powers Of the governments ana
the guar ntee Of the liberties OF the Citizen ana re-
coenizir the questions Of slavery and secession as
having been settled for all time to come oy tne war
or the voluntary action Of the Southern States IN
constitutional convention assembled, and never 70
be renewed or reagitated, do, with the return OF
peace, demand:
Frn. Immediate restoration Of all the States to
their RIGHTS In the Union, under the consttutio"
and of civil government to the American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political offences,
and the regulation Of the elective franchise in the
States by their citizens
Third. Payment ofthe public debt Of the United
States as rapidly as practicable; all moneys drawn
rom the people by taxation, except 30 much az Is
reuuidte for the necessities OF the government
economically administered, being honestly applied
To srch PAYMENT; and where the obligations OF the
government do not expressly state upon their face,
or tt,e Law under which they we've issued does not
uroyide that they shall be paid in coin they ought
In right and In justice, be paid in the lawful money
Of the United states.
Fo.rA 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 and the
peonle. the laborer and the ofaceholder. the PEN
sioner and the soldier, the producer and the bond
holder.
&zA Economy In the administration or the gov
ernment; the reduction Of the standing army and
navy; the abolition Of the Freedmen's Bureau
and all political insrrumentalihes designed 10
secure negro supremacy; EimpliAcaton OF the sys-
tenn, and disoontinusnce Of inqoidtorial modes
of assessing and collecting internal revenue, 30 that
the burden Of taxation may be equalized and lessen
ed; the credit Of the government and the currency
made good; the repeal OF all enactments for enroll
ing the st,te militia into national forces In time OF
peace and tar1fffor revenue upon foreign imports,
and such equal taxation under the internal revenue
laws Is will afford Incidental protection to domestic
manufactures, and as will, without impairing the
revenue, impose the least burden upon and best pro-
ota AM encourage the great industrial interests Of
theoouniry.
Seventh Reform Of abuses In the administration
the expulsion of corrupt men from Office, the aoro-
CATION Of useless Offices, the restoration OF rsheui
authority to and the Independence Of the executive
and judicial departments Of the government the
subordnation Of the military to the civil power, to
the end that the usurpaions Of Congress and the
despotim Of the sword may cease.
~ Eiahh Equal rights and protection for naturahzed
and nntye-born citizens at home and abr &C, the
assertion Of American nationality which shah COM
msnd the respec. Of foreign powers aud furnish In
example sn1 encouragement to people struggling "
national integrity, constitutional liberty, and ind-
yiusl rights; and the maintenance Of the rights OF
naturaized citizens against the obsol te doctrine OF
inmutable allegiance, and the claims Of foreign pow
era to punish them tor alleged crime mmitted be-
yond their Jurisdiction.
-. In demanding these measures and re orms we ar
rsgn the Radical party for It's disregard Of right and
the unpsralleled oppression and tyranny which have
marked its career.
both Houses Of oongrtss to prosecute the war e1'
cuEvely for the maintenance Of the government and
the preservation Of the Union under the consdtu-
ton, IL has repeatedly violated that most sacred
pledge under which alone was rallied that noble
volunteer army which carried our flag to victory.
Instead Of restoring the Union 1t has so far as isin
it's power dissolved Il, and subjected ten States In
time Of profound peace to military despoism and
negro supremacy; It has nulifed there the right OF
trial by jury; It has abolished the habeas corpus
that most sacred writ of liberty; it has overthrow
the freedom Of speech and the press 1t has subst-
tuted arbitrary seizures, and arrests. and military
trials, and secret star chamber inqusidons Tor the
constitutional tribunals 1t has disregarded iu time OF
peace the right Of the people TO be free from searches
and sexures 1t has entered the post and tele raph
offices, and even the private rooms Of individuals,
and seized their private papers and letters, without
any specific chargeol notice OF affidavit, as required
by the organic law; 1t has converted the Ameri-
can capitol intoa Baste 1t has established system
OF spies and ofcs; espionage to which no coAstitu-
onal monarchy Of Europe would now dare to resort;
1t has abolished the. right Of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme judicial TIL
bunsl and threatens to curta or destroy its orgi-
nal jurisdiction, which Is irreyocably vested by the
constitution while the learned Chief Justice has been
subjected to the mot atrocious calumnies, merely
because he would not prostitute his high Office to the
support Of the false and partisan charges preferred
against the President; its corruption aud extra7a-
. cance have exceeded anything known in history.
and BY Its frauds and Inonoppies 1t has nearly
doubled the bucden Of the deDt created by the WAR; 1t
has stripped the President Of his constitutional power
OF appointment, even Of his own Cabinet Under
its repeated assaults the pillars Of the govern
nent are rocking on their base, and should 1t suo-
ceed in November next and inaugurate Its President,
/. we will meet as subjected and conquered ople
amid the ruins ofberty andthe scattered fragments
Of the constitution: and we do declare and resolve
that snce the people Of the United States threw
of all subsection the British Crown, the privilege
and trust os suffrage have belonged to the several
States and have been granted, regulated and con-
trolled exclusively by the political power Of eac,
State respectively and that any attempt by Congress
on any prete1t whatever to deprive any State Of this
right or interfere with its exercise. s fragrant
pation Of power which can find no warrant IN the
constitution, and IL sanctioned by the peo
ple win subvert our form Of government and can
only end In single centralized and consolidated gov
eument In which the separate existence of the States
will be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified dospot
ism be established In place Of Federal Union Of CO.
eoual States; and that we regard the Reconstruction
acts fsocalIedj Of Congress as usurpttons and un-
constitutional, revolutionary and void; that our SOL