The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-29
The National Democratic
Platform,

tion assembled repesiHg 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 CUES
tiops of slavery and secession as having been
settled for all tim0 to come, by war anu the Vol
untary action Of the Southern states, IN conSu-
tutional convention assembled, anu never 70 oe
renewed or regulated, 10, Win TUG ietu'H Va
peace demand,
First The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and Of civil government Tor the
American people. go,
Second. Amnesty for all past political often
ces and the regulation OF the elective ir'inchlse
In States by their citizens.
Third. Payment of the public debt OF the mi
ted States rs rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except 50
much Us Is requisite for the necessities OF the
government economically administered, oelhg
honestly applied to such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not ex-
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, IL right
and justice, be paid in the lawful money OF the
United States. D..
Fourth. 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 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 S
bureau great cheersl, and all political lnstru.
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy
smpliticatiOn of the system, and discontinuance
of inquistorial modes OF assessing ana coiiectns
Internal Revenue: 80 that the burden OF taxation
NAV be equalized and lessened, the credit OF
the government and the currency made good
the repeal of all enactments Tor enrolling the
State militia into the national forces IN time oil
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 administra'
tioR: the expulsion of corrupt men from ONCE
the abrogatiOn of useless offices; the restoration
of riqhtfnl authority To and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subOrdination OF tue mil.
itary TO the civil power to the end that the usnr
patious of Congress and the dcspotlSln oil the
sword may ceasc.
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 and encourage
ucnt 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.
mutable allegiance, and tho 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
rinht and the unparalleled oppression and tyr.
i.l, Iaa ma Lpl IL
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
hag 10 victory. Instead 0t restoring the Union
il has so far Us il is in its power, dissolved it,,
and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military dcspotism and negro supre.
macy 1t has nulliiied th.rc the right of trial
bv iury Ii has abolished the habeas corpus,
that most sacred writ of liberty. 1t has over.
thrown tie freedom of speech and Of the press.
Ii has substituted arbitrary seizures ana ar.
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquistions for constitutional trl.
bunals 1t has disregartcd in time Of peace the
right of the people tn be free from search and
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms of individ.
uals aud seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or atida-
Wit, as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
1t has established 4 system Of spies and official
espionage tn which no constitutional monarchy
in Europe would now dare 10 resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm.
portant constitutional questions Ia the su.
prcmc judicial tribunal and threatens tofcur.
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which, is
irrrv0Cably vested by the Constitution, while
L h...r. sta AL Tn
great and atrocious caluInnics merely because
he would not prostitute his high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-.
frrrcd against the President. It's corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and monop.
olics it has nearly doubled the burden of debt
created during tho war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap.
p0intmrnt even Of his own cabinet Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of tue Government
are rocking or their bases, and should IL sue
coed in November next and inauguratc its
President we will meet, as subjects and 4 con.
qucred people amid the ruins OF liberty and
the scattered fragments al the Constitution.
And We do declare and resolve, That ever
since the people of the United States threw of
ali subsection to the British crown, the priv
lpgc and trust of Suffrage have belonged TO the
several States and have been granted regulated
ana controlled exclusively blythe political pow.
er OF each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any pTcteNt whatever to de
pIivc 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 subvcrt our
form of government, and can only end in a sin
gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence OF the states Will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des-
potisrn be established in place of q Federal
union of coedual States; and that we regard thC
atYtnfs ti,nn an
usurpaton and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country to Dry
against a most gallant and determined Zoe must
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 DO dlspos
ed of under the presumption of homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
but actual occupants, at 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
provcmcntS, the proceeds of the sale of such
lands, and not the lands themselves, should be
50 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
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 tn support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, tounte with us il
the present great struggle for the liberties OF
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, ",
extend the right hand of fellowship and hail al
ers.