The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-29
The Radical Platform a, First Drawn up.

The following is copy, says the Albany
Argus, Of the Chicago platform as 1t was
first drawn up. As some honest republican
papers are troubling themselves about the
true meaning Of the one published, we nope
they will give the original place in their
columns. The anxious reader, by compar-
ing The Two, win see at once that this Is re-
ally the original also, the leaders IN cons
gress and the principal newspapers Of the
radical party have SO interpreted it;
The oiIiceholders from Washington, assem-
bled in a sectional convention, in the city
of Chicago, on the Goth day Of May 1868,
DO make the following declaration of prin.
ciples:
First. We congratulate ourselves that st
ter three years Of scheming we have at
length succeeded in passing through a re-
publican congress our favorite military DIES.
potisnl policy, by which we obhge ten ofthe
United States to adopt constitutions gecur.
ing civil and political rights to every black,
and all white men who will swear to vote
our ticket; and it is the duty Of the govern.
ment 70 treat the national constitution as a
dead letter, that it may sustain these institu.
tons we have founded, and prevent the
white people of these ten states from being
freed from the anarchy we have imposed.
Second. The guarantee by congress OF
equal suffrage TO those only who vote the
radical ticket at the south was demanded by
every consideration Of political safety for our.
selves, Of spoils and plumber for those who
will share with us, and must be maintained
by the bayonet, while the question Of sut'
frage in all the other states consttutionally
belongs to those states aud we are not yet
strong enough to openly defy right 80 es.
seutial 70 their liberties.
Third. We denounce all forms of econo.
my as democratic, and our pockets require
the payment of the public Indebtedness in
gold to all speeulators ut home and abroad
because these spectators, who know very
well that the law requires the bonds TO be
paid in legaltender, will literally pay for
our votes in their behalf.
Fourth. 1t is due TO the bondholders that
they should be exempt from taxation, and
that the poor man should be brought as rap.
idly as possible to the condition Of a Euro,
pean peasant.
Fifth. The national debt, contracted as
it has been for the preservation Of the rAdi
cal party for all time to come, should be SO
arranged that the people may never be able
to rid themselves of it; and il is the duty oil
the radical leaders in congress to see that
the rate OF interest thereon is such as the
boudhoIders approve,
Sixth. That the best policy to diminish
the burden Of debt is to 30 increase ii while
in office that capitalists will refuse to loan
money at lower rates for interest than ten
per cent, which we now pay, and thereby
force upon the country q reputation our op.
ponents would avoid.
Seventh. The government of the United
States should be administered with the great
est proAigacy, and the continual efforts OF
Andrew johnson to reform the corruptions
we have so carefully nursed and fostered
call loudly for impeachment.
Eight We sincerely congratulate our.
selves that Abraham Lincoln did not live to
carry out his plans of reconstruction, and
regret the accession of Andrew johnson to
the Presidency, who has faithfully upheld
the principles Of the party which elected him,
and the constitution he has pledged to sup.
port who has tried exercise the same high
functions exercised by all his predecessors
in Office who has refused TO sanction our
unconstitutional laws who has used his high
office TO induce others to maintain the I'm
ion f.; who has employed his executive pow
ers to reestablish peace in the southern
states, and place the property, liberty, and
life Of the citizen beyond our control; who
l,a1 r1n .L,
edge the superiority ofthe black over the
white race who by his vetoes, has repeated
ly shown the people that we were acting
without due authority; who has persistently
and obstinately resisted, by every constitu
tional measure in bis power, every attempt
on our part to impose military despotism on
ten states who has brought to Justice those
who shared with rs the spoils of office who
has been impeached for upholding a free
form Of government, and Justly pronounced
guilty thereof by the vote of thirty five sena
tors.
Ninth. The efforts being made to induce
Great Britain and other European Powers
to renOunce the theory that because q man
is once Il subject he is always so, must be
resisted at every hazard by the radical teach
CLb % hll hbhClu Nv w otlCuBLu6u Ihb utlHO
cratic idea Of national honor and indcpend
ence. Naturalized citizens should be twenty
one years in the country before exercising
the rights Of citizenship as though they were
native born; and when citizen, natural
lied or native, is arrested by any foreign
power, for acts or words spoken in this coun
try, it is the duty Of the government not tc
interfere too vigorously in his behalf
Tenth. OF all who were Union lovers in
the trials of the late war there are none tC
be more especially watched and cajoled
than the soldiers and seamen who endured
the hardships of campaign and cruise, and
imperlled their lives in the service of the
Union; the bounties and pensions provided
by the laws for these foolish defenders Of q
Union we hate are obEgationsto be ignored
as soon as our power is renewed until then
their widows aud orphans must be paid in a
deprecated currency.
Eleventh Foreign emigration, which in
the past has added SO much embarrassment
to the development and increase ofour party
and made this country the asylum of the
"p0uperS" of all nations, should be diQcoun.
tenanced and kept from our shores by high
tariffs and prosecuting laws.
Twelfth. This convention Of oficeholders
declares itself in sympathy with all usurpers
who, like US, are struggling to deprive a
people of its rights to civil and religious lib.