Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-07-14
National Democratic Platform.

ton assembled, reposing its trust in the inteli-
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 tremendous cheer
ingl-by the war or the voluntary action Of the
Southern States in Constitutional Convention
assembled, and never to be renewed or reagi-
tated, do with the return of peace demand:
First-Immediate restoration of all the States
to their rights in the Union under the Consti
tuition, and of civil government to the Ameri
can people,, Cheers. 3 aa
Second-Amnesty for all past political Of
fences and the regulation OF the elective fran
chlse in the States by their citizens. Cheers
Third-Payment of the public debt of the
United States as rapidly as practicable; all
moneys drawn from the people by taxation. ex-
cept 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 expressly 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 in justice, to be paid in the lawful
money of the United States. Thunders of
applause .
Fourth-Equal taxation of every species of
property according to its real value, including
| Government bonds and other public securities
Renewed cheering and cries of Read it
again.
FIfth-One currency for the Government and
the people, the laborer and the oficeholder, the
pensioner and the soldier, the producer and the
bondholder. Great cheering and cries of
Read it again. !" The fifth resolution was
again read and again cheered
Slxth-Economy in the administration of the
Government; the reduction of the standing
army and navy; the abolition Of the Freed
mems Bureau great cheering and all polit-
lcal lnstrumentaities designed TO secure negro
| supremacy; simplifcation of the system, and
the discontinuance of iniquistorial modes of
assessing and collecting Internal Revenue, so
that the burden of taxation may be equalized
and lessened; the credit of the Government
and the currency made good the repeal Of all
enactments for enrolling the State militia into
national forces In time of peace; and tariff
for revenue upon foreign imports, and such
equal taxation under the Internal Revenue laws
as will afford incidental protection to domestic
manufactures, and as will, without impairing
the revenue, impose the least burden upon and
best promote and encourage the great indus
trial interests of the country
/
tration. the expulsion of corrupt men from Of
flee, the abrogation of useless offices, the resto-
ration of rightful authority to, and the indie
pendence OF, the executive and judicial depart
ments OF the government, the subordination of
the military to the civil power, to the end that
the usurpations of Congress and the despotism
of the sword may cease. Cheers 4.,a
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
ment to people struggling for national integrity
constitutional liberty and Individual rights and
the maintenance of the rights Of naturalized
citizens against the absolute doctrine of immu-
table allegiance and the claims Of foreign pow
ers to punish them for alleged crime committed
beyond. their Jurisdiction. Loud applause.
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraign the Radical party for its disregard
Of right and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which have marked its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous pledge
of both Houses Of Congress to prosecute the
war exclusively for the maintenance of the Gov
eminent and the preservation Of the Union IN
der the Constitution, it has repeatedly violated
that most sacred pledge under which alone was
rallied that noble volunteer army which carried
toring the Union, it has, SO far as in its power,
dissolved it, and subjected ten States, in time
Of profound peace, to military despotism and
negro supremacy. 1t has nufed there the
right Of trial by jury: it has abolished the ha-
beas corpus, that most sacred writ Of liberty
it has oyerthrown the freedom Of speech and
the PRESS it has substituted arbitrary seizures.
and arrests, and military trials and secret star
chamber inquisitions for the constitutional tri-
bunals; it has disregarded in time of peace
| the right OF the people to be free from searches
and seizures; it has entered the post and tele-
graph Offices, and even the private rooms of
individuals and seized their private papers and
letters without any specific charge or notice Of
affidavit, as required by the organic law it has
| converted the American Capitol into bastile :;
1t has established system of spies and official
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
OF Europe would now dare to resort cheersl-
it has abolished the right OF appeal on imDor-
tant constitutional questions to the supreme in
dicial tribunal, and threatens to curtail or des-
troy It's original jurisdiction which is irreyoca
bly, vested by the Constitution, while the
learned Chief Justice loud cheeringl-has
been subjected to the most atrocious calumnies
merely because he would not prostitute his
high office to the support of the false and par
tlsan charges preferred against the President.
anything known in history, and by it's frauds
and monopolies it has nearly doubled the bur
den Of the debt created by the war; It has
stripped the President Of his constitutional
power OF appointment, even of his own Cabi-
net. Under its repeated assaults the pillars of
the Government are rocking on their base. and
should it succeed in November next and inau-
gurate its President, we will meet as o sub
jected and conquered people amid the ruins of
liberty and the scattered fragments of the Con
stitution.
And We do declare and resolve that ever since
the people Of the United States threw off all
subsection to the British Crown the privilege
and trust Of suffrage have belonged to the
several States, and have been granted regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political power
Of each State respectively, and that any at
tempt by Congress, on any pretext whatever,
to deprive any State Of this right, or interfere
with It's exercise, is fragrant nsurpation of
power which can find no warrant in the Consti-
tuition, and if sanctioned by the people will
subVert our form Of Government, and can only
end in q single centralized and consolidated
Government In which the separate existence of
the States will be entirely absorbed, and an I'M
qualified despotism be established in place of a
Federal Union of coequal States
And that we regard the reconstruction acts
(so-called) OF Congress, as such, as usurpations
and unconstitutional, revolutionary and void.
That our soldiers and sailors who carried the
flag OF our country to victory against most
gallant and determined foe must ever be CRATE
fully remembered, and all the guarantees given
in their favor Ynret ba faithfiIllv ~ rrod into