The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-21
The National Democratic
PLATFORM. -

Platform. 20
Tho Democratic party, in National Conven-
t;on assembled repesing its trust in the intell-
qence, patriotism and discriminating justice oil
the people standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation OF the powers oil
the Government, and the guarantee of the lib
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the ques-
tions of slavery and secession as having been
ssttled for all timG to come. by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern States in consu.
tutional convention assembled, and never TO be
renewed or reagitated 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 rs 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 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, in right
and justice, be paid in the lawful Money Of the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation Of every species Of
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; sthe abolition of the Freedmen's
bureau lgreat cheers, and all political instru.
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplfication of the system, and discontinuance
of inauisitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so 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 for enrolling the
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 will,
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-
| tioH the expulsion Of corrupt men from office;
the abroCaton of useless Offices the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
| the government. The subordination of the mil
itary to the civil power TO the end that the usur.
pations Of Congress and the despotism Of the
| sword may cease.
Eighth Equal rg gifts and protection for nat.
\ uralized and native born citizens at homo and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
| which shall command the respect OF foreign
mowers and furnish an example and encourage
ment 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 the claims Of foreign
| mowers to punish them for 4 crime committed
| beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we
arraign the Radical party for its disregard Tor
| RIGHT. and the unparalleled oppression and tyr.
annv which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges OF both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclu.
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
far to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
it has, so far il is in its power, dissolved il:
| and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military desp0tism and negro supre:
macy. 1t has nullified there the right of trial
| by Jury. 1t has abolished the habeas corpus,
! that most sacred writ OF liberty. 1t has over.
! thrown the freedom of speech and of the press.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
| rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisiti0ns for constitutional tn.
bunals 1t has disTegarded in time Of peace the
| right of the people to be free from SEARCH and
seizures Ii has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms OF individ.
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice or aihda-
Wit. as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
It has established syste.I of spies and oihcial
espionage To which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare 10 resort
| 1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm.
portant constitutional questions to the su.
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tofur-
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whlGhis
| irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subje cted to
great and atrocious calumnies, merely because
| he would not prostitute his high Office TO the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
| ferred 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 tie war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power OF APP
pointment even of his swn cabinet Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should 1t sue
| coed In November next and inaugurate its
President We will meet, as subjects and a con.
qucred 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 privi'
| lege and trust of Suffrage have belonged to the
several States and have been granted, regulated
] and controlled exclusively by the political pow
or of each State respectively; and any attempt
| by Congress on any pretoXt whatever TO de
| prive any State of this right or interfere with
| this exercise is q fragrant usurpation of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and If sanctioned by the people will subvert Our
| form of government, and can only end in sin
\ gle centralized consolidated government, in
| which the separate existence OF the States viii
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des
potism be established in place of Federal
| union of coequal States; and that we regard the
reconstruction acts, so called, OF Congress sucl
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 DO 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
| tablished by the government. When grants %
the public lands may be allowed, necessary fol
! the encouragement of important public i'm
prOvements, the proceeds of the sale Of suCl
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 hi
high office in resisting the aggressiOns OF Con
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
| and the people is entitled to the gratitude o
the whole American people, and on behalf o
the Democratic party we tender him our thank!
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 th,
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences Of opinion, tOunite with us II
the present great struggle for the liberties o.
II