The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-14
The National Democratic
PtaffnYn1. -l


the people standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation Of the powers OF
the Government, and the guarantees OF the I'D
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the cues
tons of slavery and secession as having been
sntkled for all time to come by war and the vol
untary action of the Southern states, in eonsti-
tutional convention assembled, and never to be
renewed or reagitated, do, with the return oil
peace, demand,
First. The immediate restoration Of all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and of civil government for Inc
American people
second. Amnesty for all past political often
ces, and the regulation of the elective franchise
in States :, 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 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 ex-
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
thew shall be paid in coin, they ought, ia night
and Justice, be paid in tho lawful money Of the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species of
property according TO its real value, including
Government bonds and other public securities.
Fifth. One curr ency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the oihce 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 Freedmens
bureau great cheersI, and all political instru.
mentalities designed 10 secure negro supremacy;
simplifcation of the system, and dlscontlnuance
of inausitorial modes Of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; SO that the burden OF taxation
may be equalized and lesssned, 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 oil
peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign I'M
ports; and such equal taxation under the inter
nal Revenue laws, 90 will afford incidental pro
lection 10 domestic manufactures, and as VIII,
without imnairns 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-
ton: the expulsion of corrupt men from ONCE;
the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subOrdination of tue mil
itary 10 the civil power 10 the end that the usur
pations of Congress and tho dcspotism Of the
s1 or,l may cease.
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 10 people struggling for national integri-
Y.
and the maintenance of the rights of naturaliz-
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutable allegiance, and the 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 for
right, and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
| amy which has marked its career, after the
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
| flag to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
10 has. so far as il is in its power, dissolved H.
| and subjected ten States in time OF profound
peace to military dcspOtism and negro supre:
macy. 1t has nullihed thsre 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.
| Ii has substituted arbitrary seizures anu ar.
rest, and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional tri'
bunals 1t has disregarded i'll time of peace the
right of the people to be free from search ana
seizures. 1t has entered the post anu telegraph
Offices and even the private rooms Of lndlvld'
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or athda-
Wit, as required by the organic law. IL has
converted the American capitol into Bastlle:
| Ii has established 4 system of spies and oihciai
espionage TO which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare TO resort
Ii has abolished the right of appeal on i'm
pOrtant constitutional questions 10 the su.
premc judicial tribunal, and threatens tofur'
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whiCnis
| irrevocably vested by the Constitution, whlle
J the learned Chief Justice has been subc cted to
great and atrOcious caluinnics, merely because
| he would not prostitute his high office to the
| support of the false and partisan charges pre-.
| ferred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
| known in history, and by its frauds AMI monOp'
olies il has nearly doubled the burden OF DEBT
created during tie war. 1t has stripped the
| President of his constitutional power OF APP
pontlnent even of his own cabinet Under us
| repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases and should II sue
coed in November next and inaugurate us
| President we will meet, as subjects ana a con.
auered 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 on
| Nil 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
er of each State respectively; and any attempt
| by Congress on any pretext whatever 70 de-
| privc 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 subvert 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-
pOtism be established in place of a Federal
union of cOequal States and that we regard the
reconstruction acts, 80 called, of Congress such
| usurpatiOn, and unconstitutional, revolutionary
| and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our coIntry TO victory
| against a most gallant and determined foe mast
| 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 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.
tabished by the government. When grants of
the public lands may be allowed. necessary for
the encouragement of important public i'm.
prOvemcnts, the proceeds Of the sale OF such
| lands and not the lands themselves should bc
so applied.
That tAe 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
| aud 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-
pcals TO every patriot, including all the COnser.
| vatyc element and all who desire TO support the
! constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past Differences of opinion, To unto with rs in
| the present great struggle for she liberties of
| the people and that to all snch TO whatever
! party they may have heretofore belonged we
extend the right hand Of fellowship and hail all