The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-12
rKeNatfonar Democratic
-rTTyrj~,-, -Platform.0T ind

IN0 NdSlOndt SOtIlOStdSiC
TT9HY..l Platform Oh inh
The Democratic party, in National Conyen.
ton assembled repesiag its trust m the intelli.
gence, patriotism and discriminatlhE lusuee 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-
tions of slavery and secession as having been
settled 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 OF
peace, demand,
F,rst 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 SC
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
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, IN right
and Justice, be paid in the lawful msney 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 eEcy 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
bureau Igreat cbeersl, and all political instru
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy
simplifcation of the system, and discontinuance
of inGuisitorial 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 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 therevenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests OF the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administers
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from office
the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
of tho Executive and Judicial departments Of
the government. The sub0rdination OF the mil
tary to the civil power TO the end that the nsur
pations of Congress and the despotism Of the
sword may cease.
Eighth Equal rights 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
powers 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
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 OuI
flag to victory Instead of restoring the Union
it has, so far as il is i'll its power dissolved it.
and subjected ten States i'll time OF profound
peace To military despotism and negro supre
macy. Ithas nulliiied there the right oil tr1a
by Jury. 1t has abolished the ha6eas 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 stal
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional tri
bunals 1t has disregarded in time OF peace the
right of the people to be free from search and
seizures 1t 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 atfida
Wit, as required by the organic law. IT has
converted the American capitol into Bastile
1t has established system of spies and Othcia
espionage TO which no constitutional monarchy
in Europe would now dare to resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm
pOrtant constitutional questions to the sn
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens toscur
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which !:
irrevocably vested by the Constitution while
the learned Chief Justice has been subie cted to
great and atrocous calumnies, merely because
he would not prostitute his high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
fsrred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and monop
olies it has nearly doubled the burden of deb
created during TIE war 1t has stripped tn,
President of his constitutional .p0wer OF ap
pointment, even of his ewn cabinet. Under IL
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should Ii sue
coed in November next and inaugurate it
President, we will meet as subjects and con
uuered people, amid the ruins of liberty ant
the scattered fragments ofthc Constitutions
And WE do declare and resolve. That ever
since tho people of the United States threw OF
lege and trust Of suffrage have belonged To tn,
several States and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political nn,S
or nf oaol State respectively; anu any attchp
by Congress Oh any preteXt whatever TO de
prive any State of this right or interfere witt
this exercise is a fragrant usurpatiOn of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert oul
form Of government and can only enc IN SIN
gle centralized consolidated government, II
..aIA H., 60 rtgtn nf m
be entirely absorbed and an unqualified des
potism be established in place of Federa
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 WHIT
carried the flag of our country TO victJrl
against a most gallant and determined foo mus
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 pre-. emptiOn 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 u
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 bC
so 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 o.
the whole American people, and on behalf o.
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 to support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, tounite with us IL
the present great struggle for the liberties o.
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged W,
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail al
such cooperating with US as friends and broth
ers. $40
Resolutions Adopted by the
Democratic State COnven-
ton of West Virginia.