Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-07-17

of the citizen, aud recognizing the questions of
| slavery and accession as having been settled for
| all time to come by the var, or the voluntary
| action of the Southern States In Constitutional
Conventions assembled, nd never to be renewed
or reagitated do, with the return of peace, de-
mand:
| First. The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union under the Con-
stiution, and Of civil government to the Anerl-
| can people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political offences
and the regulation of the elective franchise In the
States by their citizens.
third. The payment OF the public debt Of the
| United States practicable; and that
| all moneys drawn from the people by taxation,
| except so much as is requisite for the necessi-
ties of the Government economically sdminis-
tered, be honestly applied to such payment; ana
| where the obligations of the Government do not
| expressly state upon their face, 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.
| Fourth. Equsl taxation of every species Of
property according to its real value, including
| Government bonds and other public securities
| Fifth. One currency for the Government and the
people, the laborer and the oficeholder, the pen
sioner and the soldier, the producer and the
| bondholder.
| sixth Economy in the administration of the
| Government the reduction OF the standiog army
| and navy; the abolition Of the Freedmen's Blu
reau, aud all political iusrumentalities designed
| to secure negro supremacy slmpllhcatlon OF the
system, and discontinnance of inquisitorial modes
! of assessing and collecting Internal Revenue, 80
that the burden OF taxation may be equalized sid
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 q tariff for revenue upon
foreign imports, and such equal taxation under
! the Ioternai Revenue laws will afford inciden-
| tai protection to domestic manufactures, and as
will, without imparing the revenue. pose the
| least burden upon and best promote and en-
| courage the great industrial interests OF the
! country.
| Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administra-
of
abrOgatlOn OF ust less Offices, the restoration of
| rghttul authority to, and the independence of,
| the executive anu judicial departments 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.
| Eighth. Equal rights and protection for natu-
| rahzed and native born citizens a. home ard
abroad, the assertion Of American nationality
which shall command the respect of fore len pow
ers and furnish example and encourag ement
| to people struggling for national integrity con-
stitntlonal liberty and individual rights and the
! maintenance of the rights of naturalized citizens
against the absolute doctrine Of immutabIe allie
glance, and the claims Of foreign powers to punish
them Tor alleged crime committed beyond their
| jurisdiction.
| In demanding there measures and reforms we
| arraign the Radical party for its diere gard of
right and the unparalleled oppression and tyranny
(which have marked it's career. After the most
solemn and unanimous pledge of both Houses of
Congress to prosecute the exclusively for the
maintenance of the Government and the prestr-
walton of the Union under the Constitution it has
repeatedly violated that most ed pledge under
which alone IA lied that noble volunteer army
which carried oar flag to victory. Instead of re-
storing the Union it. has, far i; power,
dissolved it, and subjected st tes, in time of
! profound peace, to military despotism and negro
supremacy. 1t has nuilifed there the right
of trial by jury it has aboished the ha6eGs
puS that most sacred writ of liberty it has over
| thrown the freedom Of speech and the press it
! has substituted arbitrary seizures, and arrests,
and military trials, and secret starch amber inqui-
sitions for the constitutional tribunals; it has dis
| regarded IN time OF peace the right of the people
| to be free from searches and Sc lures; it has
tered the post and telegraph offices, and the
private rooms Of individuals. and seized their pri
vate papers and letters without any specific
charge Or notice of affidavit, required by the
| organic law 1t has converted the American Cap
itoi into bastile it has established system OF
spies and official espionage to which no constitu-
| tonal monarchy Of Europe would now dare to
sort lit has abolished the right appeal on i'm
portant constitutional questions to the supreme
Judicial tribunal and threatens to curtan or de-
atroy it's original Jurisdiction which is irrevocaby
vested by the Constitution, while he learned
Chief Justice has been subjected to the most afro
cIous calumnles, merely because he would not
prostitute his high office to the support Of the
false and PARTISAN charges preferred against the
| President It's corruption and extravaganza have
exceeded anything known in history aud Icy it's
| frauds and monOpOiles il has nearlY doubted the
burden of the debt created by the war. It
has stripped the President OF his consti-
| tutional power CT app>.. nlent of his
| own Cabinet, Under its lopeated assaults tlA
| pillars of the Government are rocking on The i.
| base, and should it succeed in November next
and lnau9urato its President, we will meet as a
subjected 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
tho people of the United States threw Off all sub
lection to the British Grown the privilege and
| trust Of suffrage have belonged 80 the several
States. and have been granted regulated. and
controlled exclusively by the political pc yer of
each State respectively, and that any attempt by
Corkress, on any pre- ext whatever, to deprive
any State of this right interfere with it's exer
else, is s. fragrant Dsurpation of power which can
find no warrant i'll the Constitution, and if
toned by the people will srbyert our form of gov
eminent, and can only end in a single centralized
and consolidated government in which the sepa-
| rate existence Of the States will be entirely abb
solbed, and an unqualified despotism be estah
lished in place OF Federal Union OF coequal
States.
And that regard tie Reconstruction acts
(so-caled) OF Congress, IA such, as usurpatlOus
and uncOns ltutlonaj, revolutionary and void
That our soldiers and sailors who carried the
flag Of our country to victory against most gal
liant and determined foe must be gratefully
remembered, and q the guarantees given in their
favor must be faithfully carried into execution
That the public lands should be distributed as
widely possible among the people, and should
be disposed OF either under the presumption of
homestead lands, or sold III sonabe quantities,
and to none but actual occupants, at the minimum
price established by the Government. When
grants Of the public lands may be allowed, neces-
improvements. the proceeds 0; the sale of such
land. and not the lands themselves, should be so
applied.
That the President Of the United States, Andrew
johnson; IN exercising the power of his high Office
IN resisting the aggressiOns of Congress upon the
constitutional rights of the States and the People,
is entitled to the gratitude of tho whole American
people, and in behalf Of the Democratic party we
tender him our thanks for his patriotic efforts in
that regard.
Upon this Platform the Democratic party ap-
peal to patriot including all the COnsarva-
tive clement and all who desire to support the
Constitution and restore the Union, forgetting all
past differences Of opinion, to unite with in the
present great struggle for the liberties of the peo-
ple and that to all such, to whatever party they
may have heretofore belonged, we extend the
right hand of fellowship, and hail Ill such Coop
Grating with us as friends and brethren.
Abbott and Estes.
The vindictiveness and cowardice with
which these two carpet-bag representa-
tives of New Hanover assail the ,eonle of