The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-08
The hat s,ns4oI Democratic

The Democratic party, in National Conven-
ton assembled repesing its trust ID inc lnIelic
gence, patriotism and DISCRIMINATING Justice Oh
the people, standing upon the Constitution rs
the foundation and limitation Of the powers OF
the Government and the guarantee Oh the ho-
critics of the citizen and recognizing the dues-
tons of slavery and secession as having ueen
settled for all time to come, by war anu tne Vol
untary action of the Southern states, In consti-
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 LOT Inc
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 40
much as is requisite for the necessities Of the
government economically administered, being
Honestly applied to such payment, ana where
the obligations Of the Government DO not ex'
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued dses not pEoviae !nat
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, In night
and justice, be paid in the lawful money OF the
Fourth. Equal taxation Of every species Of
property according to its real value, incinding
Government bonds and other public securities
Fifth. One currency for the government and
the neople. the lsborer and the office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the produeer and
SiIth, Economy In the administration Of the
Government, the reduction Of the standing army
and navy; the abolition OF the freedmens
bureau Jgreat cheersl, and all poiltical lnstru
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
Identification OF the system, and discontinuance
of inauisitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; SO that the burden oil taxation
NAV be eaualized 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 Of
peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign i'm.
norris: and such equal taxation under the Inter
nal Revenue laws, as viii afford incidental pro.
lection to domestic manufactures, ana az VIII,
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-
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from once;
the abropation 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.
tary TO the civil power TO the end that the nsnr-
pations of Congress and the desp0tism oil the
sw ord may cease.
Eighth. EQUAL rights and protection for nat.
uralized and native born citizens nj home and
abroad The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish al example and encourage
meut to people struggling for national integri.
Nv. constitutional liberty and Individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights Of natursiliZ.
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine oil i'm
mutable allegiance, and the claims OF foreign
powers to punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures anu reforms we
arraign the Radical party for its disregard Tor
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 excu.
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 nobe volunteer army which carried our
flag TO victory. Instead Of restoring the Union
il has, so far il il in its power, dissolved it,
and subjected ten States in time OF profound
peace to military despotsm and negro supre:
macy. 1t has nulliied thsre the right Of trial
by Jury. Ii has abolished the habeas corpus,
that most sacred writ Of liberty. 1t has over
thrown the freedom of speech and Of the press.
IL has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest, and military trials and the secret star
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 aud telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms OF individ.
uals aud seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or afiida-
Wit, as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into a Bastile.
1t has established system of spies and official
espionage TO which no constitutional monarchy
in Europe wOuld now dare to resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on im.
pOrtant constitutional questions 10 the su.
preme judicial tribunal and threatens tofcur.
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, which is
irrevOcably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been suIie cted to
great and atrociOus caluInnies, 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 and monOp-
olies it has nearly doubled the burden Of debt
created during tie war. II has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap.
pOintment even of his ewn cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars Of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should it sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President, we will meet, rs subjects ana con.
quercd people, amid tho ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments Ofthc Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve, That ever
since tho people of the United States threw oil
all subsection To the British crown, the priv
lemc and trust of suffrage have belonged 10 the
several States, and have been granted, regulated
or of each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress OH any prctext whatever To de
prive 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 q sim
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 Federal
union of coequal States; and that we regard the
reconstruction acts, so called, of Congress such
usurpation, and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country to victory
against a most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran.
ties given in the law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land shonld be distributed
widely among the people, and should DO dispos.
ed of under the presumption Of homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities. and to none
but actual occupants, ut the minimum price es.
the public lands may be allowed. necessary for
tho encouragement Of important public i'm
provemehts, the proceeds of the sale of such
lands, and not the lands themselves, should be
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 Of
the whole American people, and on behalf OF
the Democratic party we tend ,r him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts in III It regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
peals to every patriot, including all the COnser
vative element and oil who desire to support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past Differences Of opinion, TO unite with rs in
the present great struggle for the liberties OF
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, We
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all
such cooperating with Us rs friends and broth
ers.