The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-08-26
THE PLATFORM
Democratic National Convention

The Democratic party, in National Con-
ventlon assembled, reposing its trust in
the intelligence, patriotism and discrimi-
upon. the Constitution as the foundation
and Limitation of the powers of the Go
vernment, and the guarantee of the liber-
ties or the citizen, and recognizing the
questions of slavery and secession as.
| by the war, or the voluntary action of the
Southern States, in Constitutional Con-
ventions assembled, and never to be re-
newed or re-agitatcd, do, with the return
OF peace, demand: ,i..,
1st. Immediate restoration of all the
| States to their rights in the Union, under
the Constitution, and of civil government
| to the American people. .i ..f...
I'd. Amnesty for all past political
| offences, and the regulation of the elective
| franchise in the States by their citizens
Sd. Payment of the public debt Of the
all moneys drawn from the people by tax
alton, except so much as is requisite for
the necessities of the Government, econo-'
mically administered, being honestly ap-
piled to such payment; and, where the
| oblig ations Of the Government do not
| law under which they were issued does
not provide that they shall be paid in
coin, they ought, in right and in justice,
be paid in the lawful money of the United
| States.
4th. Equal taxation of every species OF
property, according to its real value, in
Guiding Government bonds and other pub
| lie securities.
5th. One currency for the Government
and the people, the laborer and the Office
holder, the pensioner and the soldier the
producer and the bond-holder.
9th. Economy in the administration of
the Government; the reduction of the
standing army and navy; the abolition of
the Freedmen's Bureau, and all political
| instramentalities designed to secure
| negro supremacy; simplifcation of the
system and discontinuance of inquisitori-
| al modes Of assessing and collecting inter-
nal revenue, so that the burden of taxa
tion may be equaliZed and lessened, the
| credit of the Government and the curren-
cy made good; the repeal of all enact
ments for enrolling tho State militia into
| national forces in time of peace; and
tariff for revenue upon foreign imports,
| and such equal ta1ation, under the inter-
nal revenue laws, as will afford incidental
protection to- domestic manufactures, and
as will, without impairing the revenue,
impose the least burden upon and best
promote and encourage the great indus
| trial interests of the country.
| 7th. Reform of abuses in the administra-
tl0n, the expulsion OF corrupt men from
| office, the abrogation of useless offices,
the restoration of rightful authority to
hhu tHC Ol tn6 executive
and judiciary departments of tho Govern
ment, the subordination of the military to
the civil power, to the end that the
usurpations of Congress and the despot-
ism of the sword may cease.
9Th. Equal rights and protection for
| naturalized and native-boin citizens, at
| home and abroad; the assertion Of Ameri-
can nationality which shall command the
respect OF foreign powers, and furnish an
| example and encouragement to people
struggling for national integrity, consti-
tutional liberty and individual rights; and
the maintenance of the rights of natural
lied citizens against the absolute doctrine
OF immutable allegiance and the claims of
| foreign powers to punish them for alleged
crime committed beyond their jurisdic-
| ton.
In demanding these measures and re-
forms, we arraign the radical party for its
disregard OF right, and the unparalleled
oppression and tyranny which have mark
| ed it's career. After the most solemn and
| unanimous pledge of both Houses of Con-
gress to prosecute the war exclusively for
the maintenance Of the Government and
the preservation Of the Union, under the
Constitution, it has repeatedly violated
that most sacred pledge. under which
| alone was rallied that noble volunteer
army, which carried our flag to victory.
Instead OF restoring the Union, it has.
80 far as is in its power, dissolved it. and
buOJoClcu Icu OIhIeb, III ClMeB OF pfO1OunQ
peace, to military despotism and negro
| supremacy.
1t has nullifed there the right of trial
| by jury; it has abolished the ha6eaS cor
pus, that most sacred writ of liberty; it
has overthrow the freedom of speech and
| the press; it has substituted arbitrary
| seizures and arrests, and military trials
and secret star chamber inquisitions for
| the constitutional tribunals; it has disre-
| garded, In time Of peace, the right OF the
people to be free from searches and seiz-
ures; it has entered the post and telegraph
| offices, and even the private rooms Of in
| dividuale, and seized their private papers
and letters, without any specific charge or
notice OF affidavit, as required by the Or
ganic law; it has converted the American
| capitol into bastile; it has established
System OF spies and official espionage to
| which no constitutional monarchy OF Eu-
rope would now dare to resort; it has abo-
lished the right Of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme
| judicial tribunals, and threatens to cur
tail or destroy it's original Jurisdiction,
which is irrevocably vested by the Consti-
tuition, while the learned Chief Justice
has been subjected to the most atrocious
calumnies, merely because he would not
prostitute his high Office to the support of
the false and partizan charges preferred
against the President. It's corruption and
extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and
monopolies it has nearly doubled the bur-
den of tho debt created by the war; 1t has
stripped the President Of his constitution
al power of appointment even of his own
Cabinet. Under its repeated assaults, the