The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-02
THE PLATFORM.

sembled, repoEing its trust IN the 1nrallgenCe,
patriotism and discriminating justice of the people;
standing upon the constitution as the foundation
and limitation of the powers Of the government and
the guarantee of the liberties Of the citizen, and re-
coQnizing the questions Of slavery and secession as
having been settled for all time to come by the war;
or the voluntary action Of the Southern States IN
constitutional convention assembled, and never 70
be renewed or reagitated, do, with the return OF
peace, demand:
First Immediate restoration of all the States to
their rights in the Union, under the constitution
end of civil government to the American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political offences,
and the regulation Of the elective franchise in the
States by their citizens.
Third Payment Of the public debt of the United
States as rapidly as practicable; oil moneys drawn
from the people by taxation, except so much as is
requisite for the necessities Of the government,
i economically administered, being honestly applied
10 such payment; and where the obligations Of the
government do not expressly state upon their face,
or the law under which they we 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.
Fourth Equal 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 lsborer and the oficehoder. the PEN
sioner and the soldier the producer and the bond
holder.
S;rth. Economy In the administration of the gov
eminent: the reduction Of the standing army and
navy; the abolition of the Freedmen's Buresn
and all political instrumentalitirs designed to-
secure negro supremacy; eimplihcation OF the sys-
tsr and discontin1ance of inquisitorial modes
of assessing and collecting internal revenue 30 uat
the burden of taxation may be equalzed and less,n-
ed: the credit of the government and the currency
made good; the repeal OF all enactments for enroll
ing the Stite militia into national forces In lime OF
peace and tariff for revenue upon foreign imports,
and such equal taxation under the internal revenue
laws as will afford incidental protection to domestic
manufactures, and as Will, without impairing the
revenue, impose the least burden upon and best pro-
mote AMI encourage the great industrial interests Of
the country.
Seventh Reform Of abuses In the administration,
the expulsion of corrupt men from Office, the abro-
CATION Of useless offices, the restoration Of right'ul
authority to and the independence of the executive
and judicial departments Of the government, the
subordinaHon Of the military to the civil power to
the end that the uswpations of Congress and the
despotsm of the sword may cease.
Eighth Equal rights and protection for naturalized
and nat1ve-born citizens at home and abroad, the
assertion OF American nationality which shall COM
1aand the respect Of foreign powers and furnish an
example and encouragement to people struggling for
national integrity constitutional liberty, and indt-
vidual rights; and the maintenance Of the rights of
naturazed citizens against the absolute doctrine Of
immutable allegiance and the claims of foreign pow
ers to punish them Tor alleged crime committed be
yond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we ar
ragn the Radical party for its disregard of right and
the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have
marked its career. -
After the most solemn and unanimous pledge Of
both House' Of Congress TO prosecute the war *
clusyely for the maintenance of the government and
the preservation of the Union under the conshtu-
tior, 1t has repeatedly violated that most sacred
pledge under which alone, was rallied that noble
volunteer army which carried our fng to victory.
Instead of restoring the Union 1t has, so for as sin
its power, dissolved H. and subjected ten States in
time of profound peace to military despotsm and
negro supremacy; It has nullied there the rleht ol
trial by jury; it has abolished the habeas corpusi
that most sacred writ of liberty; 1t has overtnrow
the freedom Of speech and the press; 1t has suost
tutey arbitrary seizures, and arrests and military
trials, aud secret star chaub'r inqusaons ior the
constitutional tribunals; 1t has dsresaraed iu time OF
peace the right of the people to be free from
and se,zures; 1t has entered tho post and tele raph
Offices, and even the private roops of individuals,
,ka and lattarE without
any specific charseol notice oi affidavit aa reqnired
by the organic law; it has converted tho Ameri-
can capitol into Bastile; it has established system
Of spies and official espionage to which no cohshtu-
tionn monarchy Of Europe would now dare to resort
1t has abolished the right of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme judicial r1
buna and threatens to curtail or destroy It's origi'
nal jurisdiction which Is rrevocaby vested By the
constitution while the learned Chief Justice has been
subjected to the mo t atrocious calumnies, merely
because he would not prostitute bis high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges preferred
against the President; its corruption and eItrava'
eance have exceeded auytbing known in history
and by its frauds and mcnopplies 1t has nearly
doubled the bu.den Of thedsot created by the war;
has stripped the President Of his constitutional power
of appointment, even Of his own Cabinet Under
its repeated assaults the pillars Of the govern
ment are rocking on their base, and should 1t sue
coed in November next and inaugurae Its President
we will meet as subjected and conquered ople
amid the ruins ofberty and the scattered fragments
of the constitution; and do declare and resolve
that ever since the people of the United States threw
of all subjecuon u the British Crown, the privilege
and trust of suffrage have belonged to the several
States, and have seen granted, regulated and con-
trolled exclusively by the political power Of eac'
State respectively and that any sternpt by Con gresa
on cny pree1t Whatever to deprive any State OF this
right or interfere with lis exercise fragrant usur
patton of power which can find no warrant 10 the
constitution, and il sanctioned by the peo-
ple will subvert our form Of government. and can
only end In q single centralized and consolidated gov
ernment in which the separate existence Of the States
will ba entirely absorbed, and an unqualified despot-
ism be established in place of Federal Union of CO.
equal States and that regard the Reconstruction
acts so-called) of Congress as usurpatons. and un
constitutional revolutionary and void; that our SOL
iers and sailors who carried the flag of our country
to victory against most gallant and determined foe.
must ever be gratefully remembered, and all the
guarantees given their favor must be faithfully
carried into execution.
That the public lands should be distributed as
widely as possible among the people, and should be