The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-07-23
The ArrafgnnI ent.

The following article was omitted in
our publication of the democratic plat
form, as it was received too late. We pre-.
sent it now as part of said platform:
In demanding these measures and re-
forms we arraign the radical party for its
disregard of righ. and the unparalleled
oppression and tyranny which have mark
ed its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous
pledge of both houses of congress to pros
ecute the war exclusively for the mainte
nance of the government aud the, ,preserva-
tion of the union under the constitution, it
has repeatedly violated that sacred pledge
under which alone was rallied that noble
volunteer army which carried our flag to
victory. Instead of restoring the union it
has so far as lay in its power, dissolved it,
and subjected ten states in time of pro-
found peace to military despotism aud ne
gro supremacy. it has nulifcd there the
right of trial by jury; it has abolished the
ha6eas corpus-that most sacred writ of
liberty ; it has oyerthrown the freedom Of
| speech and of the press; it has subs tituted
arbitrary seizures and arrests and military
trials, and secret star chamber inquisi-
tions for the constitutional tribunals it
has disregarded in time of peace the right
of the people to be free from searches and
seizures it has entered the post and tele-
graph Offices, and even the private ROOMS
of individuals, and seized their private
papers and letters without any specific
charge or notice Of affidavit, as required
by the organic law it has converted the
American capitol into bastile it has es-
! tablished system of spies and official es-
pionage to which no constitutional mon
arch Of Europe would now dare to resort !;
it has abolished the right of appeal on iul-
portant constitutional questions to the su-
preme judicial tribunal and threatens to
curtail or destroy its original jurisdiction
which is irrevocably vested by the consti-
tuition, while the learned chief justice has
been subjected to the most atrocious cal
umnies, merely because lie would not pros
titute 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 doubled the burden of
the debt created by the war. 1. has
stripped the president OF his constitution
al power of appointment, even of his own
cabinet Under its repeated assaults the
pillars of the government are rocking On
their base, and should it succeed in No
vember next and iuaugurate its president,
we will meet as subjected and conquered
people amid the ruins of liberty and the
scattered fragments of the constitution.
And we do declare and resolve that ever
since the people Of the United States
threw off all subjecticn to the British
crown the privilege and trust Of suffrage
have belonged to the several states, and
have been granted, regulated, and controll-
ed exclusively by the political power OF
each state, respectively, and that any at
tempt by congress, or any pretext whatev
er, to deprive any state of this right, ol
interfere with its exercise, is a fagran
usurpation of power which can find nj
warrant in the constitution; if sanctioned
by the people will subvert our form of gov
ernment, aud can only end in a singl,
centralized and consolidated govern
ment in which the separate existence O
the states will be entirely absorbed, ant
an unqualified despotism be established il
the place of federal Union of coequa
states.
And that we regard the reconstructio,
acts $50 called of congress, as such, as
usurpations and unconstitutional, revolu
tionary and void.
That the soldiers and sailors who carrie,
the flag of our country to victory against
most gallant and determined foe ever b,
gratefully remembered, and all the guar
, antees in their favor must be faithful
carried into execution.
That the public lands should be dis
tributed as widely as possible among tn
q people, and should be disposed of eithe
e under the pre-emption of homestead lands
J. or sold in reasonable quantities, and t.
: none but actual occupants, at the minimum
o price established by the government
}. When grants of the public lands may b
: allowed, necessary for the encouragement
/ of important public improvements, tn
C proceeds OF the sale Of such lands and no
r the lands themselves, should be So az
G piled.
i That the president of the United State,
C Andrew Johnson, in exercising the powe