The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-07
The National Democratic
Platform.

The NatIOndt DCTnOCT httC
Platform.
The Democratic party, i'll National ConNen.
ton assembled, reposiHg its trust In the intelli;
gence, patriotism and discriminating justice oil
the people, standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation of the powers OF
the Government, and the guarantee OF the llb'
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the qneS'
tiOns of slavery and secession ~ having Dtcl
settled for all time 10 come, by war ana the VOL
untary action of the Southern .tatcS III consul
tmti0nnl convention assembled, AMI never To be
renewed or rcagitatcd, do, with the return oil
peace, demand,
First The immediate restoration OF all the
States TO their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and OF civil government Tor Inc
American people.
Second Amnesty for all past political often.
ccs and the regulation OF the elective franchise
in States by their citizens.
Third Payment of the public debt Of the Uni.
ted States rs rapidly practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except 80
much as Is requisite for the necessities Of the
government economically administered, being
honestly applied to such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not eN.
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued dees not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, il right
and justice, be paid in the lawful money oil 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 ency for the government anu
the people, the labOrrr and the Office holder,
the pcnsioner and the soldier, the producer aud
bond holder.
Sixth Economy in the administration of the
government the reduction of the standing army
aud navy; tho abolition of the Freedmen =
bureau great cheersl, and all political instrn.
meutalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
smpliiicatiOn of the system, and disc0ntinuancc
of inquisitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden of taxation
may be equalized and lessened, the credit Of
the government and the currency made good,
the repeal of all enactmcntS for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces i'll time oil
peace, and u tariff for revenue upon foreign im'
ports: and such equal taxation under the Inter.
nal Revenue laws. a. will afford incidental pro
lection 10 domestic manufactures, AMI rs will,
without impairinI the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote aud encourage
the great industrial interests of the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the alministra.
tioH; the expulsion of corrupt men from Office;
the abrOgatiOn of useless offices: the restoration
Of rightiul authority 10 and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments oi
the government. The suhurdinaiiun OF the mil.
itary To the civil power to the end that tho usur.
pations of Congress and tho drSpotism Of the
Sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uraliLcd and native born citizens al home and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage.
mcnt Ia people struggling for national integri.
ty, constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights of natuidliZ.
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine Of i'm.
mutablc allegiance, and the claims of foreign
powers In punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and 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 solar and unanimous pledges of both
houses ofPp dgress TO prosecute the war GXclu-
sivrly for the maintenance of tho Government
and the protection of the Union under the
Constitution. 1t has repeatedly violated that
most sacred pledge, under which was rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried our
flag tn victory. Instead of restoring the Union
il has, so far as il is in its power, dissolved it.
and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military despetsm and negro supre.
macy II has nulliied there the right of trial
that most sacred writ OF liberty. 1t has over.
thrown the freedom of speech and OF the press.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures anu al.
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquistions for constitutional tri
bunals 1t has disregarted in time of peace the
right OF the people to be free from search and
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms OF indvid-
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or aihda-
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 i'm.
portant constitutional questions to the su.
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens t0fur.
tail or destroy its original Jurisdiction which is
irrevOcably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subje 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 extravagance have exceeded anything
olies il has nearly doubled the burden of debt
created during TIE war. 1t has stripped the
President Of his constitutional power of ap-
pointment, even of his own cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars Of the Government
are rocking on their bases and should it sue.
President, We will meet, ~ subjects and con .
qucred people, amid the ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments ofthc Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve That ever
since the people of the United States threw of
all subsection to the British crown, the priv.
-
several States, and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
or OF each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any pretext whatever TO de-
priye any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise Is dagrant 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 a sin.
gle centralized consolidated government in
which the separate existence Of the States will
he entirely absorbed, and IN unqualified des-
potism be- established in place Of a 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 n most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran.
ties given in the law must he faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispos-
ed Of under the presumption Of homestead laws,
and sold In reasonable quantities, and to none
but actual occupants, at tho minimum price IS
tablished by the government. When grants Of
the public lands may be allowed. necessary for
the encouragement Of important public i'm.
provements, the proceeds Of the sale of such
lands, and net 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 tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts In that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap-
PeSls to every patriot including all the Conset.
vative element and AL who desire to support the
constitntion and restore the Union, forgetting
past dixerenccs Of opinion, TO unite with rs In
the present great struggle for the liberties OF
the people and that 10 al such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, we
extend the right hand Of fsllowship. and hail all
such cooperating with M As friends and broth
I,