Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-07-30
THE PLATFORM

ito assem- blod, reposing its trust III The intel
hgence, 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 recognising tn,
questions of slavery and secession as having
been settled for all time to come by the war;
the voluntary action of the Southern States
in Consti utional Convention assembled, and
never to be renewed or reagitated, do with
the return of peace demand:
First. Immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Uuion under be
Constitution, anu Of civil government to thu
American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political often
ces, and the regulation of the elective franchise
in the States by the citizens
Third. Payment of the public debt as rapid
ly as practicable; all moneys drawn from the
people by taxation, except much as is re-
quisite for the necessities of the Government
economically administered, being honestly APP
piled TO such payment, and where The obiiga
~tions of the Government do not expressly state
upon heir face, Or the law under which they
were issued does not provide that they shall
be paid in c3in they ought, in right and JUS
tice, be paid in the lawful money CT the Uni
ted States.
Fourth. Equal taxation Of every species of
property according to its real va lue including
government bonds and ether public securities.
Fifth. 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.
Sixth. Economy in the administration of
the government; the reduction Of the stand
ing army and navy; the abolition of he Freed
mems Bureau aud all political instrumentai-
ties designed to secure negro supremacy, SIM
plihcation Of the system, and discontinuance
of the 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 enactments for
enrolling the State militia into national forces
in time Of peace; and d tariff for revenue Up
on. foreign imports, and such equal taxation
under the internal revenue laws will afford
incidental protection to domestic manufactures,
and as WILL without impairing the revenue,
impose the least burden upon and best pro
mote &nd encourage the industrial interests
Of the country.
Seventh Reform Of abuses in the admins
tration, the expulsion OF corrupt from
Office, the abrogation of useless Offices, the
restoration Of rightful Authority to, ami the
independence of the executive and judicial
nation of the military TO the civil power, to
the end that the usurpations OF Congress and
the despotism OF the sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection to nat
urallZed and native born citizens at home and
abroad the assertion OF American nationality
which shall command the respect Of foreign
powers, and furnish an example and encour
agement 10 people struggling for national in
tegrity. constitutional hberiy and mainten-
ance OF the rights o. naiuralized ctizeus
against the absolute doctrine of immutable
allegiance, and the claims of powers to punish
them for alleged crime committed be, ond
their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraign the Republican party for its dis
regard of right and the unparalleled oppres-
sion and granny which have marked It's career
After the mos. solemn and unanimous pledge
of both Houses of Congress to prosecute The
war exclusively for the maintenance Of the
Government and The preservation of the Union
under the Constitution. it has repeatedly VIC
lated that most sacred pledge under which
alone We rallied that noble volunteer army
which carrie our flag to victory. Instead OF
restoring the Union, it has, so far as in lis
power, dissolved it, and subjected ten States
in time OF profound peace to military despot-
ism and negro supremacy: ii has nullihsd
*Ae A-Su VI tliut ny JuiJ3 ~ mas duoNSDA
ed the habeas corpus-that most sacred wrl OF
liberty; it has overthrow the freedom OF
speech and of the press; it has substituted ar
bitrary seizures and arrests, and military trials
and secret star chamber inquisitious tor thu
constitutional tribunals; it has disregarded in
time OF peace the right of the people 10 be free
from searches and seizures; il has entered the
post and telegraph Offices, and even the pri-
vate rooms OF individuals, and seized their
private papers and letters without any specif.
ic charge or notice of affidavit, as required by
the organic law, ii Las converted the Aneri-
can Capitol into bastile; il has established a
system Of spies and official espionage to which
no constitutional monarch OF Europe would
now dare to resort; it has abolished the right
3 of appeal on important constitutional questions
to the supre me judicial tribunal and threatens
to curtal or destroy its original jurisdicio ion,
whichis irrexocably vested by The constitution,
While the learned Chief Justice has been sub
, jected to the most atrocious calumDies, merely
because heiwould not prostitute his high Office
% the support OF the false and partisan cha ges
pieterred against be Presid nj. lis corrup-
tioh$and extravaganza have exceeded any thing
known II history. and by its frauds and mo-
n0polits it has nearly doubled the burdens OF
the debt created by the war. Il has stripped
8 Abe President Of his constitutional power Of
Nn3pQintmens, even Of bis own Cabinet. Under