The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-11
The Nat a sS,ssfol 1smoetatIc

.;o, as.e1nhed rcnesinS its trust in the intelli-
gence natriotism 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 no
critics Of the citizen, and reeognizms tno 9ues s,
settled for all time to come, by war and the vol
nntarv action of the Southern states, In consti-
tnt;onaI convention assembled, and never to be
renewed or reagitated, do, with the return oil
peace, demand, '
Fist The immediate restoration OF all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitntion, and of civil government for the
American people. ...-.
Second. Amnesty for all past political Often
ces and the regulation OF the elective irahchise
In States by their citizens.
Third PAYMENT of the public debt OF the Uni
ted States as rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except so
much as is requisite for the necesslles oi .ne
Government economically administered, being
Honestly applied to such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not ex-
nressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, IL night
and Justice, be paid in the lawful msney oil the
United States 4 ~ .
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species OF
property according to its real value, including
Government bonds and other public securities:
Fifth. One curr ency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the Office hoiuer,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bond holder .....,
sixth. Economy in the administration Of the
government, the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition Of the Freedmen s
bureau great cbeersl, and all political lnstru'
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplifcation of the system, and discontinuance
of inauisitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue: so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be eoualzed and lessened, the credit OF
the government and the currency made good
the repeal of all enactments Tor enrolling the
State militia into the national forces In time OF
peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign I'm
ports: and such equal taxation under the Inter.
nal Revenue laws, as will afford incidental pro
lection to domestic manufactures, and as VIII
without impairing the revenae, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests OF the country.
Seventh. Reform Of abuses in the administra
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from ONCE
the abrogation of useless offices the restoration
of richtful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments Of
the government. The subOrdinstion OF the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the usur
pations of Congress and the despotlsm OF TIE
sword may cease.
EiGhth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uraIized and native born citizens ut home and
abroad The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
mept TO people struggling for national integri
ty, constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights of naturaiz'
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutable allegiance, and the claims of foreign
powers to punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
I'm demanding these measures and reforms we
arragn the Radical party for its disregard for
right, and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges oil both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war e8clu'
sively for the maintenance of the 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 ouI
flag To victory. Instead of restoring the Union
il has so far rs it is in its power dissolved 1t.
and subjected ten States in time of profound
ppace to military despOtism and negro supre
macy. 1t has nulliied thsrc the right OF trial
nv iilry. IL las abolished the habcas corpus
that most sacred writ Of liberty. 1t has over
thrown the freedom of speech and OF the press
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
rest. and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inguisitions for constitutional tri
bunals 1t has disregardcd in time OF peace the
rirht of the people to be free from search and
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms oil lndlVid'
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or atfda.
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 SUI
prcmc judicial tribunal, and threatens tolcur'
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction which is
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned ChiefJus has been subie cited to
great and atrOcious CalumnieS, 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 extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and monop
olies il has nearly doubled the burden Of debt
created during the war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap
pOintment even of his own cabinet. Under It's
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should II sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President, we will meet, as subjects and n con
uuered people, amid the ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments Ofthe 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 privi
legc and trust of suffrage have belonged TO the
several States and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
er Of each State rPeftSyfsy a Whatever TO- de-
privc any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is fragrant usurpation of power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and If sanctioned by the people will subvert oul
form of government, and can only end in sin
gle centralized consolidated government, In
which the separate existence Of the States will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des
potism be established in place of n Federal
union of cocqual States; and that We regard the
reconstruction acts, so called of Congress sucl
usurpation, and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country to victory
against most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guaraH
ties given i'll the law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispos
cd Of under the presumption of homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es
tablishcd by the government. When grants OF
the public lands may be allowed, necessary fol
the encouragement Of important public i'm
proveinents, the proceeds Of the sale of such
lands, and not the lands themselves, should bt
so applied.
That the President of the United States, An
drew johnson, in exercising the power of hi:
high office in resisting the aggressions OF Con
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
ana the people, Is ehtltleu 10 tne srautuue "
the whole American people, and on behalf Of
the Democratic party we tender him our thank:
for his patriotic efforts in that regard
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
peals to every patriot, including all the Conser
vative element and all who desire to support tn,
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion, tOunite with us il
the present great struggle for the liberties o
the people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, W,
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail al
such cooperating with us as friends and broth
crs.