The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-07
The National Democratic
Platform.

ftdti0ttTIs
The Democratic party, in National Cunven.
ton assembled, reposiHg its trust in the intelI
gence, 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 lib
critics OF the citizen, and recognizing the aues.
tons OF slavery and secession as having been
settled for all time to come, by war and the vol.
untary action of the Southern States, In constj
tutional convention assembled, ana never to be
renewed or reagitated, do, with the return of
peace, demand,
I First The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and OF civil government for the
American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political often.
ces, and the regulation of the elective franchise
in States by their citizens.
Third. Payment of the public debt Of the Uni.
ted States as rapidly rs practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except so
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 ex-
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, in right
and justice, be paid in the lawful Money of the
United States. - - - "a. p
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 holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bond holder. . r.-...- -.
Sixth. Economy in the administration of the
government, the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen S
bureau lgreat cbeersl, and all political instru.
mentalitieS designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplifcatiOn of the system, and discontinuance
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 enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces IN tine OF
peace, and tariff for revenue upon foreign I'm
ports; and such equal taxation under tho inter
nal Revenue laws as will afford incidental pro
lection to domestic manufactures, and "a will,
without impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests of the country.
Seventh Reform of abuses in the admlniStra'
the abroration of useless Offices; the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subordinatiOn OF the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the lsur'
nations of Congress and the desp0tiSm OF the
sword may cease.
Eighth. EQUAL rights and protection for nat
uraIizcL 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 encourage
| ment TO people struggling for national integri-
| tv constitutional liberty and individual rights,
! and the maintenance of the rights OF naturaliZ-
| ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutable allegiance, and the claimsof foreign
| powers to 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 It's career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges Of both
| bouses of Congress to prosecute the war eXclu-
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 oar
| fac 10 victory. Instead of restoring the Union
il has so far as ii is in its power, dissolved ii,
| and subjected ten States in time of profound
pcace to military dcspotiSm and negro supre-
macy. 1t has nullihed th.re the right OF trial
| bv inry Ii has abolished the Eabeas corpus,
| that most sacred writ Of liberty. 1t has over
| thrown the freedom of speech and OF the press.
| II has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar
rest. and military trials and the secret star
| chambers of inuusitiOnS for constitutional tri-
| huuals Ii has disIegaTdcd in time Of peace the
| Vi obt of the prople to be free from search and
| seizures II has entered the post ana telegraph
Offices and even the private rooms oil lndivld-
nails and seized their private papers anu letters
| without any specification, or notice, or aihda'
Wit. as required BY the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into = BaStlie:
| IL has established system of spies ana oincla!
| espionage 10 which no constitutional monarchy
| in Eurouc would now dare T. resort.
Ii has abolished the right OF appeal on i'm
portant constitutional questions to the SUI
| premc judicial tribunal, and threatens to;cur'
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whichis
| irrcvOcably vested by the Constitution, while
| the learned Chief Justice has been suhic cted 10
! great and atrOciOuS caluInnics, merely because
| he would not prostitute his high office to the
| support of the false and partisan charges pre-
ierTed 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
| President of his constitutional power of an
pOntnent even OF his own cabinet. Under iG
| repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
| are rocking on their bases, and should II sue
| coed in November next and inauguratc It's
| President We will meet, as subjects and Il con
qucrrd people amid the ruins OF liberty an,
| the scattered fragments ofthc Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve That ever
| since the people of the United States threw Gt
| ali subiect.on to the British crown, the Fryi
legc and trust Of suffrage have belonged to Tho
! several States and have been granted, regulate,
| and controlled exclusively 10y the political pow
| er OF each state respectively; IaG any attempt
| 10y Congress Oh any prtteNt whatever 10 uc
piiye ANY state of this right or interfere will
| This exercise IS a fragrant Usurpati0n of power
which can lind no warlantin the Constitution
and il sanctioned by the people vii! SUbvCIt ON
| form of government, and can only eud in sin
| Gle centralized consolidated government, II
which the separate existence OF the States WI
bc entirely absorbed, and an unqualified dcS
putism be established in place of Fedora
union OF cOcqUal States; and that VIC I, az, tat
reconstruction acts, so called, of Congress suri
usurpation, ana unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void; aud that our soldiers and sailors Nh'
carried the flag of our country L" victory
against 4 most gallant and determined foe must
! be- ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran
ties given in the law must be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dspos
ed of under the pre- -cmptiOn OF homestead laws,
but actual occupants, at the minimum price cs
| tabished by the government. When grants O
the public lands may be allowed, necessary ioi
the encouragement of important public i'm
pTOvements the proceeds OF the sale OF sucl
| lands, and not 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 aggrcsSiOns Of Con
| gress on the Constitutional rights of the States
ana the people Is cHtllltu 10 tn' Ei"t''uuo VI
the whole American people, and on hchal! %
the Democratic party We tender him our thank
! for his patriotic efforts in that regard
Upon this platform the Democratic party ap
pcals to every patriot including all the Conscr
vative element and all who desire to support thC
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences of opinion tounitc with us il
| the present great struggle for the liberties o.
| the people and tGat To all SUCH to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, w
extend the right hand of fellowship, aud hail al
such cooperating with us as friends and broth
erS.
Resolutions Adopted by the
Democratic State COmVen-
ton Of West Virginia.