The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-25

strn6ginG Tor national integrity, consti-
tutlonal liberty and individual rights; and
the maintenance of the rights of natural
lied citizcns against the absolute doctrine
OF imnutablc allegiance and the claims of
| foreign powers to punish them for alleged
crime committed beyond their jurisdic-
ton. -
IN demanding these measures and re-
forms, we .arralgn the radical party for it's
disregard of right, and tho unparalleled
oppression and tyranny which have mark
ed it's career. After the most solemn and
unanimous pledge of both Houses of Con-
gress to prosecute the war exclusively Tor
the maintenance of the Government and
the preservation of the Union, under the
Constitution, it has repeatedly violated
that most sacred pledge, under which
alone was rallied that noble volunteer
army. which carried our flag to victory.
Instead OF restoring the Union, it has.
20 far as ls III its power, dissolved it, and
subjected ten States, in times OF profound
peace, to military despotism and negro
supremacy. i' .-
1t has nullified there the right of trial
by jury; it has abolished the ha1eas cor
pus, that most sacred writ of liberty; it
has overthrown the freedom of speech and
the press; it has substituted arbitrary
seizures and arrests, and military trials
and secret star-chamber inquisitions for
the constitutional tribunals: 1t has disre-
garded, in time of peace, the right of the
people to be free from searches and seiz-
urea; 1t has entered the post and telegraph
dividuals, and seized their private papers
and letters, without any specific charge or
notice of affidavit, as required by the or
gnnlc law; 1t has converted the American
capitol into bastile; it has established a
system OF spies and official espionage to
which no constitutional monarchy or Eu-
rope would now dare to resort; it has abo-
llshed the right of appeal on important
constitutional questions to the supreme
judicial tribunals. and threatens to cur
tail rr destroy its original jurisdiction,
which is irrevocably vested by the Consti-
tuition, while tho learned Chict Justice
has been subjected to the most atrocious
calumnies, merely because he would not
prostitute 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 it's frauds and
monopoiies it has nearly doubled the bur-
den OF the debt created by the war 1t has
stripped the President of his constitution
al power OF appointment even of his own
Cabinet. Under it's repeated assaults, the
pillars OF the Government are rocking on
their base, and should it succeed in No
vember next. andinauguratei 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 subsection to the British
croNn, the privilege and truet of suffrage
have belonged to the several States, and
have been granted. regulated and con-
trolled exclusively by the political power
OF each State respectively, and that any
attempt by Congress, on any pretext what
to Interfere with it's exercise, is fragrant
ueurpatlon OF power which can find no
warrant in the Constitution; and, if sane
toned by the people, will subvert our form
OF Government, and can only end in
single centralized and consolidated Co
vernment, in which the separate existence
of the States will be entirely absorbed, and
an unqualified despotism be established
in place of Federal Union of co equal
States; and that we regard the reconstruc-
ton Acts (so-calledD of Congress as such
are usurpations, and unconstitutional, re-
volutionary, and void; that our soldiers
and sailors, who carried the flag Of our
country to victory against most gallant
and determined foe, must ever be CRATE
fully remembered, and all the guarantees
given in their favor must be faithfully car
ried into execution.
That the public lands should be distri-
buted as widely as possible among the
people, and should be disposed of either
under the prc-emption of homestead lands,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to
none but actual occupants, at the mini
mum price established by the Government
When grants of the public lands may be
allowed, necessary for the ragement
of important public improvements, the
proceeds OF the sale of such lands and not
the lands themselves, should be 80 ap-
piled.
That the President of the United States,
Andrew johnson, i'll exercising the power
OF his high Office in resisting the aggres-
sions of Congress upon the constitutional al
rights of the States and the people. is en-
titled to the gratitude of the whole Ameri
can people, and in behalf of the Democra-
tic party, we tender him our thanks for his
patriotic IIOrts in that regard.
Upon this platform, the Democratic
party appeal to every patriot, including all
the conservative element and all who de-
sire to support the Constitution and re-
store the Union, forgetting all past differ
ences of opinion, to unite with us in the
present great struggle for the liberties of
the people; and that to all aucll. to what
ever party they may have heretofore be-
longed, we extend the right hand OF fell
lowship, and hail all such cooperating
with uS as friends and brethren.