Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-07-14
PLATFORM
OF THE
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
ADOPTED JULY 18th, 1868.
TIE pLATFoRM.

ligence, patriotism and discriminating Justice
of the people, standing upon the Constitution
as the foundation and limitation of the powers
of the government, and the guaranteeing the
liberties of the citizen, and recognizing the
questions of slavery and secession as having
been settled for all time to come by the war,
or the voluntary action of the Southern States
in Constitutional Conventions assembled, and
never to be renewed or re-agitated do, with
the return of peace, demand:
First. The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union under the
Constitution, and Of civil government to the
American people.
Second Amnesty for all past political Of
fences and the regulation of the elective fran
chise in the States by their citizens.
Third. The payment of the public debt of
the United States as soon as practicable and
that all moneys drawn from the people by
taxation, except so much as is requisite for
the necessities of the government economi-
cally administered, be honestly applied to
such payment; and where the obligations of
the government do not expressly 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 in JUS
tice, to be paid in the lawful money Of the
United States. af
FGurfh. Equal taxation of every species of
property according to its real value, including
Government bonds and other public sectri-
ties.
FTI1h One currency for the Government
and the people, the laborer and the Offices
holder, the pensioner and the soldier, the
producer and the bondholder.
ISIrtA. Economy in the administration of
the Government the reduction of the stand-
ing army and navy 7; the abolition of the
Freedmens Bureau, and all political instru-
mcntalities designed to secure negro suprem-
acy; simplifcation of the system, and the
discontinuance of inquisitorial modes of as
sessing and collecting internal Revenue, so
that the burden of taxation may be equallzed
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 q
tariff for revenue upon foreign imports, and
such equal taxation under the Internal Rev.
enue laws as will afford incidental protection
to domestic manufactures, and as will, with |
out mpairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and eucOur>
age the great industrial interests the coun-
try.
.SevcnGt Reform Of abuses in the admin
istration, the expulsion Of corrupt men from
Office the abrogation of useless Offices, the re-
storation Of rightful authority to, and the in>
dependence Of the executive and judicial de-
pnrtments of the government, the subordina-
ton of the military to the civil power, to the
end that the usurpatioDs OF Congress and the
despotism of the sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection FOR
naturalized and native born citizens at home
and abroad, the assertion of American na-
tonality which shall command the respect of
foreign powers and furnish an example and
encouragement to the people struggling for
national integrity, constitutional liberty and
individual rights and the maintenance of the
rights of naturalzed citizens against the alb
solute doctrine of immutable allegiance and
the claims Of foreign powers to punish them
for alleged crime committed beyond their
jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms
we arraign the radical party for its disregard
of right and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which have marked its career. Af
ter the most solemn and unanimous pledge of
both houses Of Congress to prosecute the war
exclusively for the maintenance of the gov
ernment and the preservation of the Union
under the Constitution, it has repeatedly vio
lated that most sacred pledge under which
alone rallied that noble volunteer army which
carried our flag to victory; instead of restor-
ing the Union, it has so far as is in its power
dissolved it and subjected ten States, in time
of profound peace, to military dcspotism and
negro supremacy. It has nuliied there the
right of trial by jury; it has abolished the
hd6cGs corpus, that most sacred writ Of lib
erty; it has overthrown the freedom cfspeech
and of the press; it has substituted arbitrary
seizures, and arrests, and military trials and
secret star chamber inquisitions for the con-
stitutional tribunals; it has disregarded in
time of peace the right of the people to be
free from searches and seizures; it has en-
tered the post and telegraph offices, and even
the private rooms of individuals, and seized
their private papers and letters without any
specific charge or notice of affidavit, as re-
ouired by the organic law; it has converted
established system of spies and official es-
piouace to which no constitutional monarchy
of Europe would now dare to resort-it has
has abolished the right of appeal on impor-
tant constitutional questions to the supreme
judicial tribunal; and threatens to curtail or
destroy its original jurisdiction, which is ir-
reyocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subjected
TO the most atrocious calumnies, merely be-
cause he would not prostitute his high Office
to the support of the false and partisan charges
preferred against the President. Its cor
ruption and extravaganza have exceeded any
thing known in history, and by its frauds and
monopolies it has nearly doubled the burden
of the debt created by the war 1t has
stripped the President of his constitutional
power of appointment, even of his own Cabi-
net. Under its repeated assaults the pillars
of the government are rocking on their base,
and should it succeed in November next and
inaugurate its President, wo will meet as