Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-12
or MISSOURI.
TIE PLATFORM.

UHlTfnilem anu NfhcNlmlNHElnE IAFfttI. 80 tut
people. standing upon the Constitution AZ the
foundation and limitation OF the powers q the
government, and the guaranty OF the liberties Of
the citizen, and recognizing the questions OIL
slavery and secession as having bseu settled foI
ail time 10 come BY the war, or the voluntary
action 81 the Southern States in constitutional
conventions assemb iad. and neYerto be renewed
or aRitated, do with the return OF peace de-
Immediate restoration ofaIIthe States 10 thefl
rights ia the Union, under the COnstitut 90. and
Of civil government 10 the American people
Second Amnesty for al past political oiieDsc'
aud the regulation Of the elective franchise if
the States by their citizens.
Third Payment Of the pablo debt. Of tbs
United States as rapidly &c practicable, all
moneys drawn from the people bg taxation. eK,
cspt 30 much Is REQ uisite Tor the uecesties d
the government economically administered. be-
Ing honestly applied to such payment, and
where the obligations Of the government do moi
expressly state upon their face, Vr the law nm
der which they were issued does not provide
that they shall be paid IN coin, they Ought, IN
right and 10 Justice be paid in the laWlul money
Fourth Equsl taxation Of every species Of
properly according 10 tts real value, including
government bonds and other public securities;
fifh One currency for the government and
the people, the labOrer and the Office holder,
the pensioner and tAe soldier, the producer and
the bondholder.
government, the reduction Of the standing army
and navy, the abolition of the Freedrsene Blu
feau, and all political instrumentalties
designed 90 secure negro supremacy: sim
pli6cation Of the system and discOntinu-
aHce Of iBquisitOTial modes Of assessing and col
iCctinF internal revenue, 30 that the burden Of
taxation may be equalized and lessened, the
credit Of theFOvcFnmo nt and the currency b. ade
good, the repeal Of all enactments for enrolling
the State mil!sia iato national forces ia time OF
peace. and tariff for revenue upon foreign m
revenue laws as win aflord Incidental protee9ion
% domestic manufactures, aud rs will, without
impairing the revenue, impose the least burden
upon and best promote and encourage the great
Industrial interests OF the country. "a. -i..E
ScUeHh Reform Of abuses IN the administra
ton, the expulsion Of corrupt men from Office
tho abToEation Of useless Offices, the restoration
Of nghtlul authority 20 and the independence Of
government, the subordinntion of the military
10 the civil power to the end that the usurpa-
honSof Congress and the desDotsm Of the sWOr i
Eiglih Equal rights and protection for natu-
rallied aud native bora citizens at home and
abroad, the assertion Of American nationality
which shalt command the respect Of foreign
powers and fuSnish an example and encourage
ment 20 people struggling irrational Integrity,
constitutional liberty and industrial tights and
the maintenance OF tho rights % nafuraiiked
citizens against the absolute doctrine Of imTnu-
table allegiance and the CLAIMS Of foreign ~ uers
90 punish them for alleged crime committed be-
yond their jurisdiction. . fFt
In demanding these measures aud reforms we
arraigh the Radical Party for is disregard of
right and the unparalleled onpressicn and
tyranny which have mark ed its career After
the most solemn and unanimous pledge of both
houses Of Congress 10 prosecute the war eKclu-
sively for the maintenance Of the government
and the preservation of the Union under the
Constitution, IL has repeatedly violated the
most sacred pledge under which alone was ral~
lied that noble YeiuuteeF arIny which, carricd
our hag 90 victory. Instead OF restoring the
Union. Il has SO far as in its power dissolved IA
and subjected ten States in time of profound
"A militia md
acy. II has nullihed there the right Of trial hy
jury it has abolished the habeas corpus that
most sacred writ of liberty it has oveFihrown
the freedom Of speech aud the press; Ii has sub
stitutod arbitrary seizures and arrests, and mil
ltary trials, and secret star chamber inqaisi~
tons for the constitutional tribunals Il has
disreRardod IN time Of peace the tight Of the
people TO be tree from searches end seizures: il
has entered the post and telegraph Offices, and
even the private rooms OF individuals, add
seized their private papers and letters without
any specific charge or notice OF atidaVit, as re-
qulTcd by the organic law 81 has converted the
American Capitol into a Basiile; il has estah-
hshsd aystem Of spies and espionage 20 which
no constitutional monarchy Of Europe would now
hare 90 resort u has abolished tho right Of APP
peal GA important constitutional questions 10
the supreme judicial tribunhls aud threatens 60
euTtal or destroy its original Jurisdiction which
~ lTrcN ocRhly vested by the Constitution Wilde
the learned Chief ustics has been subjected 10
the most RtrOelous calumnies merely beeause he
would not prostitute his high Office 10 tho sup
port OF the false and partisan charges preferred
against the President. It's corruption and ex-
travaKance have exceeded anything known IN
history and hylts irands and menOpOlies i has
peaTly doubled the burden Of the debt created
by the var. lt has stripped the President Of
his Constitutional power % appointment, even
Of his own Cabinet. Under rs repeated assaults
the pillars Of The government are rocking on
their base. aud should il succeed in November
next and inHugurate its President, We will meet
as subject aud conquered Peaple amid the
ruins Of liberty and the shattered fragments Of
tho Constitution. ~. ...# ed
And We 40 declare aud resolve. thai ever sincr
tho people Of the United States threw of an
subsection 90 the British Crown the privilege
and trust Of suffrage have belonged 20 the sew
eral States. and have been granted. regulated ]
and Centralized exclusively by the political pow
er OF each state respectively and that any at
tempt by Congress, On any proteNt whatever 20
deprive any state OF this right or interfere With
its exercise, Is hagrant usarPati0n of power
which can ind ne warrant IN she COnstifufign
and, IL sanctioned BY the Peapie, will subvost
our form OF government, aud can only end in a
single centralized aud consolidated government
which the separate oXistonoe OF the States will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des-
POtism be established in place Of a Federal
the recpnSirhcti0u acts 60 eAtleSo of Congrcss,
as such are usurphtf0ns and uncSHstitutidna
revolutionary and void.
That our soldiers aud sailors who carried the
hag Of our country 90 victory against 8 most
gallant and determined foe, must ever be Grate-
fully remembered and all the guarantees given
IN their favor iusss be saithfufly carried into ex
scutiOp.
That tao public lands should be distributed
Is widely as possible among the people, ana /
should be DISPOSED Of either under tne pre-
ompti0n or homestead laws. and sold in reason
able quantities. and 10 none but actnal 0ceu-
pants, az the minimum price Established By tho
government. When gTaBts Of the public lands
may hO allowed Necessary for thc encouraee-
ment OF important public improvements, the
proceeds of the sale OF such lGnds and net Che |
lands themselves, should be 80 applied. Il ~
That the President Of the United Sta e.. An
drew johnson, "a exercising the power OF his |
high Office IN resisting the ageresslons OF Goa =
srcss upon tbe constitutional rights az The States
and the PEOPLE, IS eBtitlcd 10 The gratitnde 81 4
he whole American people. ana IN behalf u the 1
Democratic party We tender hial our thhnlzs ar
lis patriotic efforts in thatTegaTd 80
Upon this platform the DcmQcralic patty az
peal % every patriot including 50 the eeasrFYs-
i've element, and all who desire 10 support the i
Constitution aud restore the Union. fureetiiug 4
vi past Differences Of opinion, TO mil with ~ 4
n the present great struEFle for the liberties Of 4
be people and that 20 all such, 10 whatever
'arty they may have heretofore belonged. we
.Ntcnd the right band Of fcl!pWehip aud hail |
IA such cooperating with US rs flicnds ahd !
ethrcn.
4