The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-17
The Nationa! Democratic

i
THO Democrat;c party, in National Conven-
tion assembled reposing its trust in the inteili,
gence patriotism and discriminating justice OF
fhe people, standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation of the powers OF
the Government, and the guarantee OF the I'D
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the gues-
tions of slavery and secession rs having been
settled for all time to come by war and the vol
untary action Of the Southern states, IN eonsti'
tutional convention assembled, and never 10 he
renewed or reagitatei do, with the return oil
peace, demand,
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 otfen-
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 as 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, ia right
and justice, be paid in the lawful nancy OF the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species Of
property according TO its real value, including
Fifth. One curr ency for the government and
the people the laborer and the office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier the producer ana
bond holder.
Sixth. Economy in the administration Of the
government, the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmens
| bureau lgreat cheers, and all political instru
mentalites designed to secure negro supremacy;
| simpification of the system, and discontinuancc
of inqusitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be equalized and lesssned, 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 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 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 administra
| tiOR; the expulsion of corrupt men from ofhce
the abrogaton 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 usur
nations of Congress and the despotisIn of the
sword may cease.
| Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at homo 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 mtegri'
| ty 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 claims of foreign
powers to punish them for crime committed
| beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms we
arraign the Radical party for it's disregard tor
| nd tl,a ~ ,-all 81 cd and
amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges OF both
houses of C0Bgre to prosecute the war exclu.
| syely 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 our
| flag to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
il has so far as ii is in its power, dissolved IL,
and subjected ten States in time OF profound
| peace to military despOtism and negro supre.
| macy. 1t has nullificd thsre the right of trial
| by Jury. 1t has abolished the habeas corpus,
| that most sacred writ Of liberty. 1t has over
thrown the freedom of speech aud of the press.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
rest, and military trials and the secret star
chambers of nquisitions for constitutional tri-
| bunals. 1t has dsregarded in time Of peace the
| right of the people to be free from search and
| seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms OF lndiVld'
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or aida-
Wit as required by the organic law. IL has
converted the American capitol into 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 tho su.
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tofcur'
tail Gr destroy its original jurisdiction, whichls
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
J the learned Chief Justice has been subie cted to
| great and atroCious caluunnies, merely because
| he would not prostitute his high office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
| fcrred 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 TIE 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 Vt the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should IL sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President, we will meet, as subjects and cob:
oucred 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 on
ali subsection TO the British crown, the PRIV
| lere and trust of suffrage have belonged TO the
several States, and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow.
| er ot each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any pretext whatever TO de'
prive any State OF this right or interfere with
this exercise is a fragrant usurpation of power,
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
| and if sanctioned by the people will subvert our
form of government, and can only end in a 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 a Federal
union of cOequal States; and that we regard the
reconstruction acts, so called, of Congress such
a.
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country to victory
against a 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 dispOs.
ed 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 for
the encouragement of important public i'm.
provements, the proceeds of the sale of such
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 aggressions OF Con-
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
and the people, is entitled to the gratitude OF
| the whole American people and on behalf OF
the Democratic party We tender him our thanks
! 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 the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past Differences Of opinion tOunite with us In
| the present great struggle for the liberties Of
| the people and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged, we
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all
such cooperating with us as friends and broth
ers.
RocnsntionS Adnnfad nv the