The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-01

and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military despetism and negro supre-
macy. 1t has nullifsd there 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 and of the press
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
rest, and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquisitions for constitutional tr.
bunals. 1t has disregarded 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 individ-
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification or notice. or affida-
Wit, as required by the organic law. 1t 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 the su-
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tocur-
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whichis
irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subje cted to
great and atrocious calulnnies, merely because
he would not prostitute his high office to the
support Of the false and partisan charges pre-
ferred against the President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and monop-
olies 1t has nearly doubled the burden of debt
created during the war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap
pointment even of his own cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should it sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President we will meet, as subjects and Goa
ouered 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 off
all subsection to the British crown, the privi'
lege and trust of suffrage have belonged to the
several States, and have been granted, regulated
a1 NJ
or of each State respectively; and any attempt
| by Congress on any pretext whatever 10 de-
! prive any State of this right or interfere with
this exercise is 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 sim
| gle centralized consolidated government, IN
| which the separate existence of the States Will
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des-
potism be established in lplaee of Federal
| union of coequal States; and that We regard the
reconstruction acts so called, of Congress such
usurpation, and unconstitutional revolutionary
and void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country to victory
| against 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,
1
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es.
tablished by the government. When grants Of
the public lands may be allowed necessary for
| the encouragement of important public i'm
movements the proceeds of the sale of such
lands, and not the lands themselves should be
so applied
drew johnson, in exercising the power of his
high Office in resisting the aggressions OF Con-
gress OH the Constitutional rights OF the States
cd IN fhA ha nt
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-
yative element and all who desire to support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences OF opinion, to unite 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.