The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-27
COEUMBIA, S. e..
Wednesday Morning. April ~, 1870.

sSSNAASoAeSy A-A9A AAAfs &ApAA ~ xOSVs
Phlladoiphia Demooraoy-hibera
tio1 Needed.
It appears that the Democratic Exeou-
tive Committee Of the city OF Philadel-
phia hare recently made declaration of
principles, and the New York World has
been invited to express an opinion on its
merits and $imeliness as O platform for
the-par!y.f.sSvsh have somewhat. to. sax.
The declaration referred to contains the
following points:
I. That the Constitution of the United
States was ordained to be the basis of
the system OF representative Democ .atic
governmentbyr which the sovereignty of
the Stases could only be aintained, the
Federal Government established, and the
Union OF these States preserved.
2. That the Democratic party was
created toSproclaim and defend this sys-
tenn of government.
8. Thatthe Democracy heving become
divided, sethe enemies OF the Ccnstitu
ton" gained tile political power of the
Federal Government, and forthwith be-
gan scheme to establish themselves as
VIC tIclkAuC6 OI Cu6 OOQ-
stitntion of the United States.
4. That the enemies Of the Consti.
tuition" in Congress, and, ID the State
Legislatures, haYHe,. during the period
embraced from 1860to 1870, by fraud,
crime, force, and pibkatoas Of the Con-
stitution, subverted the dearest rights of
the people, deatru9ed the. ihalienable
rights of the, citizen, and, by force of
arms, areInow maintaining the power
thus gained!
p. TBAt'.' the enemies OF the Cousti-
tuition have, bya pretended amendment
to the eConBtitntion, undertaken to JUS
tify their acts of fraud, and revolution,
and 'vielaGGe.
s. That tie Democratic party proclaim
theselso.cailed amendments to the Con-
stitution> unconstitutional, void and of
no effect, because they are not amend
n1enta, ,as the Constitution permits-not
having been adopted as the Constitution
prescribes.
Z. The Democracy of Philadelphia
protest against the acts of Congress, in
forcing its usurpatfons upon the people
Of therU rUkited States.
8. Protests against the subjugation of
the ejaaiciary to the Legislative depart
me4ssef tthe Government.
9.S Danpunces President Grant for
weakness, folly and incompetenoy.
10. Rejects any political courting of
the negro and appeals to the white race
TO- save itself from the debasement of
being ruled by the negro.
So far as these resolutions refer to the
system: of government which we hold
was established by the ''fathers of Anne
rican freedom far as they recite
how the Republican party have changed
the character of the Government and
struck down States or raised them up at
their pleasure-so far as they denounce
the subjection of the Federal Judiciary,
weconcur in the general propositions
But we desire to make a special point on
the vexed question of the colored man.
In the Presidential canvass of 1868. we
took the ground that it was not for the
Northern Democracy to dictate to the
Southern Democracy q stand on the
question of the status of the negro. We
contended that it was not for Mr.. PEN
dleton to thrust upon US peculiar views.
This question. we held, was peculiarly a
Southern one, and it was for the Demo
Gratis OF the South to settle the question
of the colored man. And hence, favor
ing, as we did then, qualified suffrage, we
urged that it would be wise for the Ma
tional Democracy to take such stand
We take now similar view. We hold
that if the Northern Democracy desire q
union with their former political associ-
ates of the South, we must be allowed to
settle this domestic question of race for
ourselves. AS for ourselves, our sympa-
thies are with the Democratic party as
respects its views of government, its ad-
yocacy of free trade, its encouragement
OF immigration, its warm sympathies in
behalf of the whites of the South and
it's general spirit. And we desire to see
this organization prevail, because, at
present, it is the only effective national
organization that stands arrayed against
"the enemies of the Constitution" and
the Oppressora Of tho Goutbern xvb;tao