The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-06-02
The Vallandingham Platform.

The following are among the reso
lutions adopted by the Democracy o
Montgomery County, Ohio, who as
semblcd Oh the 18th inst, in Dayton
to elect delegates to the State Demo
cratic Convention, which met on tho
1st of June:
Resozyed, By the Democracy o.
Montgomery County
FirSt-That agreeing to disagree ii
all respects as to the past, we cor
daily unite upon the living issues o.
the DAY, and hereby invite all mer
of the Republican party who believe
now upon present issues as we believe
to eo-opcratc fully and actively will
us upon the basis Of perfect equality
with every member OF the Democratic
Second-That waiving all differ
enees of opinion as to the extraordi
nary means by which they were
brought about, we accept the natural
and legitimate results OF the war so
far as aged for it's ostensiblc purpose
to maintain the Union and the Con
stitutional rights and powers of the
Federal Government, including the
three several amendments ds Jucto
to the Constitution recently declared
adopted. as settlement in fact of all
the issues of the war, and acquiesce
in the same as no longer issues before
the country.
Third-That thus burying out OF
sight all that is of the dead past
namely, the right Of secession, slavery,
Inequality before tho law, and politi-
cal Inequality; and further, now that
reconstruction is complete, and rep.
resentation within the Union restored
to all the States, waving all question
as to the means by which it was ac-
compfished, we demand that the vital
and long established rule of sti ict
construction, as proclaimed by the
Democratic fathers, accepted by the
statesmen Of all parties previous to
the war, and embodied in the Tenth
Amendment to the Constitution, be
vigorously applied now to the Constl-
tuition as it is, including the three
recent amendments above referred to;
and insist that these amendments
shall not be held TO have in any re-
spect altered or modified the Federal
,Government as designed and taught
bv its founders, and repeatedly, in
early times, in later times, and at all
times, affirmed by the Supreme Court
of the United States; but only to
have enlarged the powers delegated
to it, and to that extent, and no more,
to have abridged the reserved rights
of the States; and that as thus con,
strucd according to these ancient and
well established rules, the Democratic
party pledges itself to the full, faith
tul and absolute execution and en-
.forcement of the Constitution as it
now is, so as to secure equal rights to
all persons under it, without distlnc:
ton of race, color, or condition. :,
Fourth the absolute equality
of each and every State in the Union
is fundamental principle of the Fed
.cral Government, and that no depart
ment of the Government has power
to cxpel Il State from the Union, or
to deprive it, under any prctcxt what
ever, of it's equal rights therein, inclu-
ding especially the right of full and
complete representation in Congress
and the Electoral College.
The resolutions werc prepared and
supported by Mr.. Vallandingham,
and were designed to furnish thor
.ough, comprehensive and explicit an
swer to the charge that the Democ-
raey are hostile to the settlements
made by the war, and if restored to
power would repeal the Constitutional
Amendments. This charge has been
industriously circulated by Senator
Morton and his followers of the
Republican party, and was designed to
make q living issue upon ground
where they hoped to win an easy
victory. Mr.. Vallandingham, in be,
half of the Democracy, now disavows
any rcpudiation of the war settle
ments, or any wish to disturb the
accomplished facts of reconstruction
With regard to the platform, he says
"1t is not new departure, but q
rcturn-the restoration of tho Dem
ocratic party once moro to the ancient
platform Of progress and reform, es'
tablishing the great fact that that
party, like everything else in nature
intended to endure, is capable Of adap.
ting itself to thcperpetual growth and
change which belong alike to the
political and physical world, and re.
tain yet intact the original princi.
ples and laws of its being. Moreover,
as to the movement here, we all bear
witness that in it there is nothing Of
amerely personal character either tc
advance or to hinder any member o.
the Democratic party, and nothing
excepttho earnest and fixed purpose
to promote the welfare Of the Wholt
country"
Some of our contemporaries, the
Chronicle & Sentinel, the Memphi: