The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-06-08
Tho Radical PLATFORM

The Philadelphia platform, in lls slronseS'
nolnts, is q bungling parody OF lhe resolu,
liops adopted by the Cincinnati ConVen'lou
80 the nlatform Of the Liberal Republican
narty. Beyond the halting recognition y, y,
p .Sa' nooessi,v OF Civil Service Reform OF
,mes,ns mo no further grants Of public lands
Of reducing the public debt and ma'n'a,u.us nj ss
the nubljc credit, the Grant Radicals have '.
Iit,,e to show; and, outside OF the usual sell
plorification and left-handed abuse Oh 'ne
Democratic party, they have raised no ,crs, !,
uhich will arouse popular enthusiasm. ana
enable them to stem the tide "hlcn sets
steadily against them. Their boast that
their party suppressed the rebellion and
emancipated the slaves, has no force when
directed against Greeley and schurz' sum
nor and Trumbul The broad froIecIion
,,ont will not save them in Pennsylvania
ond DESTROYS Grants chances in the Free
Trode West: while the Liberal Republicans,
by remitting the decision OF this question to
the people and their representatives in Con
gress, give both the Free Traders and Pro-
tec,ionists the opportunity OF testing their
strength, and OF proving the truth oil their
doctrines. II Philadelphia platform pro.
misses the abortion OF the franking privilege,
and the reduction Of the rates OF postage,
bnrthese are not matters which materially
affect a presidential election. The action ol
Congress in passing an Amnesty bill is ap'
plauded; but.the people know that the Al.
min,stration party was forced to do this
net of tardy and partial justice by the swell
ino power of the Liberal movement And
they know, besides, that upon the heels o.
the Amnesty bill came the bills TO continue
the power to suspend the writ OF AaoeaS cor
ms and to enable the administration 10
supervise and control all elections. Ihese
bills are not yet passed, but they are
pressed by the very Senators who hurried
through the Amnesty bill, which these
later measures would make worthless gilt.
OF what use is it to restore to citizen his
public rights and privileges, If he may at
any moment, under suspension OF the writ
OF habeas corpus, be deprived OF every
yestise OF personal protection? The Libe'
raj Republicans, on the other hand, do not
stop at Amnesty. They demand ''the su,
"premacy of the civil over the military au-
ssthority, and the freedom OF person under
.sthe protection Of the habeas corpus" And
what mockery it is for the Philadelphia
Convention to declare that the rights re-
served to the States must be respected.
The men who framed that declaration are
even now engaged in conspiracy against
the life of the Republic. With their force
bills and Bayonet bills, they propose to des'
troy the reserved rights which they pledge
themselves to respect. The Convention, ol
0UuroS, ---...-"-rs--.-' 80
Klux laws. This is the line upon which they
desire to fight; but they will fiud themselves
unable to convince the American people
that an unconstitutional law, which places a
whole State at the mercy OF the soldiery, is
conducive to the well.beins and prosperity
OF the country. A stronger plank is that
which announces that the claim for woman
suffrage should be treated with respectful
consideration. The Stantons WOodhulls and
Authonys will support Grant with infinite
volubility if they can be led to believe that
his election will give them a chance, in the
distant future, to air their angry eloquence
on the bench, at the bar and in the halls OF
Congress.
The Philadelphia platform, however
twisted around and hammered out, consists
OF one plank alone. That plank is, Grant.
It was In his interest, as the dispenser OF
public pap, that the delegates were appoint
ed; and it is in his interest that the shuffiiDg
sentences ofthe platform ore joined together
by appeals to the war spirit, and by an en-
.deavor to revive the burning hate which for
many years has made this divided people.
The portrait OF Grant, who makes them what
they are and without whom they are
nothing, is all the platform that the office
holding Radicals require.