Year: 1868

learned Chief Justice has been subjected


to great and atrocious calumnies merel,


because he would not prostitute hi.


high office to the support of the false


and partisan charges preferred against


the President.


Its corruption and extravaganza have


exceeded anything known in history, and


by its frauds and monopolies it has near


ly doubled the burden of debt created
during the war. It has stripped the
President of his constitutional power oi
appointment even of his own cabinet.
Under its repeated assaults, the pillars
of the Government are rocking on their


base, and should it succeed in Novem-
Der next, and inaugurate its President,
we will meet as subject and conquered
people amid the ruins of liberty and the
scattered fragments of the 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 privilege and trust of
suffrage have belonged to the several
States, and have been granted, regula-
ten and controlled exclusively by the
political power of each State, and any
attempt by Congress, on any pretext
whatever, to deprive any State of this
right, or interfere with this exercise, is
a hagrant usurpation of power which
can find no warrant in the constitution,
and, if sanctioned by the people, will
subvert our form of governmenG, and
can only end in single, centralized,
consolidated governments, in which the
separate existence of the States will be
entirely absorbed and an unqualified
despotism be established in place of
Federal Union of equal States.


That we regard the reconstruction
rlf
tions /, unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void.


That our soldiers and sailors, who
rarried the flag ofour country to victory
against most gallant and determined
foe, must ever be gratefully remember
ed, and all the guarantees given in their
favor must be faithfully carried into
execution.


That the public lands should be dis
tributed as widely among the people as
possible, and should be disposed of Ell
ther under the pre-. emption or home
stead law, and sold in reasonable guam
titles and to none but actual occupants
at the minimum price as established by
the Government. When grants of pub
lie lands may be deemed necessary for
the encouragement of important public
the proceeds of the sale
of such lands, and not the lands them
selves, should be so applied.


That the President Of the United
States, Andrew johnson, in exercising
the power of his high office in resisting
the aggressions of Congress on the con
stitutional 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 appeal to every patriot, including
all the conservative element and all who |
desire to support the constitution and |
restore Union, forgetting all past differ
enccs of opinion, to unite with us in the |
present struggle for the liberties of the |
people, and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belong |
ed, we extend the right hond OF fellow
ship, and hail all such cooperating with |
us as friends and brothers.


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