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of Independence, are worthy of the organization, on whose banners they are to be written in the coming contest. Its past record cannot be blotted out or forgotten. If there had been no Republican party, Slavery would to-day cast its baleful shadow over the republic. If there had been no Republican party, a free press, and free speech would be as unknown from the Potomac to the Rio Grande as ten years ago. If the Republican party could have been stricken from existence when the banner of Rebellion was unfurled, and when the response of "No Coercion" was heard at the North, we would have had no nation to-day. But for the Republican party daring to risk the odium of tax, and draft laws, our flag could not have been kept flying in the field until the long hoped for victory came. Without a Republican party the Civil Rights bill-the guarantee of equality under the law to the humble, and the defenceless, as well as to the strong-would not be to-day upon our National Statute book. With such inspiration from the past, and following the example of the founders of the Republic, who called the victorious General of the Revolution to preside over the land his triumphs had saved from its enemies, I cannot doubt that our labors will be crowned with success; and it will be a success that shall bring restored hope, confidence, prosperity, and progress South as well as North, West as well as East, and above all, the blessings under Providence of National concord and peace.

Very truly yours,

SCHUYLER COLFAX.

A SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' CONVENTION was held at Chicago, May 19th, 1868. Gen. Lucius Fairchild, of Wisconsin, presided. The resolutions endorsed Gen. Grant for President, pledged their earnest and active support to the Republican party, approved of the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, demand protection for naturalized citizens abroad, and tender sympathy and support to the loyal men of the South.

THE mystic cords of memory, stretching from every battle-field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearth-stone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.-ABRAHAM LINCOLN's first inaugural address.

WITH malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphans, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.-ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S last inaugural address.

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, 1868.

This body met in Tammany Hall, New York, Saturday, July 4th, and was called to order by August Belmont, of New York, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Henry L. Palmer, of Wisconsin, was chosen temporary President. The first day was occupied with the transaction of preliminary business common to such assemblies.

On Monday, 6th, Hon. Horatio Seymour, of New York, was elected permanent President, and a Vice President and Secretary were reported and elected for each State. Little progress was made on this day, and the convention adjourned until Tuesday, 7th, when the committee on resolutions made their report, and after discussion it was unanimously adopted as

THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY in National Convention assembled, reposing its trust in the intelligence, patriotism, and discriminating justice of the people, standing upon the Constitution as the foundation and limitation of the powers of the Government, and the guaranty of the liberties of the citizen, and recognizing the questions of Slavery and Secession as having been settled for all time to come by the war, or the voluntary action of the Southern States in constitutional conventions assembled, and never to be renewed or re-agitated, do with the return of peace demand: I. Immediate restoration of all the States to their rights in the Union, under the Constitution, and of civil government to the American people.

II. Amnesty for all past political offences and the regulation of the elective franchise in the States by their citizens.

III. Payment of the public debt of the United States as rapidly as practicable, all moneys drawn from the people by taxation, except so much as is requisite for the necessities of the Govern ment economically administered, being honestly applied to such payment, and, where the obligations of the Government do not expressly state upon their face, or the law under which they were issued does not provide that they shall be paid in coin, they ought, in right and in justice, be paid in the lawful money of the United States.

IV. Equal taxation of every species of property, according to its real value, including Government bonds and other public securities.

V. One currency for the Government and the people, the laborer and the office-holder, the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and the bondholder.

VI. Economy in the administration of the Government, the reduction of the standing army and navy, the abolition of the Freedmen's Bureau and all political instrumentalities designed to secure negro supremacy; simplification of the system and discontinuance of inquisitorial modes of assessing and collecting Internal Revenue, so that the burden of taxation may be equalized and lessened, the credit of the Government increased, and the currency made good, the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the State Militia into National forces in time of peace, and a tariff for revenue upon foreign imports, and such equal taxation under the Internal Revenue laws as will afford incidental protection to domestic manufactures, and as will, without impairing the revenue, impose the least burden upon and best promote and encourage the great industrial interests of the country.

VII. Reform of abuses in the Administration, the expulsion of corrupt men from office, the abrogation of useless offices, the restoration of rightful authority to and the independence of the Executive and Judicial Departments of the Government, and the subordination of the military to the civil power, to the end that the usurpations of Congress and the despotism of the sword may

cease.

VIII. Equal rights and protection for naturalized and native born citizens at home and abroad, the assertion of American nationality which shall command the respect of foreign powers and furnish an example and encouragement to people struggling for national integrity, constitutional liberty, and individual rights; and the maintenance of the rights of naturalized citizens, against the absolute doctrine of immutable allegiance and the claims of foreign powers to punish them for alleged crime committed beyond their jurisdiction.

In demanding these measures and reforms we arraign the Radical party for its disregard of right and the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have marked its career. After the most solemn and unanimous pledge of both Houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclusively for the maintenance of the Government and the preservation of the Union under the Constitution, it has repeatedly violated that most sacred pledge under which alone was rallied that noble volunteer army which carried our flag to victory. Instead of restoring the Union, it has, so far as in its power, dissolved it, and subjected ten States in time of profound peace to military despotism and negro supremacy. It has nullified there the right of trial by jury; it has abolished the habeas corpus, that most sacred writ of liberty; it has overthrown the freedom of speech and the press; it has substituted arbitrary seizures and arrests, and military trials, and secret star-chamber inquisitions for the constitutional tribunals; it has disregarded in time of peace the right of the people to be free from searches and seizures, it has entered the post and telegraph offices, and even the private rooms of individuals, and seized their private papers and letters without any specific charge or notice of affidavit, as required by the organic law; it has converted the American capitol into a Bastile; it has established a system of spies and of espionage to which no constitutional monarchy of Europe would dare to resort; it has abolished the right of appeal on important constitu

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tional questions to the supreme judicial tribunals, and threatens to curtail or destroy its original jurisdiction which is irrevocably vested by the Constitution; while the learned Chief-Justice has been subjected to the most atrocious calumnies merely because he would not prostitute his high office to the support of the false and partisan charges preferred against the President. Its corruption and extravagance have exceeded anything known in history; and by its frauds and monopolies it has nearly doubled the burden of the debt created by the war. It has stripped the President of his Constitutional power of 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 November next and inaugurate its President, we will meet as a subject and conquered people amid the ruins of liberty and the shattered fragments of the Constitution; and we do declare and resolve, that ever since the people of the United States threw off all subjection to the British Crown the privilege and trust of suffrage have belonged to the several States, and have been granted, regulated and controlled exclusively by the political power of each State respectively, and that any attempt by Congress, on any pretext whatever, to deprive any State of this right, or interfere with its exercise, is a flagrant 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 a single centralized and consolidated government, in which the sepa rate existence of the States will be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified despotism be established in place of a Federal Union of coequal States; and that we regard the reconstruction acts (so called) of Congress, as such a usurpation and unconstitutional, revolutionary and void; that our soldiers and sailors who carried the flag of our country to victory against a most gallant and determined foe, must ever be gratefully remembered and all the guarantees given in their favor must be faithfully carried into execu tion. That the public lands should be distributed as widely as possible among the people, and should be disposed of either under the pre-emption or homestead laws, and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none but actual occupants, at the minimum price established by the Government. When grants of the public lands may be allowed necessary for the encouragement of impor tant public improvements, the proceeds of the sale of such lands, and not the lands themselves, 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 upon the Constitutional rights of the States and the people, is entitled to the gratitude of the whole American people, and in 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 the Union, forgetting all 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 co-operating with us as friends and brethren.

Preceding the balloting for a candidate for President, the convention reaffirmed the old rule of Democratic National Conventions, requiring two-thirds of all the delegates to nominate. As there were 317 delegates in attendance from thirty-seven States, 212 were therefore required to nominate. Nominations of candidates for President were called for, and the names of James E. English of Connecticut, George H. Pendleton of Ohio, Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania, Asa Packer of Pennsylvania, Sanford E. Church of New York, Joel Parker of New Jersey, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, and James R. Doolittle of Wisconsin, were severally proposed, to which was afterward added those of Thos. A. Hendricks of Indiana, Frank P. Blair, of Missouri, and others. On Tuesday six ballotings were taken, on Wednesday twelve, and on Thursday four, making in all twenty-two. The results of the several ballotings were as follows:

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