Conspectus of the History of Political Parties and the Federal Government/1864 Radical Party Platform
Radical Platform, Cleveland, May 31.
1. That the Federal Union shall be preserved.
2. That the constitution and laws of the United States must be observed and obeyed.
3. That the Rebellion must be suppressed by force of arms, and without compromise.
4. That the rights of free speech, free press, and the habeas corpus be held inviolate, save in districts where martial law has been proclaimed.
5. That the Rebellion has destroyed slavery; and the federal constitution should be so amended as to prohibit its re-establishment, and to secure to all men absolute equality before the law.
6. That integrity and economy are demanded, at all times, in the administration of the government, and that in time of war the want of them is criminal.
7. That the right of asylum, except for crime and subject to law, is a recognized principle of American liberty; and that any violation of it can not be overlooked, and must not go unrebuked.
8. That the national policy known as the “Monroe Doctrine” has become a recognized principle; and that the establishment of an anti-republican government on this continent by any foreign power can not be tolerated.
9. That the gratitude and support of the nation are due to the faithful soldiers and the earnest leaders of the Union army and navy, for their heroic achievements and deathless valor in defense of our imperiled country and of civil liberty.
10. That the one-term policy for the presidency, adopted by the people, is strengthened by the force of the existing crisis, and should be maintained by constitutional amendment.
11. That the constitution should be so amended that the President and Vice-President shall be elected by a direct vote of the people.
12. That the question of the reconstruction of the rebellious states belongs to the people, through their representatives in Congress, and not to the Executive.
13. That the confiscation of the lands of the rebels, and their distribution among the soldiers and actual settlers, is a measure of justice.