salient and decisive propositions.
The first was the declaration "_that all the obligations of the
Government, not payable by their express terms in coin, ought to be
paid in lawful money_." This was a distinct adoption of the Greenback
heresy. The movement to nominate Mr. Pendleton did not succeed in its
personal object, but it did succeed in embodying its ruling thought in
the Democratic creed. It proved to be the guiding and mastering force
of the Convention. The greenback issue went there with the positive,
resolute support of a powerful candidate, and of a formidable array of
delegates who knew precisely what they wanted. It was organized under
a name and had the strength of a personality. There was opposition,
but it was not coherent, organized or well led. In fact the platform
was expressly framed to fit Mr. Pendleton; and if, as often happens,
the champion and the cause did not triumph together, he compelled his
party to commit itself fully and unreservedly to his doctrine.

The second vital proposition related to the policy and Acts of
Reconstruction. If Chief Justice Chase was to be nominated, the
party must accept the broad principle of universal suffrage or it
must abandon his lifelong professions. But universal suffrage,
especially if ordained by National authority, was irreconcilable with
Democratic traditions and Democratic prejudices. The Democrats had
uniformly maintained that the right of suffrage was a question which
came within the political power of the States and did not belong to
National jurisdiction. They denied that the States had in any degree,
even by rebellion, forfeited their prerogatives or changed their
relations. They insisted that nothing remained but to recognize them
as restored to their old position. In framing the present platform
they re-affirmed this doctrine, under the declaration that "any attempt
of Congress, on any pretext whatever, to deprive any State of its
right (to regulate suffrage), or interfere with its exercise, is a
flagrant usurpation of power, which cannot find any warrant in the
Constitution." This broad assertion was designed to deny even the
right of Congress to make impartial suffrage in the revised
constitutions a condition precedent to the re-admission of the
rebellious States to representation. But the platform did not stop
here. With a bolder sweep it declared "_that we regard the
Reconstruction Acts of Congress as usurpations, unconstituti