In 1840 the Democratic convention was, again held at Baltimore, Van Buren was renominated and a lengthy platform was adopted. As this platform was the basis of all platforms adopted from that time to the breaking out of the Civil War it is worthy of reproduction. It was as follows: 1. Resolved, That the Federal government is one of limited powers, derived solely from the Constitution. and the grants of powers shown therein ought to be strictly construed by all the departments and agents of the govern ment, and that it is inexpedient and dangerous to exercise doubtful constitutional powers.
2. Resolved, That the Constitution does not confer upon the general government the power to commence and carry on a general system of internal improvements,.
3. Resolved, That the Constitution does not confer authority upon the Federal government directly or indirectly. to assume the debts of the several States, contracted for local internal improvements or other State purposes; nor would such assumption be just or expedient.
4. Resolved. That justice and sound policy forbid the Federal government to foster one branch of industry to the detriment of another, or to cherish the interests of one portion to the injury of another portion of our common country — that every citizen and every section of the country has • right to demand and insist upon an equality of rights and privileges, and to complete and ample protection of persons and property from domestic violence or foreign aggression.
S. Resolved, That it is the duty of every branch of the government to enforce and practice the most rigid economy in conducting our public affairs, and that no more revenue ought to be raised than is required to defray the necessary expenses of the government.
6. Resolved, That Congress has no power to charter a United States bank; that we believe such an institution one of deadly hostility to the best interests of the country.
to our Republican institutions, and the liberties of i people, and calculated to place the business of the country within the control of a concentrated money power and above the laws and the will of the people.
7. Resolved, That Congress has no power under the Constitution to interfere with or control the domestic insti tutions of the several States; and that such States are the sok and proper judges of everything pertaining to their own affairs, not prohibited by the Constitution; that all efforts by abolitionists or others, made to induce Congress to interfere with questions of slavery or to take incipient steps in relation thereto, are calculated to lead to the most alarming and dangerous consequences, and that all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of the people, and endanger the stability and permanence of the Union, and ought not to be countenanced by any friend to our political institutions..
8. Resolved, That the separation, of the moneys of the government from banking institutions is indispensable for the safety of the funds of the government and the rights of the people.
9. Resolved. That the liberal principles embodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. and sanctioned in the Constitution, which make ours the land of liberty and the asylum of the oppressed of every nation, have ever been cardinal principles in the Democratic faith; and every attempt to abridge the present privilege of beco citizens, and the owners of soil among us ought to be with the same spirit which swept the Alien and Sedition laws from our statute book.
As the names of several different persons had been presented for Vice-President the con vention of 1840 made no nominations for that office, but adopted resolutions leaving the decision to members of the party in the various States, and trusting that before the election took place the opinion would be so concentrated as to enable the Electoral College to secure the choice of a Vice-President.° Upon the death of Harrison, John Tyler became President, and during his term vetoed two bills which had for their object the re establishing of the United States bank. Tyler favored the annexation of Texas, which had separated from Mexico and had existed under art independent government since 1836. Jas. K. Polk, the Democratic candidate, also favored annexation, while Henry Clay, for a third time a candidate for the Presidency, opposed annexation.
In the platform of 1844, the first nine resolu tions of the platform of 1840 were reaffirmed, and new resolutions added demanding, first, that the proceeds of public lands be sacredly applied to the national object specified in the Constitu tion, rather than distributed among the States; second, sustaining and defending the veto of the President which had thrice saved Americans from the corrupt and tyrannical domination of the Bank of the United States,* and third, de claring for the annexation of Texas. The cam paign resulted in the election of Polk and Dallas, although their majority in the Electoral College was proportionately larger than their popular plurality.