ject to their jurisdiction, are citizens thereof, and entitled
to equal rights, civil and political, without regard to race,
color, or condition.

3. That the public debt resulting from the war is of binding
obligation, and must be fully and honestly paid.

Mr. Vallandigham, with that boldness and energy for which he was
distinguished, undertook the task of forcing his party to take the
position required to make success possible in Ohio. In this work,
he was encouraged, and probably aided, by the counsel and advice of
that other eminent Democratic leader, Chief Justice Chase. The
first authentic announcement of the new movement in Ohio was made
by the Montgomery County Democratic Convention, held at Dayton, on
the 18th day of May last. The speech and resolutions of Mr.
Vallandigham in that body contained much sound Republicanism. He
still clung to a general assertion of the State rights heresy, but
accepted the last three constitutional amendments "as a settlement,
in fact, of all the issues of the war," and "pledged" the
Democratic party to the faithful and absolute enforcement of the
constitution as it now is, "so as to secure equal rights to all
persons, without distinction of race, color, or condition." On the
subject of the National debt, and of currency, he was equally
explicit. He declared "in favor of the payment of the public debt
at the earliest practicable moment consistent with moderate
taxation; that specie is the basis of all sound currency; and that
true policy requires a speedy return to that basis as soon as
practicable without distress to the debtor class of people."

Surely, here was a long stride away from the Democracy of the last
ten years, and toward wholesome Republican ideas. If a Democratic
victory could be gained by adopting Republican principles, the
framer of the Dayton platform was not lacking in political
sagacity. Unfortunately for the success of the scheme, no Ohio
Democrat of conspicuous position, except Mr. Chase, is known to
have approved Mr. Vallandigham's resolutions as a whole. The chief
justice wrote to Mr. Vallandigham the well-known letter of May 20,
in which he warmly congratulated him on the movement which was to
return "the Democratic party to its ancient platform of progress
and reform."