The Opelousas courier., 1868-09-19
The Platform of the Democratic
... National Convention. =. r"
ADOPTED JULY 7th, 1865.

I~ ADOPTED JULY 7th, 1868.
The Democratic party. in National Convention
| assembled, reposing its trust in the intelligence
patriotism and discriminating justice of the peo-
pie, standing upon the Constitution as the found
alton and limitation of the powers of the gov
ernment, and the guarantee of the liberty of the
citizen and recognizing the question of slavery
and secession as having been settled for all time
to come by the war OF the voluntary action of
the Southern States in constitutional conven-
! tions assembled, and never to be renewed or re
! agltated, do, with the return of peace, demand :
F1rst-lmmediate restoration of all the States
| to their rights in the Union under the Constitu-
ton, and of civil government to the American
people.
Second-Amnesty for all the past political of
fences, and the regulation of the elective fran
chise in the States by their citizens. ss~
Third-Payment of the public debt of the
| United States as rapidly as practicable, all
meney drawn from the people by taxation, ex-
cept so much as is requisite for the necessities
OF the government, economically administered,
| being applied to such payment ) and where the
obligations of the government do not expressly
| state, upon their face, where 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. (Thunders of applause.)
FOurth-Equal taxation of every species of
property according to it's real value, including
government bonds and other public securities.
| (Rcnewed cheering, and cries of ''Read it
t again.) -t. -''"
! sFifth--One currency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the Office holder, the
! pensioner and the soldier. the producer and the
i bondholder. Great cheering, and cries of
''Read it again 'b' '
The fifth resolution was again read and again
checred. ~s,
| Sixth-Economy in the administration of the
! governments the reduction of the standing
army and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen's
| Bureau (great Gheers) and all political instru-
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simp1ifcation of the system and discontinuance
! of inquisitorial modes of assessing and collect
ing internal revenue, so that the burden of tax
alton may be equaliZed and lessened, the credit
of the government and the currency made good :;
the repeal of all enactmentS for enrolling the
State militia into national forces in time of peace;
and tariff for revenue upon foreign imports,
and such equal taxation under the internal reve-
nue. laws as will afford incidental protection to
domestic manufactures. and will, without
impairing the revenue, impose the least burden
upon and best promote and encourage the great
industrial interests OF the country.
Seventh-RefOrm of abuses in the administra-
tion, the expulsion OF corrupt men from Office
the abrGgation of useless offices, the restoration
of rightflli Suthority to- and the independence
of the executive and judicial departments of the
n government; the subordination of the military
to the civil power, to the end that the usurpa-
. tions of Congress and the despotism of the
sword may cease.
Eighth-Equal rights and protection for natu-
ralized and native born citizens at home and
Il abroad the assertion OF American nationality,
which shall command the respect of foreign
powers and furnish example and encourage
ment to people struggling for national integrity,
= constitutional liberty aud individual rights ;
and the maintenance of the rights of naturalized
citizens against the absolute doctrine of immu-
table allegiance and the claims of foreign pow
ers to punish them for alleged crimes committed
beyond their jurisdiction. (Applause9 9-~-:-
In demanding these measures and reforms, we
arraign the Radical party. for its disregard of
right, and the unparalleled oppression and ty-
ranny which have marked its career after the
most solemn and unanimous pledge of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war eXelu-
sively for the maintenance of the government
and the preservation of the Union and the Con
!, StitutiOn 1t has repeatedly violated that most
sacred pledge, under which was rallied that no.
BILE volunteer army which carried our flag to vie
tory; instead of restoring the Union, it has, so
far as is in its power dissolved it, and subjected
| ten States, in times OF profound peace to mill
tary despotism and negro Supremacy 1t has
nulited the right of trial by jury; it has abol
fislled the habeas corpus, that most sacred writ
! of liberty it has oFerthrown the freedom of
speech and press; it has substituted arbitrary
seizures and arrests, and military trials, and Sc
cret star chamber inquisitions for constitutional
:. tribunals; it has disregarded in time of peace
the right of the people to be free from searches
2 and seizures it has entered the post and tele-
9
viduals, and seized their private. papers and let
tiers, without any specification or notice ct afi
dayit, required by the organic law; it has con
h yegbed the American capitol into a hastile; ii
q has established system of spies and official es
. pionage to which no constitutional monarchy OF
Europe would dare to resort; it has abolished
e the right Of appeal en important constitutional
questions to the supreme judicial tribunals; and
threatened to cuftal destroy its original juris
i diction, which is irrevoeablY vested by the Con
: stitution, while the learned Chief Justice has
l. been subjected to great and atrocious calumnie!
/: merely because he would not prostitute his higi
i Office to the support of the false and partisan
charges preferred the President. It's cor
u ruption and extravaganza have exceeded any
% thing known in history, and by its frauds ant
- monopulies it has nearly doubled the burden o
the debt created during tho war. 1t has stripped
g the President of his constitutional power of ap
3, pointment, even Of his own cabinet; under it
IL repeated assaults, the pillars of the governnen
II rocking their base, and should it stlecee'
:, in November next, and inaugurate its President
= y we will meet it as "a subjected and conquere
n people, amitt the ruins of liberty and the scat
se tered fragments OF the Constitution.
a And we do declare and resolve, that ever sine
!. the people of the United States threwof all sui
Y jugation to the British crown, the privilege an
ID trust of suffrage have belonged TO tile severa
"a States, and have been granted, regulated an
,e controlled exclusively by the political power
: : each State respectively; and amy attempt b
~ Congress, on any pretext whatever, TO deprv
" any State of this right, or its es
/, erclse, is asnagrant ustlrpatiOn OFT power whic
to can find no warrant in the Constitution, and
- sanctioned by the people will subyert our forr
u OF government, and can only end in a single
ID centralized consolidated government, in whic
~ the separate existence of the States will be Ell
3 : trely absorbed, and an unqualified aespotism
= established in place of Federal Union of equi
IL States; that we regard the reconstruction act
t.. of Congress, se-called, as usurpations unconst
, tutional, revolutionary and veid that our so
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