The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-07-25
The Platform of the Democratic
National Convention.
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
atom 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
70 come by the war or the voluntary action of
the Southern States in constitutional conyen-
tions assembled, and never to be renewed or re
agitated do, with the return of peace, demand
First-Immediate 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
ehise in the States by their citizens.
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, or 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. tThunders of applause.j
Fourth-Equal taxation of every species of
property according to its real value, including
government bonds and other public securities
(Renewed cheering, and cries of '.Read it
again."
Fifth-One currency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the office holder, the
pensi0ner and the soldier, the producer and the
bondholder. tGreat cheering, and cries of
Read it again.
The fifth resolution was again read, and again
cheered.
Sixth-Economy in the administration of the
government; the reduction of the standing
army and navy the abolition of the Freedmen's
Bureau, fgreat cheersi and all pol;tieal instr11-
1nentalities designed to secure NEGRO suprenany :
simpliiieation OF the system and discontinuanee
80 II
ing internal revenue, so that the burden of tay
alton NAV be eaualized and lessened. the credit
of the government and the CURRENCY made onnd !.
the reneal of at}~enactn,ents for enroITi,S +ba,
STATE militia into national forces in time of neaca.
and n tariff for revenue unon foreign ;mnorts
and such enuaI taxat;on I,ndar the infarnai ray-a
nue laws as will afford Incidental nrotact;on to
domestic mannfact,rss ors, as iii a;tLt
imnairing the revenue ;nnosa tba least hur5 a,,
upep and hest promote and encnurag ga- tba oreat
Industrial interests Of the countru $50 Q o"'
SeyanthRafnrm IF abnses i, Ia od,,;n;s.ro
tan the exnuIsion of corrnnt ,aar fa1,, ss;aa
The ahrooation of useIess oficas tba ;n
of rigI,tfTI a,,thoritv to and tba OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
of tTe execut;va and ird;r;aI ~ ele
government. tha suSard;natian of tba ,n;I;t ~
fo the civil nower to the and tbat tba rs,,,,s
t;ans of 1,angrass and tba dasnn4ia,,, af th+ Rs
sword NAV cease
EigbthEonaI r;obts n ,,r.o+aot;o, co. no+,
ralized and nativeshorn CITIZENS at home and
abroad the assertion of American nationaIitv,
Trhieh shall cagn he ,.aap nf faraig gu
.noyrers and furnish m eyamnle and eneours ga-
ment To neonIe gql;ng for national integriffv
CONSTITUTIONAL liberty ana individual rights !:
and the maintenance of the rights of naturaIized
citizens AGAINST fbe absolute doctrine of irnTou
table aIleeianee and the claims of foreipn now
ers to punish them for alleged crimes committed
beyond their inrisdicfinn. II f4nnIaI,se
In demanding these measures and reforms we
arraign the Radical marty for its disreoard of
right. and the unparalIeied oppression and ty-
ranny which have marked its career after the
most solemn and unanimous pledae of both
houses of CONGRESS to prosecute the war exeIu-
siyeIy for the maintenance of the government
and the preservation Of the Union and the Con.
stitutian N has reDeatedlv violated that ,,lost
saered nlefge. under which was rallied tI,at no.
BILE volunteer army which carried our tIag to- vif-
tory. instead of rpstorino the TTnion II has so
far AZ il in its mower. dissolved II. and subjected
ten States. in times of profound peace, to mill
tary desnotis,n~ and negro supremacv, 1T ,has
nniiifed the Iisht of trfaI nv iury. it has ahoI-
isbed the.habeas eorpus. that m9st sacred writ
of liberty; II has oyerthrown the freedom OF
speech and press: IL has substituted arbitrary
seizures and arrests and military trials. and Sc
cret star chamber inauisitions for constitutional
tribunals; it has disregaraed in time of peace
the right of the people to be free from searches
ard seizures ii has entered the most and teIe
Graph Offices. and even the private rooms of indi
YiduaIs, and seized their private papers and let
tsrs, without any speeification or notice of affi
dayit as required by the organic law: it has con-
verted the American capitoI into bastile: il
bas established 4 system of snies and officai es
nianage 10 which no constitutional monarchy Of
Europe would dare to resort; it has abolished
file right Of au,.aI on i,aportant ennstifi,tionaI
Questions IA the sunreme iiuele;al tribunals and
Threatened to curtail or estroy its orgnal i,1ris
iaietiom. which il irrevocahlv vested Iy tba Con
stjtution, while the learned Chief Justice has
heen Subjected Ia preat MI ntrocio,,s "a Innies
merely beeause he would NOT nrostit,,fa his hieb
,;s;ae ~ Aha sY,,e,rt ~ sl 4lsa a =,
charges preferred against Tie President. IN cor