The Opelousas courier., 1868-10-31
The Platform of the Democratic
National Convention.
ADOPTED JULY 7th. 1863.

1SdtiVMdi UVHFtutlOn.
ADOPTED JULY 7th, 1868.
r. The Democratic party. in National Conventio
assembled, reposing it's trust in the intelligence
patr1otlsm and discriminating justice of the pee
pie, standing upon the Constitution as the found
ation and limitation of the powers of the gov
ernment, and the guarantee of the liberty of tn
citizen, and recognizing the question of SLAYER,
ana secession as having been settled for all TIM
70 come by the war or the voluntary action O
the Southern States in constitutional conven
lions assembled, and never to be renewed or re
-agitated, do, with the return of peace demand
| Frst-fmmediate restoration of all the State.
60 their rights in the Union under the Constitu
tlon, and OF civil government to the American
people. -.r.. 0..,..s
Second-Amnesty for all the past political of
fences, and the regulation of the elective fran
chlse in the States by their citizens.
Ihfrd-Payment Of the public debt of the
United States as rapidly as practicable, all
meney drawn from the people by taxation, ex
eept so much as is requisite for the necessities
OF the government, economically administered
oelng applied to such payment; and where the
obi cations 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. eThunders of applause.i
IL Fourth-Equal taxation of every species of
property according to it's real value, including
government bonds and other public securities
tRenewed cheering, and cries of Read it
again.")
Fifth-One currency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the office holder, the
pensioner and the soldier, the producer and the
bondholder tGreat cheering, and cries of
The fifth resolution was again read, and again
cheered. s.
Sixth-Economy in the administration of the
government; the reduction of the standing
army and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen's
Bureau, tgreat cheers) and all political instru-
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy
simplifcation 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 as 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 abregation of useless offices, the restoration
OF rightfuI authority to and the independence
of the executive and judicial departments of the
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. u Il
Eighth-Equal rights and protection for natu-
ralized and native-bOrn citizens at home and
abroad the assertion of American nationality,
which shall command the respect of foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
ment to people struggling for national integrity,
constitutional liberty and individual rights ;
md fhn ANITA 0f ioSf oofr, 1od
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. tApplause.l ,
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 it's career after the
most solemn and unanimous pledge OF both
houses OF Congress to prosecute the war exclu-
sively for the maintenance OF the government
and the preservation of the Union and the Con-
stitufion. 1t has repeatedly violated that most
sacred pledge, under which was rallied that no.
BILE volunteer army which carried our flag to VIC
tory; instead of restoring the. Union, it has, so
far is in it's power, dissolved it, and subjected
ten states, in times OF profound peace, to mill
tary despotism and negro supremacy. It has
nullfed the right. of trial by jury; it has abol-
/ 'ished the habeas corpus, that most sacred writ
of liberty; it has overthrown the freedom of
speech and press; it has substituted arbitrary
eret star chamber inquisitions for constitutional
/ tribunals; it has disregarded in time of peace
the right of the people to be free from searches
and seizures it has entered the post and tele-
graph Offices and even the private rooms of indi-
viduals, and seized their private papers and let
tiers, without any specification or notice of af6-
davit, as required by the organic law; it has con-
verified the American capitol into q hastilea;2 it
has established system of spies and official es-
pionage to which no constitutional monarchy OF
Europe would dare to resort; it has abolished
the right of appeal on important constitutional
questions tu the supreme Judicial tribunals, and
threatened to eurtal destroy It's original iurs-
diction, which is irrevocably vested by the Con-
stitutien, while the learned Chief Justice has
been subjected to great and atrocious calumnies
merely because he would not prostitute his high
office to the support of the false and partisan
charges preferredag gainst the President. Its cor
Eruption and eXtrayaganee have exceeded any
| thing known in history, and by its frauds and
mon0polies it has nearly doubled the burden OF
/ the debtereated during the war. 1t has stripped
the President of his constitutional power OF ap-
pointment, even of his own cabinet under its
repeated assaults, the pillars of the government
are rocking on their base, and should it succeed
| in November next, and maugurate its President
/ people, amid the ruins of liberty, and the scat
tered fragments of the CONSTITUTIONS.
f And we do declare and resolve, that ever since
fthe people of the United States threw off all sub
| iugation to the British CROWN, the privilege and
Frrastsof Suffrage have belonged to the several
Icontrolled exclusively by the political power Of
each State, respectively; !; and any attempt BY
Congress, on any pretext whatever, TO deprive
any State of this right, or interfere with its e1
ercise, is fragrant usurpation of power, which
4 can find no warrant in the Constitution, and i
sanctioned fby the people viii snbvert our form
of government, and can only end in . single
centralized, consolidated government, in which