The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-27
THE PLATFORM
OF THE
National Democratic Convention
Adopted July =. 1903.

The Democratic party, In national convention
assembled, repoeing its trust In the intelligence,
patriotism and discrimira.in justice Of the PEG.
pie, standing upon the Constitution as the founda.
ton and limitation Of the powers of the govern
ment and the guarantee Of the liberty Of the citl.
zen, and recognizing the questions Of slavery anA
secession az having been settled for all time To
come by the war or the voluntary action of ths
Southern States in constitutional conventions as.
sembled, and never to be renewed or regulated,
do, with the return of peace, demand:
First-Immediate restoration Of all the Statec 10
their rights in the Union under the Constitution,
and of civil government to the American people.
Second-Amnesty for all the past political
ofenses, and the regulation Of the elective fran
chse in the States by their citizens.
Third-Psymento of the public debt OF the Unitet
States as rapidly "a practicable, all money drawn
from the people by taxation, except 80 much as
is requisite for the necessities of the government,
economically administered, being applied TO such
eminent do not expressly state, upsn 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.
Fourth-Equal taxation of every species OF
property according to its real value. including
government bonds and other public securities.
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. =.
B1Xtl-EcOuOmy III Inc dQmlulstrdtiou vi to
government; the reduction Of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the freedmens
bureau and all political instrumentaties do
signed to secure negro supremacy; simplhca-
ton Of the system and discontlnuance OF inguslto
rial modes OF assessing and collecting the internal
revenue, so that the burden OF taxation may be
equalzed and lessened; the credit of the govern
ment and the currency made good; the repeal or
all enactments for enrolling the State militia INFO
national forces in time of peace; and tariff for
revenue upon foreign imports, and such equal tax
ator under the internal revenue laws as Wal
afford incidental protection to domestic manufac-
lures and as will, without imparing the revenue,
impose the least burden upon, and best promofe
and encourage the great industt al interest OF the
country.
Seyenth-Reform of abuses in the administta-
ton the expulsion of corrupt men from Office, tho
abrogation of useless Offices, the restoration or
rightful authority to and the independence OF the
executive and judicial departments OF the govern
ment the subordination Of the military to the
civil power, to the end that the usurpations OF
Congress and the despotism OF the sword may
cease.
| ralized and native born citizens at home and
| abroad the assertion of American nationality,
| which shall command the respect OF FIR
| eign powers and furnish an example and encolr-
agement TO people struggling for national integ-
rity constitutional liberty and individual rights;
| and the maintenance of the rights of naturali4ed
citizeps against the absolute doctrine Of imriu-
table allegiance and the claims of foreign powers
| TO punish them IOr dle&eQ cTlLucb COUlulltcu bc-
yond their Jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms, We
arragn the radical party for its disregard OF right
| and the unparalleled oppression andtyranny which
have marked its career, after the most solemn and
unanimous pledge of both houses of Congress to
prosecute the war exclusively for the maintenance
| of the government and the preservation OF the
| Union and Constitution. Ii has repeatedly NO
| lated that most sacred pledge, under which vas
| rallied that noble volunteer army which carried
our flag to victory instead OF restoring the Union.
it has 80 far its power dissolvedt 1t, and sub
jected ten States, In time of profound peace, to
| military despotism and negro supremacy. Ii has
nullified the right of trial by jury II has sbol-
ished the habeas corpus. that most sacred writ OF
| liberty it has overthrow the freedom OF speech
and press; it has substituted arbitrary seizures
| and arrests, and military trials and secret star
chamber inquistions for constitutional tribu1als
| it has disregarded in times OF peace the right OF
| the people to be free from searches and seizures
| it has entered the post and telegraph offices and
even the private rooms of individuals, and sdized
their private papers and letters without any seci
| fcation or notice of affidavit as required By the
organic law; it has converted the American capt.
| toll into bsstie; it has established system OF
/ spies and official espionage to which no conttitu.
| tional monarchy of Europe would dare TO resort /;
| it has abolished the right of appeal on I'M
portant constitutional questions to tho SUI
| preme judicial tribunals, and threatens to
curtail or destroy its original jurisdiction,
| which is irrevocably vested by the Con-
stitution. while the learned chief justice has been
subjected to great atrocious caluinnies, merely
because he would not prostitute his high ofice TO
| the support of the false and partisan charges pre-
| ferred against the president Its corruption and
\ extravgance have exceeded anything known in
history, and by its frauds and monopolies III has
nearly doubled the burden of the debt created
| during the war. II has stripped the president OF
bis constitutional power OF appointment, 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 inaugurate its president, we will meet IL as
subjected and conquered people, amid the fuins
of liberty and the scattered fragments OF the
| Constitution. And we do declare and resolve
that ever since the people Of the United States
threw of all subjugation to the British crown, the
privilege and trust of suffrage have belonged to
he several States, and have been granted, tegu
| lated and controlled 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 this exercise, IS fragrant usurpatidn OF
power, which can find no warrant in tue Constitu-
tion and if sanctioned by the people will subvert
| our form Of government, and can only end In q
single, centralized. consolidated goverEmeEt. in
which the separate existence Of the States will be
entirely absorbed, and am unqualified despptism
be established in place Of n federal Union OF
equal States; that we regard the reconstruction
acts OF Congress, so-calieo, as usurpaAons,
unconstitutional. revolutionary and void that
our soldiers and sailors who carried the dag OF
our country to victory against most gal
liant and determined foe must ever be CRATE
fully remembered, and all the guarantees given in
their favor must be faithfully carried into ekecu-
ton; that the public lands should be distributed
among the people, and should be disposed Of
either under the presumption Of homestead laws,
or sold In reasonable quantities. and to none but
actual occupants. at the minimum price as cstab-
lished by the government; when grants Of the
public lands may be allowed necessarily for the
encouragements of important public improve.
ments, the proceeds of the sale of such lands, and
not the lands themselves, should be 80 applied.
That the president of the United States, Andrew
johnson, in exercising the power of his high Office
in resisting the aggressions OF Congress on the
constitutional rights of the States and the people,
is entitled to the gratitude Of the whole
American people; and on behalf Of the Demo-
| cratic party we tender him our thanks for bis pa
| triotic efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic party appeal
to every patriot including all the conservative
element, and all who desire to support the Consti-
tuition and restore the Union, forgetting all past
differences of opinion, to unite with rs 10 tho
present great struggle for the liberties Of tho peo
pie, and that to all such, to whatever party they
may have heretofore belonged, We extend the
1 ~;~Lx La 1offo hin and hail ALL quch