The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-06-03
The Radical Platform.

3 The following is a complete copy Of tn
| platform adopted by the radical convention
:, at Chicago
The National Republican Party of tn,
United States, assembled in national con
vention in the city of Chicago, on the 20tl
day of May, 1868, make the following de
claration of principles:
l. We congratulate the country on thu
assured success of the reconstruction O
Congress, as eYinced by the adoption in {
majority of the States lately in rebellion O
their own Constitutions, and securing eaua
civil and politicel rights to all and we re-
gard it as the duty of government to sus
tam those institutions and to prevent the
people of such States from being RENTED
! to q state of anarchy.
| z. The guarantee by Congress. of equal
suffrage to all loyal men in the South, was
demanded by every consideration Of public
safety, of gratitude and Justice, and must
be maintained, while the question lof suf
frage in the loyal States properly belongs
to the people of those States.
/ 3. We denounce all forms ofrepudiation
as a national crime, and national honor re-
quires the payment ofpuLlic Indebtedness
in the utmost good faith to all conditions
at home and abroad, not only according to
the letter, but the spirit Of the laws under
which it was contracted.
A. 1t is due to the labor Of the nation
that taxation should be equalized and re-
duced as rapidly as the national faith will
permit.
5. The national debt, contracted as it
has been, for the preservation ofthe Union,
for all time to come, should extended over
a fair period for redemption, and it is the
duty of Congress to reduce the rate of in
terest thereon whenever it can honestly be
done.
6. That the best policy to- diminish our
bWden of debt is so to improve our credit
that capitalists will seek to loan US money
at lower rates of interest than we now pay,
and must continue to pay as long as repu-
diation, partial or local, open or covert, is
threatened or suspected.
Z. The government of the United States
should he administered with the strictest
economy, aud the corruptions which have
Teen so shamefnlly nursed and fostered by
Andrew Johnson call loudly for radical re-
form.
8. We profoundly deplore the untimely
and tragic death Of Abraham Lincoln, and
regret the accession of Andrew johnson to
the presidency, who has acted treacherous-
ly to the people who elected him and the
cause he was pledged to support; usurped
high legislative aud judicial functions; has
refused to execute the laws; has used his
high Office to Induce other officers to ignore
and violate the laws; has employed his
executive powers to render insecure the
property, peace, liberty and life of the citi-
zens has abused the pardoning power !;
has denounced the national legislature as
unconstitutional; has persisteatly refused,
by every measure in his power. every Pro-
per attempt at The reconstruction OF the
States lately in rebellion; has perverted
the public patronage into an engine of
wholesale corruption, and has been justly
impeached for high crimes and misdemean-
ors, and properly guilty thereof by the votes
of thirty-iive senators.
g. The doctrine CT Great Britain and
other European powers that because a
man is once subject he is always so, must
be resisted at every hazard by the United
States, as q relic Of a feudal time not au-
thorized by the law Of nations, and at war
with our national honor and independence.
Naturalized, citizens ought to be protected
in all their rights of citizenship, as though
they were natural born, and no citizen of
the United States, native or naturalized,
must be liable to arrest AID Imprisonment
by any foreign power for acts done or words
spoken in this country, and ifso arrested
and imprisoned, it is the duty Of the gov
eminent to interfere in his behalf.
10. Of all who were faithful in the trials
OF the late civil war there were none enti-
tied to more especial honor than the brave
soldiers and seamen who endured the hard
ships OF campaign and cruise, and imperiled
their lives in the services of the country
The bounties and pensions provided by
law for those brave defenders Of the nation
are obligations never to be forgotten. The
widows and orphans of the gallant dead
are the wards of the nation--a sacred lega-
cy bequeathed to the nations protecting
care.
IL. Foreign emigration, which, in the
past, has added so much to the wealth, de-
yelopment of resources and increase of
power to this nation, the asylum of the OPP
pressed of all nations, should be fostered
aud encouraged by a liberal and justpolicy.
IL. This convention declares its sympa-
thy with all oppressed people who are
struggling for THEIR rights.
MILITARY ARREST. The power of the
bayonet and the weakness Of law was again
manifest in our city yesterday. About 10
O'Clock James w. Barker, City Whar6n-
ger and Clerk of the Inferior Court who
a day or two since resigned the latter pos
ition-and Wade Stephens, both white
men, and John Wells and James Stapler,
freedmen, were arrested by the military
Immediately lodged in the
guard house, .and at 2 o. clock were sent to
Savannah, via the Macon train, in custody
Of ten armed soldiers 1t isneedless to'add, |
the arrested persons were members Of the
Democratic party. They are of the nun
Der who, some six weeks ago, were confn-
ed for no cause that was made public, by
the military officials, in the Court House,
for five days and then released on bond
signed by some fourhundred ofour citizens.
Unavailing attempts were yesterday to dis
cover the cause of these measures. Prom
inent lawyers were told, when the prisoners
arrived in Savannah, they would learn what
charges were preferred against them. The
is scalawags here, whose infu
ence seems to be potent with epauletts and
shoulder straps, from private pique, had
the arrests made, and that the parties are
to be tried before military commission for
causes that only can be coniectured. Ar