The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-07-15
The Platform Of the Democratic
National Convention,
ADOPTED JULY 1868.

IJus'ice vi tne people, standing uDon tn
constitution as the foundation and limita
ton ofthe powers of the government, an
the guarantee of the liberty of the either
a2d recognizing the questions Of SLAYER
and secession as having been settled fo
all time to come by the war or the voluntu
airy action of the Southern States in con
stitutional conventions, assembled, an,
never to be renewed or regulated, do, witt
the return of peace, demand:
Flrst-lmmediate restoration of all tn
States to their rights in the Union uude
r the Constitution, and of civil governmen
to the American people.
Second-Amnesty for all the past poljt
icai offenses, aud the regulation of the cleo
tive franchise in the States by their citi
zens.
Third-Payment of the public debt o
the United States as rapidly as practicable
all money drawn from the people by taxa
ton, except so ouch as is requisite for the
necessities Of the government, economical
~ administered, being applied to such pay
ment; 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. (rhunders of an.
plause.)
.Fourth--Equal taxation of every species
OF property according to it real value, in.
Guiding government bonds and other public
securities. (Renewed cheering, and cries
of" Read it again.')
fitth-One currency for the government
and the people, the laborer and the office
holder, the pensioner and the soldier, the
producer and the bondholder. (Great
cheering, and cries of Z" Read 1T 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, (great cheers,) and
all political i2strumentalities designed to
secure negro supremacy; simplifcation of
the system and discontinuapce of inuuisi-
torial modes of assessing and collecting in.
ternal revenue, SO that the burden of taxa.
ton 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 rev.
enue upon foreign imports, and such equal
taxation under the internal revenue laws as
will afford incidental protection to domes-
tic manufactures, and as will, without i'm
pairing the revenue, impose the least bur-
zen upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests of the coun-
try.
Seventh-Reform of abuses in the adj
ministration, the expulsion of corrupt men
from office, the abrOgatiOn of useless Off
ces, the restoration of rightful authority to
and the independence of the executive and
judicial departments of the government;
the snbordination 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
naturalized and native-born citizens at
home and abroad; the assertion of Ameri- |
can nationality, which shall command the
respect of foreign powers and furnish an |
example and encouragement to people |
struggling for national integrity, constitu-
tlonal liberty and individual rights; and |
the maintenance of the rights of natural |
lied citizens against the absolute doctrine
of immutable alleg lance and the claims of
foreign powers to punish them for alleged
crimes committed beyond their jurisdic-
ton. (Applause.)
LII ucudhulll9 UucSe measures and re-
forms, we arraign the Radical party for its
disregard of right and the unparalleled op-
preston and tyranny which have marked
is career after the most solemn and unan-
nous pledge Of both Houses of Congress
20 prosecute the war exclusively for the
of the government and the
reservation of the Union and the Consti-
luton. 1t has repeatedly violated that
most sacred pledge, under which was raj J
led that noble volunteer army which car
led our fig to victory; instead of restor- ;
ng the Union, il las, SO far as is in it's
,ower, dissolved it, and subjected ten +,
states, in times of profound peace to mil
tary despotism and negro supremacy. t
1t has nulli6ed the right Z. trial by Jury ,
has abolished the habeas corpus, that s
nost sacred writ of liberty it has over t
hsown .,le freeoom of speech and press |
has substituted arbitrary seizures and
rrests, and military trials, and secret star L
h.nioer inquisitions for constitutional tri- i
unals; it has disregarded in time of peace e
he right of the people to be free from
earches and seizures it has entered the
ost and telegraph offices, and even the
rivate rooms of individuals, and seized
heir private papers and letters without =
ny specification or notice of affidavit as
squired by the organic law it has con- y
erted the American capitol into bastile; =
has established system of spies and =
ficial espionage to which no constitution u u
monarchy of Europe would dare to resort =, y
has abolished the right of appeal on inn Il, IL
ortant constitution questions to the SUI p
reme judicial tribunals and threatens to =
lrtail or destroy its original jurisdiction, u
hich 10 irrevocably vested by the Consti- =,
ltion, while the learned chief justice has u. ~
cen subjected to great and atrocious =. ~
dummies merely because he would not u
'ostitute his high office to the support Of 81
lie false and partisan charges preferred u
yainst the President Its corruption and OF
itravagance have exceeded anything ~
nown in history, and by Its frauds and re
onopolies it has nearly doubled the bur- ~
On of the debt created during the war. - m
has stripped the President of his consti- Pr
tional power of appointm Mt, even of his IN IN
WI cabinet; under its repeated assaults al
10 pillars of the government are rocking w
/ their base, and should it succeed in !, u
ovember next and inaugurate it's presi- III
mt, we will meet it as subjected and 81
nquered people, amid the ruins of liberty W,
ID the scattered fragments of the Com WI WI
tuition. a -
And we do declare and resolve, that tn
H. IL