Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-09-01
pEMoCRATIC rLATFoRM.

J tice of the people, standing upon the Consti- tuition as the foundation and limitation of the powers of the Government and the guarantee of the liberties of the citizen, and recogniz- inr the questions of slavery and secession as having been settled for all time to come by the war or the voluntary action of the South ern Stntes in constitutional convention as scmbled, and never to be renewed or reagita- ted, do. with the return of peace, demand
 lst Immediate restoration of all the States to their rights in the Union under the Con stitution, and of civil government to the American people.
 2d. The amnesty for all the past political offenses and the regulation of the elective franchise in the States by their citizens; the payment of the public debt of the United States as rapidly as practicable.
 Sd. All the money drawn from the people by taxation, except so much as is requisite for the necessities of the Government, econ omically administered, being honestly ap- piled to such payment, snd where the obliga- tions of the Government do not expressly state upon their face, or the law under which they were issued does not provide that they shall be paid in coin, they ought in right and justice be paid in the lawful money of the United States.
 4th Equal taxation of every species of pro- perty according to it's real value, including Government bonds and other public securi- ties.
 5th One currency for the Government and the people, the laborer and the ofhce-holders, the producer and the bond-holder.
 9th. Economy in the administration Of the Govern ment; the reduction of the standing army and navy; the abolition of the freed mems bureau, and all political instrumentali- ties designed to secure negro supremacy aimplifeation of the system, and discontinu- ance of inquistorial boards of assessing and collecting the internal revenue, so that the burden of taxation may be capitalized and lessened and the credit of the Government and the currency made good the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the State militia into the national forces in time of peace; a tariff for revenue upon foreign imports, and such equal taxation under the internal reve- nue jaws as will afford incidental protection to domestic manufactures, and will, without impairing the revenue, impose the least bur den upon and best promote and encourage the great industrial interests of the country.
 7th. Reform of abuses in administration; the expulsion of corrupt men from ofilce the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration of rightful authority to, and the independ- cnce of, the executive and judicial depart ments of the Government; 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.
 9th. Equal rights and protection for natu- ralized and native-born citizens at home and abroad The assertion of American nation ality which shall command the respect of foreign powers, furnish an example and en- couragement to the people struggling for na- tioual integrity, constitutional liberty and undived rights, and the maintainance of the
 n ..s.. ,,.tt { nnh solute doctrine of immutable allegiance and the claims of foreign powers to punish them for alleged crime committed beyond their jul risdiction.
 h demanding these measures and reforms we arraign the Radical party for
 It's disregard of right and the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have marked it's career after the most solemn and unani- nous pledge of both houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclusively for the main fainance of the Gouernment and the preser- vation of the Union under the Constitution.
 II has repeatedly violated the most sacred nledge unoer which was rallied that noble volunteer army which carried our flag to victory
 Instead ec restoring the Union, it has, so far as in it's power, dissolved it, and subject ed ten States in time of profound peace, to military dcspotism and negro supremacy
 It has nulliGed there the right of trial by jury,
 1t has abolished the habeas corpus, that most sacred writ of lihcriy-
 It has overthrown the ifeelOm of speech and tho press,
 It has substituted arbitrary seizures and arrests. and military trials and star chamber inouisitious for constitutional Tribunals.
 It has disregarded ir time of peace the right of the people oe he free ffqm search and seizure.
 It has entered the postofioes and telegraph oiices and even the prvatc rooms of indi- yduals, and seized their private papers and letters withou, any specification or notice of affidavit, as required by tle organic law.
 II has converted the .sDestean capitol into a bastile,
 1t has established a system of spies and of i, 6eial espionage to which Ils monarchy of Eu- rnpe would now dare to resort
 It has abolished the right of appeal on inn portant constitutional questions to the SUI. preme judicial tribunals, and threatens 10 control or destroy it's original jurisdiction, which is irrevocably vested by the constitu- tion, while the learned Chief Justice has been subiected to great and airocions calumnies, merely because he would not prostitute his high office to the support of the false and partisan charges preferred against the Pres ident
 It's corruption and extravaganza have OK eeeded anything known in history by It's friends and monopolies.
 It has nearly doubled the burden of debt created during the war,
 l. has stripped the President of his oonsil- tutional power of appointment, even of hls own cabinet.
 Under it's repeated assaults the pillars of ,a .t,,,~ tlafr l.faa and, should it succeed in November next and inaugurate it's President, we will meet as q eubiugated and conquered people amid the ruins 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 off all subjeclion 10 the Dritisl crown, the privilege and trust of suffrage have belonged to the several States. and have been granted regulated and controlled ex' clusively by the political power of each State, respectively and any attempt ny Congress on any prelext whatever to deprive any State of this right, or 10 interfere with this exer- cise, is a fragrant usurpaiion of power which can find no warrant in the Constitution, and if sanctioned by the people, will subvert our form of government, and can only end in a single, centralized, consolidated government, in which the separate existence of the States will be entirely absorbed and an unqualified despotism be established in the place of q Federal Union of equal States.
 That we regard the reconstruction nets oi Congress, so-called and such usurpations, as unconstitutional, revolutionary and void, anu that our soldiers and sailors who carried the flag of our country to victory, against a most gallant and determined foe, must ever be gratefully remembered, and all the guaran- tees given in their favor must be faithfully carried into execution.
 That the pnblic lands should be distributed as widely among the people and should be disposed of either under the pre-emption of