The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-22
Adopted July q, 1893.

assembled, rep0siDg Its trust in the intelligence,
patriotism and discrmiu ating justice of the peo-
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 cit
zen, and recognizing the questions of slavery and:
secession as having been settled for all time to-
come by the war or the voluntary action of the
Southern States in constitutional conventions as.
sembled and never TO be renewed or resgitatedi
do, with the return of peace, demand
First-lmmediate restoration of all the Slater tCs
their rights in the Union under the Constitutienk
and of civil government TO the American people,
Seeond-Amnesty for all the past POLITICAL
ofenses, and the regulation Of the elective franz
chse in the States by their citizens. .-..L,l.
.Third-Paymento the public debt Of the United
States as rapidly as practicable, all money drawnk
from the people by taxation, except SO much al
economically administered, being applied to sucl}
payment; and where the obligations Of the goyl
eminent DO not expressly state, upon their facet
o. where the law under which they were issued
does not provide that they shall be paid in coinS
they ought in right and in justice be paid in thu
lawful money of the United States. -a-
Fourth-Equal taxation of every species Oh
property according to its real value, Including
government bonds and other public securities. !
Ffth-One currency for the government AMI
the people, the laborer and the Office holder, th.x
pensioner and the soldier. the producer and th3
bondbolder. l
Sixth Economy in the administration of ths5
government; the reduction OF the standing army
and navy the abolition of the freedmenfy
bureau and all political instrumentaties des
signed to secure negro supremacy; simpldcaa
ton of the system and disconiinuance of inqusitol
rial modes of assessing and collecting the internax
revenue, so that the burden Of taxation may bk
equalzed and lessened; the credit of the governS
ment and the currency made good; the repeal Oh
all eDactments for enrolling the State militia intS
national forces in time of peace; and q tariff foS
revenue upon foreign imports, and such equal taxs
alton under the internal revenue laws as wlt
afford incidental protection to domestic msnufacs
lures; and as will, without impairing the revenue,
impose the least burden upon, and best promot,G
and encourage the great industrial interest Of the
country. a- a-... 4. 81 s-...f... !
seyenth-Reform of abuses in the administers
ton, the expulsion of corruptmen from office, th,s
abTogation of useless Offices, the restoration oE
rghtful authority to and the independence Of the
executive and judicial departments OF the goveras
ment; the subordnation OF the military to th&
CIVIL power, to the end that the usurpations OF
Congress and the despotism OF the sword may
cease. q. ..r ~ go ...1-.-,
Eighth Equal rights and protection for natuS
ralized and native born citizens at home anGl
abroad, the assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect of fors
eign powers and furnish an example and encours
agement 70 people struggling for national integs
riy, constitutional liberty and individual rights
and the maintenance of the rights of naturazed
citizens against the absolute doctrine Of immuc
table allegiance and the claims of foreign powers
to punish them for alleged crimes committed be-
yond their jurisdiction. 1lr- CO. fl -.r .5-....-s
In demanding these measures and reforms, we
arraign 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. IL has repeatedly vio~
lated that most sacred pledge, under which was
rallied that noble volunteer army which carried
our flag to victory instead of restoring the Union
il has, SO far as is in its power and subs
jected ten States, in time Of profound peace, &c
,oatlf< Aaox. rfsox nd haa
untitled the right of trial by jury; 1t has abol-,
ished the habeas corpus, that most sacred writ oe
liberty; IL has overthrown the freedom OF speech
and press; it has substituted arbitrary seizures
and arrests, and military trials and secret star
chamber inquisitons for constitutional tribunals
IL has disregarded In times of peace the right o.
the people to be free from searches and seizures
1t has entered the post and telegraph offices, and
even the private rooms of individuals, and seized
their private papers and letters without any spec.
fcation or notice of sffdavit as required by the3
organic law; II has converted the American cspi.s
tol into bsstile; it has established system OF
spies and official espionage TO which no consttn
tional monarchy of Europe would dare to resort
it has abolished the right of appeal on i'm (,
por,snt constitutional questions to the su-
curtail or destroy its original jurisdiction,
which Is iTevocably vested by the Cons
sttutiop while the learned chief justice has been
subjected to great and atrocious csumnies, merely
because be would not prostitute his high Office To-
the support of the false and partisan charges pre-
ferred against the president. Its corruption and
exravgaDce have exceeded anything known in ,
history, and by its frauds and nonopolies it has
nearly doubled the burden of the debt created
during the war. II has strip ed 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 1t succeed In November next,
and inaugurate its president, we will meet ii as
subj cited and conquered people, amid the ruins
Of liberty and the scattered fragments of the
that ever since the people Of the United States
threw of all subjugaton to the British crown, the
privilege and trust Of suffrage have belonged to
the several States, and have been granted, regu
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 q fragrant usurpation of |
power, which can find no warrant In the Constitu
ton, and If sanctioned by the people will subvert
our form Of government, and can only end In !;
single, centralized, consolidated government, in |.
which the separate existence of the States will be
entirely absorbed, and an unqualified despotisnl j
be established In place of federal Union of [
equal States; that we regard the reconstruction !
acts OF Congress, socalled, as usurpations,
unconstitutional revolutionary and void; that !
our soldiers and sailors who carried the flag OF |,
our country to victory against q most gall !
liant and determined foe must ever be CRATE .
fully remembered and all the guarantees given in /
their favor must be faithfully carried into execu-
uOn; tDat tne PUBIC lanos snOuld DC ulsriDuteu
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 estab-
lished by the government; when grants Of the
public lands may be allowed necessarily for the \
eDcouragements Of important public improves .
ments, the proceeds of the sale Of such lands and
not the lands themselves, should be so applied.
That the president of the United States. Andrew
johnson, In exercising the power Of his high Office
in resisting the aggressons 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 his pa
tr'otic 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 Constr
tuition and restore the Union, forgetting all past
differences of opinion, TO unite with US in the
present great struggle for the liberties OF the peo
pie, and that to all such, TO whatever party they
may have heretofore belonged, we extend the