The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-09-12
JOURNAL.
As. SATURDAY, SEPT. 10, 1863
~THE PLATFORM
OF THE
Democratic National Convention.
ADOPTED juicy 7, 1868.

line DeInOcraLiC parry, M ho'ioLi" W.
vention assembled, reposing its trust in the
intelligence, patriotism and discriminating
Justice of the people, standing upon the
Constitution as the foundation and limita-
ton of the powers of the government, and
the guarantee of the liberty of the citizen,
and recognizing the questions of slavery and
secession as having been settled for all time
to come by the war CIR the voluntary action
of the Southern States in con- titutional CON-
ventions assembled, and never to be re-
newed or reagitated, dc, with the return of
peace, demand:
First-Immediate restoration Of all the
States to their rights in the Union under
the Constitution, and of civil government
to the American people.
Seccnd-Amnesty for all the past politi-
cal o~ffenses, and the regulation of the elect
i've franchise in the States by their citizens.
Third-Payment of the public debt of
the United States as rapidly as practicable,
all money drawn from the people by taxa
ton, except so much as is requisite Tor the
necessities of the government, economically
administered, being applied to such pay
snent; and where the obligations Of the
government do not expressly state, upon
their face, or where the law under which
they were issued docs 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. (Thunders ofapplause.l
Fourth-Equal taxation of every species
Of property according to its real value, in
Guiding government bonds and other public
securities. (Renewed cheering, and cries
of Read it again."3
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. (Great cheer
ing, and cries of Read it again."D
The fifth resolution was again read, and
again cheered. r. g.
Sixth-Economy in the administration Of
the government; the reduction of the stand
ing army and navy the abolition of the
Freedmen's Bureau (great cheers, and all
political 'instrumentalities designed to Sc
cure negro supremacy simplificationof the
system and discontinuanee of inquisitorial
modes of assessing and collecting the internal
revenue, so that the burden of taxation may
be equalized and lessened the credit ofthe
and the currency made good ;
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling
the State militia into national forces in time
of peace; and q tariff for revenue upon
foreign imports, and such equal taxation
under the internal revenue laws as will af-
ford Incidental protection to domestic manu-
features; and as will, without itnpairing the
revenue, impose the least busden upon, and
best promote and encourage the great in
dustrial interests of the country, al'
=, Seventh-Reform of abuses in the ad-
ministration, the expulsion of corrupt men
from offices, the restoration Of rightfnl au-
thority to and the independence of the
executive and judicial departments of the
government the subordination of the mill
tary to the civil power, to the end that the
%usurpations of Congress and the despotism
Of the sword may cease. -t4..
Eighth-Equal rights and protection for
naturalized and native-born citizens at home
and abroad, the assertion of American ma
-tionality, which shall command the respect
of foreign powers and furnish an example
and encouragement to people struggling for
national integrity, constitutional liberty and
individual rights and the maintenance Of
the rights of naturalized citizens against the
absolute doctrine Of immutable allegiance
and the claims of foreign powers to punish
them for alleged crimes committed beyond
their jurisdiction. (A~pplause.)
In demanding these measuresand reforms,
we arraign the Radical party for its disre-
gard of right, and the unparalleled oppres-
sion and tyranny which have marked its
career after the most solemn and unanimous
pledge of both houses of Congress to prose-
cute the war exclusively for the mainte-
nance of the government and the preserva-
ton of the Union and the Constitution. 1t
has repeatedly violated that most sacred
pIedge. under which was rallied that noble
volunteer army which carried our flag to
victory; instead of restoring the Union, it
has. SO far az is in its power, dissolved it,
and subjected ten States, in times of pro-
found peace, to military d spotism and ne
gro supremacy. It has nulli6ed the right
of trial by Jury /; it has abolished the habeas
corpus, the most sacred writ of liberty /; it
has overthrown the freedom Of speech and
press ; Il has substituted arbitrary seizures
and arrests, and military trials, and secret
star chamber inquisitions, for constitutional
tribunals ; 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 seized their
private papers and letters without any
specification or notice of affidavit as re-
auired by the organic law it has convert
American capitol into a bastille it
kblished a system of spies and official
to which no constitutional mon
rope would dare to resort; it
the right of appeal on impor-
hal questions to the supreme
and threatens to cur
q jurisdiction, which