Litchfield enquirer., 1868-07-16
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
The following is the Platform adopted by the Democratic Convention:-

J
 The Democratic Party in National Con
 vention assembled, reposing it's trust 1T
 the intelligence, patriotism, and discrimi
 hating justice of the people, standing up
 on the Constitution as the foundation ant
 limitation of the powers of the Govern
 ment, and the guarantee of the liberties o
 the citizen; and recognizing the questions of slavery and secession as having beer
 settled for all time to come-( (tremendous
 cheering) the war or the voluntary ac
 tion of the Southern States in Gonstitu
 tional Convention assembled, and never
 again to be reagitated, do with the return
 of peace demand: Il
 First-Immediate restoration of an the
 States to their rights in the Union under the Constitution, and of civil government
 to the American people. (Cheers.1
 Second-Amnesty for all past political
 offences, and the regulation of the elective
 franchise in the States by their citizens. l (Cheers)
 Ihird-Payment of the public debt oi the United States as rapidly as practica-
 ble; all moneys drawn from the people by taxation, except so much as is requisite for 1 the necessities of the government, econom- ically administered, being honestly applied to such payment, and 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 in justice, to be paid in the lawful money of the United States. (Thun- ders of applause.)
 Fom7h-Equal taxation of every species of property according to it's real value, in cluding Government bonds and other pub lie securities Renewed cheering and l cries of :" Read 1t again
 FyM-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 ''Read it again. '') The fifth resolution was again read and again cheered
 Sl9th-Economy in the administration of the Government; the reduction of the standing army and navy; the abolition of the freedmen's Bureau-(great cheering) and all political instrumentalities designed to secure negro supremacy; ,simplifcation or the system, and discontinuance of in qulsltorlal modes of assessing and collect Ing Internal Revenue, so that the burden or taxation may be capitalized and lessened; the credit of the Government and the cur rency made good; the repeal of all enact ments for enrolling the State militia into national forces in time of peace; and a ta- Til for revenue upon foreign imports, and such equal taxation under the Internal Revenue laws as will afford incidental pro- lection to domestic manufactures, and as Will, without impairing the revenue, i'm pose the least burden upon and best pro- mote the great industrial sesssAss
 ,Seoeuts--Reform of abuses in the admin istration, the expulsion of corrupt men from office, the abrogation of useless of- fees, the restoration of rightful authority to, and the independence of, the executive and judicial departments of the govern ment, the subordination of the military to the civil power, to the end that the us1r- pations in Congress and the despotism of the sword may cease. Cheers.
 -EfghM-Equal rights and protection for naturallzed 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 10 people struggling for national integrity, constitu tional liberty and individual rights, and the maintenance of the rights of naturali- zed citizens against the absolute doctrine of immutable allegiance, and the claims of foreign powers to punish them for alleged crime committed beyond their jurisdic- tion. Loud Applause.
 In demanding these measures and re- forms we arraign the Radical party for it's disregard of right and the unparalleled op- pression and tyranny which have marked its career
 After the most solemn and unanimous pledge of both Houses of Congress to prosecute the war for the maintenance of the Government and the preservation of the Union under the Constitution, it has repeatedly violated that most sacred pledge under which alone was rallied the noble volunteer army which carried our flag to victory. (Cheers.) Instead of restoring the Union it has, so far as in it's power, dissolved it, and subjected ten States, in time of profound peace, to military des- potism and negro supremacy. It has null lified there the right of trial by jury; it has abolished the habeas corpus, that m ost sacred writ of liberty; 1t has overthrown the freedom of speech and the press; 1t has substituted arbitrary seizures, and ar rests, and military trials, and secret star chamber inquisitions for the constitutional tribunals; it has disregarded in time 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 specific charge or notice of affidavit, as required by the organic law; 1t has con- verted the American Capitol into bastile; it has established system of spies and of ficial espionage to which no constitutional monarchy of Europe would now dare to resort; Cheers lit has abolished the right of appeal on important constitutional ques tions to the supreme judicial tribunal and threatens to curtail or~destroy it's original jurisdiction which is irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while the learned Chief Justice-loud cheering)- been sub- jected to the most atrocious calumnies, merely because he would not prostitute his high office to the support of the false and partisan charges preferred against the President. Its corruption and extrava- gance have exceeded anything known in history, and by its frauds and monopolies 1t has nearly doubled the burden of the debt created by the war. It has stripped the President of his constitutional power of appointment, even of his own Cabinet. l Under its repeated assaults the pillars of the Government are rocking on their base, and should it succeed in November next and lnaugurate it's President, we will meet as subjected and conquered people amid