Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-07-21
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM


 tuition as the foundation and limitation of the powers of the Government and the guarantee of the liberties of the citizen, and recogniz- | ing the questions of slavery and secession as having been settled forsall time to come by the war or the voluntary action of the South | ern States in constitutional convention as | sembled, and never to be renewed or reagita- ted, do. with tho return of peace. demand | 1st. Immediate restoration of all the States to their rights in the Union under the Con- stitution, and of civil government to the American people.
 | I'd. 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.
 3d. 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, 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 justice be paid in the lawful money of the United States. T a s.tsfs si
 4th. Equal taxation of every species of pro perty according to it's real value, including
 
 ties.
 9th. One currency for the Government and the people, the laborer and the office-holders, the producer and the bond-holder. | 9th. Economy in the administration Of the Government. 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; simplifchtiono of the system, and discontinu- ance of inquisitorial 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 upen foreign imports, and such equal taxation under the internal reye- nue laws 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 office; the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration of rightful authority to, and the independ- ence 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.
 Sth. 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 o foreign powers, furnish an example and en couragement to the people struggling for na. ticnal integrity, constitutional liberty ant undived rights, and the maintainance of the rights of naturalzed citizens against the ab } solute doctrine of immutable allegiance and the claims of foreign powers to punish then for alleged crime committed beyond their jul risdiction.
 In demanding these measures and reform. we arraign the Radical party for It's disregard of right and the unparalleled oppression and tyranny which have marked its career after the most solemn and unani , nous pledge of both houses of Congress tt prosecute the war exclusively for the main tanance of the Gouernment and the preser . vation of the Union under, the Constitution. It has repeatedly violated the most sacred pledge unoer which was rallied that nobl, volunteer army which carried our flag tC victory.
 Instead of restoring the Union, it has, s( far as in its power, dissolved it, and subject ed ten States in time of profound peace, tl military dcspotism and negro supremacy.
 It has nullifed there the right of trial b, , jury. T@9 It has abolished the habeas corpus, thai most sacred writ of liberty.
 It has overthrown the freedom of speech and the press.
 It has substituted arbitrary seizures anG arrests, and military trials and star chambe, inqusitions for constitutional tribunals. E It has disregarded in time of peace the right of the people to be free from search and seizure.
 It has entered the rest offices and telegraph offices, and even the private rooms of indi , viduals, and seized their private papers and letters without any specification or notice O affidavit, as required by the organic law. l It has converted the American capitol into bastile, M fAf} " }t
 It has established system of spies and of fcial espionage to which no monarchy of Eu rope would now dare to resort. ; It has abolished the right of appeal on i'm portant constitutional questions to the SUI preme judicial tribunals, and threatens tt control or destroy its original Jurisdiction which is irrevocably vested by the constitu ton, while the learAed Chief Justice has beer subjected to great and atrocious calumnies, merely because he would not prostitute hi' high office to the support of the false anC partisan charges preferred against the Pres ident. lt4s Its corruption and extravaganza have ex ceeded anything known in history by it friends and monopolies.
 : It has nearly doubled the burden of deb created during the war. M
 It has stripped the President of his consti tutional power of appointment even of hi own cabinet.
 Under it's repeated assaults the pillars oi the Government are rocking on their base and, should it succeed in November next ant T. xr-sll .,k { subjugated and conquered people amid thu ruins of liberty and the scattered fragment: of the Constitution.
 And we do declare and resolve:
 That, ever since the people of the United States threw off all subjection to the Britis. crown, the privilege and trust of suffrage , have belonged to the several States, and hav' been granted, regulated and controlled ex clusively by the political power of each State respectively, and any attempt by Congress on any pretext whatever, to deprive any Stat of this right, or to interfere with this exer else, is a fragrant usurpation of power whicl can find no warrant in the Constitution, ant if sanctioned by the people, will subvert ou form of government, and can only end in single, centralized, consolidated government in which the separate existence of the State' will be entirely absorbed and an unqualihe, despotism be established in the place of Federal Union of equal States. That we regard the reconstruction acts 0 Congress, so-called, and such usurpations, a unconstitutional, revolutionary and void, an, that our soldiers and sailors who carried tn flag of our country to victory, against mos gallant and determined foe, must ever b gratefully remembered, and all the guaran } tees given in their favor must be faithful. 1 carried into execution.
 That the public lands should be distributed as widely among the people and should b , disposed of, either under the pre-emption o