The Opelousas courier., 1868-10-10
The Platform Of the Democratic
National Convention.
ADOPTED JULY 7th, 1863

assembled, reposing its trust in the inteIEigance
patrlouSm and discriminating Justice of the neo
PIE, standing upon the Constitution as the found
atlon and limitation of the powers of fha rov-
ernment, and the guarantee Of the lihertv Of thf
cl'lzen' and recognizing the question of slavery
anu secession as having been settled for all time
10 come by the war the voluntary action ot
t tne southern States. in constitutional conven
0pous assembled and never to be renewed or re
taSltated do, with the return of peace. demand
ffst-immedlate restoration of all the States
TO their rights in the Union under the Constitu-
people. S.'> '0''D
! Second-Amnesty for all the past political of
fences, and the regulation of the elective fran
chlse-ln the States by their citizens
ihlfd-fayment of the public debt of the
i thited States as rapidly as practicable, all
meney drawn from the people by taxation ex-
cePt so much as Is requisite for the necessities
OF the government, economically administered.
/ neing apphed to such payment; and where the
/ obugations OF the government do not expressly
state, upon their face, or where the law under
winch they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought in right
and In justice be paid in the lawful money of the
| United States. lThunders of applause ~
! Fourth-Equal taxation of every species of
property according to it's real value including
government bonds and other public securities
renewed cheering, and cries of Read it
again.") :
Fltth-One currency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the office holder the
pensloner and the soldier, the producer and the
bondholder. tGreat cheering, and cries of
Read it again"
The fifth resolution was again read, and again
cheered.
sixth-Eeonomy in the administration of the
government; the reduction OF the standing
army and navy: the abolition of the Freedmen S
Bureau, tgreat cheers and all polite instru-
mentaltles designed to secure negro supremacy ::
SlInUI tho md
OF lnqulsltorlal modes of assessing and collect
ing internal revenue, SO that the burden of tax
alton may be equaGzed and lessened the credit
of the government and the currency made good ::
the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into national forces in time of peace;
and tariff for revenue upon foreign imports,
and such equal taxation under the internafr reve-
nue. laws as will afford incidental protection to
domestic manufactures. and as will, without
mpairing the revenue, impose the least burden
upon and best promote and encourage the great
industrial interests of the country.
Seventh-Reform OF abuses in the administra-
tlon, the expulsion of corrupt men from office,
the abrogation of useless Offices the restoration
OF gElghtiul authority to and the independence
OF the executive and judicial departments of the
government; the subordination of the military
to the civil power, to the end that the usurpa-
tons of Congress and the despotism of the
sword may cease. ' '''5'"
Eighth-Equaf rights and protection for natu-
rallied and native-born citizens at home and
abroad 1.-THE assertion of American nationality,
which shall command the respect of foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
ment 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 immu-
table allegiance and the claims of foreign pow
ers to punish them for alleged crimes committed
beyond their jurisdiction. tApplause)
In demanding these measures and reforms. we
arraign the Radical party for its disregard of
right, and the unparalleled oppression and ty-
ranny which have marked its career after the
most solemn and unanimous pledge Of both
houses OF Congress to prosecute the war exclu-
slFely for the maintenance of the government
and the preservation of the Union and the Con-
stitution. 1t has repeatedly violated that most
sacred pledge, under which was rallied that no.
bic volunteer army which carried our flag to vic
tory instead of restoring the Union. it has, so
Tar as Is In its power, dissolved it, and subjected
ten States, in times of profound peace, to mill
tary despotism and negro supremacy. 1t has
nutlIted the right OF trial by jury; it has abol-
1shed the habeas corpus, that most sacred writ
OF liberty it has overthrown the freedom of
speech and press; It has 81 bstituted arbitrary
ssslzures and arrests and military trisls. and Sc
cret star chain Der Rq usiions for constitutional
tribunals 4: it has dlsregarded in time OF peace
the right of the people to be free from searches
and seizures 1t has entered the post and tele
graph offices, and even the private rooms of indi
viduals, and seized their private papers and let
ters, without any specification or notice of aff-
davit as required by the organic law it has con-
verted the American capitol into a bastile; it
has established system OF spies and official es
plonage to which no constitutional monarchy of !
Europe would dare to resort it has abolished
the right Of appeal on important constitutional
questions7to the supreme judicial tribunals, and
threatened to curtall destroy its original urs-
dictlon, which is irrevucab1y vested by the Com
stitHtfon, while the learned Chief Justice has
Il
merely because he would not prostitute his high
office to the support OF the false and partisan
charges preterredsag gainst the President It's cor
ruptioH aud extravaganza have exceeded any
thing known in history, and by its frauds and
monopo hess it has nearly doubled the burden OF
the debt created during the war 1t has stripped
the President of his constitutional power of ap-
pointnlent even Of his;o own cabinet under its
repeated assaults, the pillars of the government
are rocking on their base, and should it succeed
IN November next, and inaug gurate its President,
we will meet it as q subjected and conquered
people, amid the ruins of liberty, and the seat
tered fragments of the Constitution. q
And we do declare and resolve, that ever since
the people of the United States threw OFF all sub
jugatiofl to the British crown, the privilege and
trust of suffrage have belonged to the several
States, and have been granted regulated and
controlled exclusively by the political power of
each State, respectively; and any attempt by
Congress, on any pretext whatever, to deprive
Dbhbe vi tLlS lubGEI6te With It's eA-
ercise, is a fragrant usurpation 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, gc0nso lidaued government, in which
the separate existence of the States will be en-
tirely absorbed, and an unqualified despotism be
established in place of a Federal Unien of equal
States; that we regard the reconstruction acts.
of Congress so-called, as lsurpations, uncensti-
tutional, revolutionary and void that our sol
diers and sailors who carried the flag of our
country to victory against most gallant and
determined foe, must ever be gratefully remem
hered, and all the guarantees given in their favor
must be faithfully carried into execution; that
the public lands Should be distributed among
the people, and should be disposed Of either un-
der the pre-eInpfion or homestead laws, or sold
in reasonable quantities. and to none but actual
occupants, at. the minimum price, as established
by the government: when grants of the pubic
lands may be allowed, necessarily for the en-
eoura geFeilt of important pu bile improvements,
the procae9fs Of the sale Of such lands, and not
the lands themselves, should be applied
that the President of the United States, Andrew
johnson. in exercising the power CT his. high
office lii resisting the aggressons of Congress-
the eenstitubionafrights of the States and the
people IL entitled to tho gratitude of the whole
American people; and on behalf of the Demo-
cratic party we tender him our thanks for his
patriotic edort that regard. Treat applause
Upon this platform the Democratic party apr
peals to every patriot. ineuding all the conserva
tive element, and all who desire to support the
Constitution and restore tine Union, forgetting
all past differences of opinion, to unite with us
in the present great struggle for the liberties OF
the people. and that to all such, to whatever,
party they may have heretofore belonged, we
:. r-l Kali