The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-06-01

THE BOURBON PLATFORM.
It is refreshing in these days of
Radical aprogress" and national
degeneracy to reeure to the sound
Democratic principles upon which
our republican system OF constltu-
tional representative government
was based. We find them succinct-
ly set forth in the following utteran
ces Of Thomas Jefferson, who, in a
letter to Elbridge Gerry, dated JAM
uary rs, 1899, thus puts his ideas
of the principles and duties of the
Democratic party: II do, then,7
wrote that sage and statesman,
"with sincere zeal wish ali inviola-
BILE preservation of our present Fed
eral Constitution, according to the
true sense in which it was adopted
by the States, that in which it was
advocated by its friends, and not
that which its enemies apprehended,
who therefore became its enemies;
and am opposed to the m0narchiz-
ing its features by the forms Of its
administration. With q view to
conciliate q first transition to
Presidential and Senate for life, and
from that to an hereditary tenure
of these Offices, and thus to worm
out the elective principle, I am for
preserving to the States the powers
not yielded by them to the Union,
and to the legislature of the Union
its constitutional share in the divis
ion of powers; and I am not for
transferring all the powers of the
States to the general government,
and all those Of that government to
the Executive branch. I am for a
government vigorous, frugal and
simple, applying all the possible
savings of the public revenue to the
discharge of the national debt; and
not for multiplication of offices
and salaries merely to make parts.
ans, and for increasing BY every
device the public debt, on the prin-
|ciple of its being public blessing.
am for relying, for internal de,
Tense, on our militia solely, till &C
tual invasion, and for such a force
only as may protect our coasts and
harbors from such depredations az
we have experienced, and not for q
standing army in time of peace,
which may Overawe the public sen.
timent; nor for navy which, by its
own expenses, and the eternal wars
in which it will implicate us, will
grind us with public burthens and
sink us under them. 1 am for a
commerce with all nations, political
connection with none, and little OF
mo diplomatic establishment. And
am not for linking ourselves by
new treaties with the qnarrels Of
Europe, entering that field of slaug
ter to preserve their balance, OF
!. joining in the confederacy of Kings
to war against the principles of lib
erty. am for freedom of religion
and against all man 9uvres to bring
about legal ascendency of one sec1
over another; for freedom of the
press, and against all violations o.
the Constitution, to silence by force
and not by reason, the complaints
or criticisms, just or unjust, of oul
citizens, against the conduct O
their agents. I am for encouraging
the progress of science in all it,
branches, and not for raising hut
and cry against the sacred name O
philosophy; for awing the human
mind by stories of raw head anl
bloody bones, to distrust it's owl
vision, and to repose implicitly OF
that of 0thers-to go backward
instead of forward to look for i'm
provement-to believe that govern
ment, religion, morality, and ever,
other science, were in the highes
perfection in the days of the darkes
ignorance, and that nothing cal
ever be devised more perfect thar
what was established by our fore
fathers.n This is wisdom of thu
best and highest type, and he VIII,
! implicitly follows its teachings viii
never go astray. gras3 .
}, A writer in a leading German
quarterly says that the peasantry o
Russia are in worse condition thar
, they we're when Alexander IL. abol