The New-England chronicle — Boston [Mass.], 1776-07-18 00:00:00, page 1

When in the course of human
events, it becomes necessary for
one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them
with another, and to assume among the powers
of the earth, the separate and equal station to
which the laws of nature and of nature’s God
entitle them, a decent respect to the opini
ons of mankind requires that they should de
clare the causes which impel them to the sepa
ration.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endow
ed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, that among these are life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness.—That to secure these
rights, governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed, that whenever any form, of go
vernment becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the right of the people to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new government, laying its
foundation on such principles, and organizing
its powers in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
Prudence indeed will dictate that governments
long established should not be changed for light
and transient causes; and accordingly all ex
perience hath shewn, that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable,
than to right themselves by abolishing the forms
train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing in
to which they are accustomed. But when a long
variably the same object, evinces a design to re
duce them under absolute despotism, it is their
right, it is their duty, to throw off such govern
ment, and to provide new guards for their fu
ture security. Such has been the patient suf
ferance of these Colonies; and such is now the
necessity which constrains them to alter their
formér systems of government. The history
of the present King of Great-Britain is a history
of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having
in direct object the establishment of an absolute
tyranny over these States. To prove this, let
facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most
wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws
of immediate and pressing importance, unless
suspended in their operation till his assent should
be obtained; and when so suspended, he has
utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the ac
commodation of large districts of people, unless
those people would relinquish the right of re
presentation in the legislature, a right inestima
ble to them, and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at
places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from
the depository of their public records, for the
sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance
with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses re
peatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his
invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such
dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; where
by the legislative powers, incapable of annihi
lation, have returned to the people at large for
their exercise; the State remaining in the mean
time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from
without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the populati
on of these States; for that purpose obstructing
In CONGRE SS, JULY 4, 1776.
A DECLARATION
By the REPRESENTATIVES of the
UNITED STATES OF AMER ICA,
IN GENERAL CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.
BOSTON: Printed by PO WARS and WIL L IS, at their Office opposite the new Court-House, Queen-Street
Grand Council
(VOL. VIII)
OF AMERICA,
THURSDAY, July 18, 1776.
the laws for naturalization of foreigners; re
fusing to pass others to encourage their migra
tions hither, and raising the conditions of new
appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of jus
tice, by refusing his assent to laws for establish
ing judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his will
alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the
amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices,
and sent hither swarms of officers to harrass
our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace,
standing armies, without the consent of our le
gislatures.
He has affected to render the military inde
pendent of and superior to the civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to
a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and
unacknowledged by our laws; given his assent
to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops
among us:
For protecting them, by a mock trial, from
punishment for any murders which they should
commit on the inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of
the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our con
sent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the bene
fits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried
for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free system of English
laws in a neighbouring province, establishing
therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging
its boundaries, so as to render it at once an ex
ample and fit instrument for introducing the
same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our
most valuabie laws, and altering fundamentally
the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and de
claring themselves invested with power to le
gislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by de
claring us out of his protection, and waging
war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lives of our people.
He is at this time, transporting large armies
of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of
death, desolation and tyranny, already begun
with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy,
scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages,
and totally unworthy the head of a civilized
nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken
captive on the high seas to bear arms against
their country, to become the executioners of
their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves
by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst
us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inha
bitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian
savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an
undistinguished destruction, of all ages, sexes
and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have
petitioned for redress, in the most humble
terms: Our repeated petitions have been an
swered only by repeated injury. A Prince,
whose character is thus marked by every act
which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the
ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our
British brethren. We have warned them from
time to time of attempts by their legislature to
extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.
We have reminded them of the circumstances
of our emigration and settlement here. We
have appealed to their native justice and mag-
nanimity, and we have conjured them by the
ties of our common kindred to disavow these
usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt
our connections and correspondence. They
too have been deaf to the voice of justice and
of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acqui
esce in the necessity which denounces our sepa
ration, and hold them, as we hold the rest of
mankind, enemies in war, in peace, friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the
UNITED STATES OF AMERI
CA, in GENERAL CONGRESS assembled, ap
pealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for
the rectitude of our intentions; do in the name
and by the authority of the good people of these
Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that
these United Colonies are, and of right ought to
be, Free and Independent States; that they are
absolved from all allegiance to the British
Crown, and that all political connection between
them and the State of Great-Britain, is, and
ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free
and Independent States, they have full power to
levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances,
establish commerce, and to do all other acts
and things which Independent States, may of
right do. And for the support of this Decla
ration, with a firm reliance on the protection
of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to
each other our lives, our fortunes, and our
sacred honor.
Signed by order and in behalf of the CONGRESS,
JOHN HANCOCK, President
Attest. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
WHERE A S the Maritime Court for the
Middle Diftri¢t of this Colony, is ad
vértifed to be held at Boston, on the 23d day
of July instant, for the trial of the justice of the
captures of the ships named the Lord . Hewe,
George, Anne, and Lady Juliana, and the
brigantine named the Annabella. ~ And the
Judge of said court presented a petition to this
court, shewing that since the advertisement
aforefaid, he finds it will be inconvenient, if not
impracticadle, to hold his court at Boston as
aforefaid ; and praying this court to enable
him to hold the {ame court at Salem, in the
county of Essex on the said 23d day of Julys;
andthis court thereupon, by aßefolve pafled the
oth day of July, iaftant, ordered thc};id Mari
time Court to be hejd at Salem accordingly =
But it now ap‘pearin?to this court, that it will
be most convenient that the said Maritime Cour¢
for the trial aforefaid, be held at Salem afore
faid, on the 30th day of July, instant : :
Resolved, - T'hat the Resolve aforefaid: of this
Court, paflfed on the said oth day of July, be
and hereby is revoked ; and that the {aid Ma
ritime Court, for the trial of the justice of the
fdid captures aforefaid, be held at the Court-
House in Salem aferefaid, on Tuesday the 30 h
day of July, instant, at the Hour of ten in the
forenoon ; and that all proceedings at the fame
Court thall be valid and effe¢tual in law, in lik=
manner as if it had been held in Bofton,accord-.
ing to the original advertisement thereof.—Of
which all persons concerned will take notice,
and govern themselves accordinzly. %
~ Sent down for concurrencesiy.
Joan Avery, Dep. Sec.
In the House of Representatives, Fuly 13, 1976,
d Read and concurred. ;
- WILLIAM GOOPER, Speaker pro tem. .
Consented to by the major part of the Council.
A true copy. Attest, 7. AVERY, D. Sec.
a 0 Toadey 8.0 5E% Titale
Akgood Horse, and second Chaise and
Sulkey, with Harness compleat, Im}ui:cof the Printersa
WATERTOWN.
In COUNCIL, July 13, 1776,
(Numb. 413.)