The Essex journal, and New-Hampshire packet — Newbury-port [Mass.], 1776-07-19 00:00:00, page 1

When in the course of human events, it
becomes necessary for one people to dis
solve the political bands which have con
nected them with another, and to assume among the
powers of the earth, the seperate and equal station to
which the laws of nature and of nature’s God en
title them, a decent respect to the opinions of man
kind require that they should declare the causes which
impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness. 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 government 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 dic
tate that governments long established should not be
changed for light and transient causes, and accord
ingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are
more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable;
than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to
which they are accustomed. But when a long train
of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same object, evinces a design to reduce them under
ablolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty,
to throw off such government, and to provide new
guards for their future security. Such has been the
patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now
the necessity which constrains them to alter their for
mer 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, and 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 whole
some 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 accom
modation of large Districts of people, unless those
people would relinquish the right of representation in
the legislature, a right inestimable to them, and for
midable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places
unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the deposi
tory of their public records, for the sole purpose of
fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly,
for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the
rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolu
sions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the le
gislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have re
turned 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 population of
these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for
naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to
encourage their migrations hither, and raising the
conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by
refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary
powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone,
for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and
payment all their salaries.
Vol. III:
A DECLARATION,
By the Representatives of the
UNITED STATES of AMERICA,
In General Congress Assembled.
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
FRIDAY,
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 legislatures,
He has affected to render the military independent
of, and superior to the civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a
jurisdiction foreign to our constitution acknknow
ledged by our laws; given his assent to their acts of
pretended legislation;
For quartering large bodies of armed troops a
mong us:
For protecting them by a mock trial, from punish
ment 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 consent:
For depriving us, in many cases of the benefits of
trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pre
tended offences :
For abolishing the free system of English laws, in
a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an ar
bitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so
as to render it at once an example and fit instrument
for introducing the same absolute rule into these Co
lonies:
F or taking away our charters, abolishing our most
valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms
of our goverments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring
themselves invested with power to legislate for us in
all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring
us out of his protection, and waging war against us.
He has plundered our fees, 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 circum
stances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely parallelled in
the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the
head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken cap
tive on the high seas to bear armns against their coun
try, 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 endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of
our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose
known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruc
tion, of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petition
ed for redress, in the most humble terms: Our re
peated petitions have been answered only by re
peated injury. A prince whose character is thus
marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is
unfit to be the ruler of free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our Brit
ish brethren. We have warn’d them from time to time
of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwar
ratable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded
them of the circumstances of our emigration and set
tlement here. We have appealed to their native jus
tice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them
by the ties of common kindred to disavow these usur
pations, which inevitably interrupt our connections
and correspondence. They too have been deaf to
the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must
therefore acquiesce in the necessity which denounces
our separanon, 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 AMERICA, in General Congress
assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the
World for the recitude 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 Britain, is, and ought to be totally dissolved;
July 19, 1776.
A JE have tHought fit, wi'h (ke advice of
W Coancily and at the desire of the Homfa
of Raprefentatives, to apsoint; and do hereby sex
apait THURSDAY the fi-ft day of ,ﬂ:‘u/} next, o
be observed, throughout this Colnoy, as a day of
solemn Hamiliation, Faftng and Piayer ; hereby
caliing upon ministers and peaple, publicly ta.
humble. themiclves under the righteays hand of
GOD ; penitently to ackiowled ;e their many
‘Reinous, and aggravated Goy, aod th~ righ'e suf<
nefs of bis difpzalations toward them : W ith de
vout, and smpor tunate supplications to implo ¢ Al=
mighty GOD, that the trowns of bis Providenceg
manifefted by the severe diought whesewith (oma
parts of the land have been vifired, and all the
humiliating events which heve lately taken place
‘in Amlerica, may, under the Zivin, influcnce, pra
duee a sincere repéntance; snd thorough refor~
Wation among all orders, snd degrees of persons §
that he would mercifully remove the prelent
tokeas and effefls of his righteous displeasure a
gainlt v, dod prevent those more severe judg
ments that our sing deserve § and which, in the
‘prefent afpe&ts of Divine Providence, we are
warned o prepare for ;==That be would com~
mand his blefling upon all our public Couneils inf -
this important crisis of our political affairs 3 Pro=
tett and preserve the life of our General his offi «
cers, and soldiers ; (uceeed and prosper theit armsy
wherever employed 5 that our cruel, and unnatus
ral enemies may be defeated in theiy open ate
tempts, secret plots, and diabolical machinationg
to fubjugare, or destroy us ; and this peooleyg
placing their hope and confidence in that GODy
in whom their patiotic, and pious fathers trufled,
and were delivered, may be difpoled, with manly
chearfulnefls to offer themfeves for the defence of
their dleeding CoUNTRY, ana of those rights, ciyil
aad rcligious, upon the enjoyment of which, the
prace and happinels of the present, and future”
geoerations depend 5 that he will be pleased ta'
bear che cry of the prisoner, and grant a speedy
liberation'to all our captivated brethren 5 that he'
would water the earth with timely refiething'
thowe:s, and caule this yéar to aboutid with healthy
and dleity 5 and prevént thé spreading of any e~
pidemical sickness-among us ;- thdt be would pul
a flop to the wanton c#ufion of human bioudy
For aday of public Sumiliation, fafting and prayer,
] T being our incumbent duty to acknowledge GOD;
in all our ways, and to commit all our ajfairs,
both public and private, ts his alwife direttion and
guidance ; and especially, in & day of Jingular, and
peneral :_:)?mity. to implore bis merciful interposition 3
and it having beem the laudable practice of this ga=
vernment, 1o recommiend, and appoint days of public.
Fafling and Prayer, iipon Jpecial and Jolemn occafi<
ons 5 and this Court apprebending the present feafen
10 be big with the most important events, not only
@0 this, bat to all the United American Colopies,,
and [enfible that these tvents are at the difpofat of
the supreme governor of the uziverfe | x ?
PROCLAMATION
and that as Free and Independent States, they have
full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alli
ances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and
things which Independent States, may of right do. And
for the support of this declaration, 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;
Attest JOHN HANCOCK; President.
Attest
CHARLES THOMPSON, Sec'ry,
A
No. 133.