Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-09-05


on was imaginary.
notwithstanding our moderation, our gen
erosity, and the purity Of our intentions, and
IN opposition to the wishes of our brethren il,
Europe, we were declared 20 the world in a
state OF blockade; hostilities were Common
ccd against US; agents sent amopgus to excite
revolt and arm us against each other
whilst cur national character was traduced
and foreign nations excited to make war upon
us.
Dcaft 10 our remonstrances, without submit
ting our reasons to the impartial judgment of
mankind, and deprived Of every other arbi-
tr.:I:ent but that Of our enemies, we were
prohibited from all Intercourse with our
brethren; and adding, contempt to calum-
ny, they undertook TO appoint delegates for
us, and without our consent, who were to as
sist at their cortes, the more ehectually to
dispose of cur persons and property, and
render us subject to Tie power Of our enc
mics.
In order to defeat the Wholesome measures
OF our national representation, when obliged
to recognize it, they undertook to reduce the
ratio OF our population, submitting the forms
OF election to servilc committees acting at
the disposal OF arbitrary rulers: thus insul-
ting our inexperlence and good faith, and ut
terly regardless of our political importance
OF our welfare.
The Spanish government, ever deaf to the
demands OF justice, undertook to Illustrate all
our legitimate rights, by condemning as cri-
Ininais and devoting to the infamy OF the glib
bet, or to confiscation and Punishment those
Americans who at different periods had en-
ploycd their talents and services for the hap
piness of their country
Such were the causes which at length have
impelled us to look to our own security, and
to avert those disorders and horrible calami-
ties which we could perceive were otherwise
inevitable, and from which we shall ever
keep aloof; by their fell policy they have
rendered our brethren insensible to our mis-
fortunes and have armed them against us:
they have eHaced from their hearts the ten
der impressions of love and consanguinity,
and converted into enemies many members
OF our great family.
When, faithful to our promises, we were
sacrificing our peace and dignity to support
the cause of Ferdinand of Bourbon, we saw
that to the bonds of power by which he unit
cd his fate to that Of the emperor of the
French, he added the sacrifice of kindred
and friends, and that On this account the ex-
lstlng Spanish rulers themselves have alrea-
dy resolved to acknowledge him only conditi-
| onaliy. In this painful state of perplexity,
three years have elapsed in political irreso-
! luticn, SO dangerous, so fraught with evil that
| this alone would have authorised the deter
| mination which the faith we had pledged and
other fraternal attachments had caused us to
| defer, till imperious necessity compels us to
| proceed further than we had first contem-
plated; but pressed by the hostile and unna-
tural conduct of the Spanish rulers, we are
| at length absolved from the conditional oath
we had taken, and now take upon us the au-
gust sovereignty which we are called here to
exercise.
D,1f ac .rlc L al.
principles consistent with human happiness,
and not erecting partial felicity on the
mistortunes of our fellow mortals, we here
| by proclaim and declare, that we shall re-
| gard as friends and companions in our desti-
| ny, and participatOrs of our happiness, all
| those, who, united by the relations of blood,
language, and religion, have suffered oppres-
sion under the ancient establishments, and
who shall assert their independence thereof,
and OF any foreign power whatsoever, engage
| ing that all who shall Cooperate with us
shall partake in life, fortune, and opinion, de-
| claring and recognizing not only these, but
those OF every nation, in war enemies, in
| peace friends, brethren, and fellow-citizens.
In consideration, therefore, of these solid,
| public and incontestble motives, which force
| upon us the necessity of reassuming our ma
| tural rights, thus restored to us by the revo-
| luton OF human affairs, and in virtue of the
imprescriptible rights of every people, to
dissolve every agreement, convention, or So
| cial compact, which doth not establish the
purposes for which alone all governments
| are instituted, we are convinced that we can
| not and ought not any longer to endure the
| chains by which we were connected with the
| government ofSpain; and we do declare like
every other independent people, that we are
| free and determined to hold no dependence
| on any potentaic, power, or government, than
| we ourselves establish and that we now take
| among the sovereign nations of the earth the
rank which tho Supreme Being and nature
have assigned to us, and to which we have
! been called by the succession Of human e.
vents and by regard tor our own happiness
| Although we foresee the difficulties which
may attend our new situation, and the obi
| cations which we contract by the rank which
we are about to occupy in the political order
Of the world and above all, the powerful in
| Rdence of ancient forms and habits by which
| (to our regret) we have been hitherto alfec-
ted-yet we also know, that a shameful sub
mission to them, when Il is in our power to
shake them of, would prove more ignomini-
Gus 20 ourselves, and more fatal to posteri-
| ", than our long and painful servitude II
| therefore becomes our indispensable duty TO
provide for our security, liberty, and happi-
ness, by an entire and essential subversion
Il ~ ~. -