Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-06-28

| 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 pretended offences :
For abolishing the free system of En-
glish laws in a neighboring province, es-
tabllshing therein an arbitr,ry govern
ment, and charging its bournaries SO as
to render it at once an example and fit
instrument for introducing the same abb
solute rule into these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolish
ing our most valuable laws, and altering
fundamentally the forms of our govern
ments:
For suspending our own legislatures,
and declaring themselves vested with
power, to legislate for US in all cases
whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by
dec aring US out of his protection, and
waging war against US.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged
our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroy
ed the lives Of our people.
He is, at this time, transporting large
armies of foreign mercenaries to COM
plete the works of death, desolation,
and tyranny, already begun, with cir
cumstances of cruelty and perfidy, scarce
ly paralleled in the most barbarous ages,
and totally unworthy the head Of a civil
lized nation.
He has constrained our fellow-c
zens, taken captive OH the high seas, to
bear arms against their country, 10 be-
come the eXecutionefs of their friends
and brethren, or to fall themselves by
theiryhands.
He has excited domestic nsurrections
amongst US, and bias endeavored to bring
on the inhabitants of our frontier the
merciless Indian savages. whose known
rule OF warfare is al undis tinguishcd
destructi OF all ages, sexes and condi
! lions.
In every stage of these expressions
we have petitoned ior redress, in the
most humble terms; cur repeated petit
tons have been answered only by repeat
ed injury. A prince, whose character
IS thus marked by every act which may
| defire tyrant, is unfit 10 be the ruler oil
a free people.
No have we been wanting in attention
TO our BRITISH brethren. We have warn
ed them, from time to time, of attempts,
by their legislature, to extend an un-
warrantabl- Jurisdiction over US. We
| have reminded them Of the eircum stances
of our emigration and settlement here.
We have appealed to their native JUS
'ice and magnanimity; and we have con-
lured them by the ties of our common
kindred, to disavow these usurpations
which would inevitably interrupt our
connexions and correspond They,
too, have been deaf to the voice of JUS
tice, and OF consanguinity. We must,
therefore, acquiesce in the necessity,
which denounces our separation, 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,i in general
congress assembled, appealing to the
| Supreme Judge of The world, for the
rectliude OF our intentions, do, in the
name, and by the authority of the good
people OF these colonies, solemnly pub
.lsh and declare, that these united colo
nies are, and of right ough, TO be, free
and independent states; that they are
absolsed from all allegiance to the Bri-
Jish crown, and that all political conuec-
non between them ard the state of Great
Britain, is, and ought 10 be, totally dis
solved and that as tree and independent
states, they have ful! power 10 levy war,
conclude peace, contract alliances, es-
tablish commerce, and TO do all other
acts and things, which independent states
may of right do. And for the support
of this declaration, with tirin reliance
| on the protection of Divine Providence,
we mutually pledge to each other our
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred ho-
nor.
From the Illinois Intelgencer.
PUBLIC DINNER TO MIR. COOK.
vANDALIA, JUNE Is, 1923.
The Hon. d. u. Cook:
SIR-The citizens of Vandal;a &c a