Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-07-07
A Declaration by the Representatives 9 the
United States O america in general Con-
o,reoe neeerabLeH

gress assembled.
VIXEN, in the course ofhuman events
it becomes necessary for one people tt
dissolve the political bands which have
connected them with another, and te
assume, among the powers OF the earth
the separate and equal station to whlcf
the laws of nature and Of natures God
entitle them, decent respect to the
opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impe
them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evi'
dent:-that all men are created equal
that they are endowed by their Crea'
tor with inherent and unalienable rights;
that among these are life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness. That to Sc
cure these rights, governments are IN
sttuted 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 alteror to abolish it, and to institute
a new government, laying its founda-
ton 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 estab-
lished should not be changed for light
and transient causes; and accordingly
all experience hath shown, that man
kind are more disposed to suffer while
evils are sufferable, than to right them
selves by abolishing the forms to which
they are accustomed. But when a
long train of abuses and usurpations,
begun at distinguished period, and
pursuing invariably the same object,
evinces design to reduce 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 future security. Such has been
the patient sufferance ofthese colonies;
and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to erpunge their former
systems of government. The history
of the present king of Great Britain, is
history of unremitting injuries and u
surpations, among mhich appears no soli-
tary fact to contradict the uniform tenor
of The rest; but all have in direct object
the establishment OF an absolute tyran-
ny over these states. To prove this,
let facts be submitted to candid world,
for the truth of ,chich ace pledge a faith
yet unsullied by falsehood.
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 OBJ
tanned; and when so suspended, he has
utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws Tor
the accommodation Of large districts
of people, unless those people would re-
linquish the right of representation in
the legislatures right inestimable to
them, and Formidable to tyrants only
He has called together legislative
bodies at places unusual, uncomfort-
able, and distant from the repository
of their public records, for the sole
purpose Of fatiguing them into compll-
ance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative
houses repeatedly, and continually, for
opposing, with manly frmness, his in
vasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused, for long time after
such dissolutions, to cause others to be
elected; whereby the Legislative pow
ers, incapable Of humiliation, 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 convul-
sions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the
population of these states; for that
purpose obstructing the laws for natu-
ralization ofioreigners; refusing to pass
others to encourage their migration
hither, and raising the conditions OF
new appropriations of lands.
He has suffered the administration
of Justice totally to cease in some Of these
states, by refusing his assent to laws Tor
establishing judiciary powers.
He has made our judges dependent on
his will alone, for the tenure of their
Offices, and the amount and payment
of their salaries.
He has erected multitude OF new
Offices, By a self assumed po'osr, and sent
hither swarms of officers, to harass our
| people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times OF
peace, standing armies, and ships Of
par, without the consent Of our legisla-
lures.
He has affected to render the militia
ry independent of, and superior to, the
civil power.
He has combined with others to sub