The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-07-01

10 " JuilsulCtlOlf, tOrel2n 10 our cOnSutu-
tion, and unacknowledged by our laws; Civ
ing his assent TO their acts of pretended le-
gislation.
For quartering large bodies of armed
troops among us:
For protecting them by mock trial,
from punishment for any murder 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
benefit Of trial by jury;
For transporting us beyond seas, to be
tried for pretended offences;
For abolishing the free system of English
law in neighboring province, establishing
therein an arbitrary government, and en-
larging its boundaries so as to render it at
once an example and Iit instrument for in4
Producing the same absolute rule into these
colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing
our most valuable laws, and altering funda-
mentally the forms ofour governments.
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 wa
ging war against us.
lie has plundered our seas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns and destroyed the
lives of our people.
lie is, at this time, transporting large
armies of foreign mercenaries, to complete
the works of death, desolation and tyranny,
already begun, with circumstances of cru
city and perfdy, scarcely paralleled in the
most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy
the head of civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens
taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms
against their country, 10 become the exc
cutioners of their friends and brethren, or
to fall themselves by their hands,
He has excited domestic instructions
amongst us, and has cndeavored TO bring
on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the mer-
ciless Indian savages, whose known rule of
warfare is an undistinguished destruction of
all ages, sexes, and conditions.
In every stage of these expressions, we
have pettioned for redress, in the most hum
bic terms: Our petitions have been answer
ed only by repeated injury. A Prince
whose character is thus marked by every
act which may define tyrant, is unfit to be
ruler of free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention
to our British brethren. We have warned
them, from time to time, of attempts made
by their legislature, to extend an unwar-
rantable Jurisdiction over us. We have re-
minded them of the circumstances of our
emigration and settlement here. We have
uppCdlCu W IllOll udIlNC JuSlCC anu mag
nanimity, and we have conjured them by
the ties of our common kindred, to disayow
these usurpations, which would inevitably
interrupt our correspondence. They too,
have been deafto the voice of justice and
consanguinity. We must, therefore, ac-
quiesce in the necessity which denounces
our separation, and hold them, as we hold
the rest of nankind-cncmies in war;-in
peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the
United States of America, in general con-
gress assembled, appealing to the Supreme
Judge of the world, for the rechtude of our
intentions, Do, in the name and by the au-
thoriiy of the good people of these colonies
solemnly publish and declare that these
united colonies are and ofright ought to be
free and Independent states, that they are
absolyed from all allegiance to the British
crown, and that all political connexon be-
tween them and the state of Great Britain
Island ought to be totally dissolved; and
that as free and Independent states, they