Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-06-30
In Congress, July 4, 1776.

He has combined with others 10 subject
ms 10 jurisdiction, foreign TO our consli-
tuition and unacknoWledged by our laws !;
Giving his assent to their acts of pretended
Legislation. !
! For quartering large bodies Of armed
troops among US
from punishment for any murders which
they should commit on the inhabitants of
these States:
For cutting of 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 pretended offences:
For a5olishing the free system Of Eng
lish laws in a neighboring province, estab-
fishing therein an arbitrary government,
and enIarging lis boundaries, so as TO rem
der it at once an example and fiji instrument
for introducing the same absolute 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 legislature, and
declaring themselves Invested with power
to legisate for US in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by
declaring Us out of his protection, and wa
ging war against US.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lives of our people.
lie is at this time transporting large ar.
mics of foreign rnercenaries to complete
the works Of death, desolation, and tyran-
ny, already begun, with circumstances of
cruelty and perlidy scarcely paralleled in
the most barbarous ages, aud totally un-
worthy the head of civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow. citizens,
taken captive on the high seas, to bear
arms against their country, to become the
I lexecutioners of their friends and brethren,
or to fall themselves by their hands.
/ lie has excited domestic instructions
| among us, and has endeavored to bring on
| the inhabitants OF our frontiers the merci-
less Indian savages, whose known rule Of
warfare is an undistinguished destruction
OF all ages, sexes, and conditions.
| In every stage of these oppression we
have petitioned for redress in the most
{ humble terms our repeated petitions have
been answered only by repeated injury.
A prince whose character is thus marked
by every act which may define tyrant,
is unfit to be the ruler Of free people.
Nor 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 unwarrant.
liable jurisdiction over Us. We have re-
minded them of the circumstances Of our
yemgration and settlement here. We have
|appealed TO their native justice and mag
Enanimity, and we have conjuEed them by
! the ties of our common kindred to disayow
4 these usurpatlons, which would I-eyItabiy
interrupt our connexions and correspon-
! dence. We must, therefore, acquesce in
the necessity which denounces our scpara-
ton, and hold them, as we hold the rest of
mankind, in w2r,--in peace,
ifriends.
/ We, therefore, the representatives Of the
United States Of America, in general Con.
gress assembled, appealing TO the SUrREME
tJUDGE of the world for the rectitude of
our intentions, DO, in the name and by the
Santhority Of the people of these colonies,
lsolemnly publish and declare, that these
: United Colonies are, and of right ought 10
be, free and independent states. That they
Sare absoIved from all allegiance to the
/ British crown, and that all political con.
Inexion between them and the State Of
Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally
Idissolved; and that, as free and indepen
dent states, they have full power to levy
war, conclude peace, contract alliances,
Iestablish commerce, aud do all other acts
and things which independent states may
Sof right DO. And for the support Of
this declaration, with a finn reliance on
the protection Of DIVINE PRovIDENcE, we
mutually pledge TO each other our lives,
our fortunes, and our sacred honor.