The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-07-07

and enlarging its boundaries, so as to rem.
der it at once an example and fit instru.
ment 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 legislatures,
and declaring themselves invested with
power to legislate for us in all cases what.
soever:
He has abdicated government here, by
declaring us out OF his protection, and
waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lives Of our people.
He is, at this time, transporting large
armies of foreign mercenaries to complete
the works of death, desolation. and tyran.
ny, already begun, with circumstances of
cruelty and perfdy scarcely paralleled in
the most barbarous ages, and totally un-
worthy the head OF a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens
taken captive on the high seas. to bear
arms against their country, to become the
executioners Of their friends and brethren,
or fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurreotion
among us, and has endeavored to bring
on the inhabitants Of our frontiers the mer-
ciless Indian savages, whose known rule
OF warfare is an undistingushed destruc.
ton OF all ages. sexes, and conditions.
In every stage OF these expressions 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 warned
them, from time to time, of attempts made
by their legislature to extend an unwar.
rantable jurisdiction over us. We have
reminded them OF the circumstances of
our emigration and settlement here. We
have appealed to their native justice and
magnanimty, and we have conjured them
by the ties Of our common kindred. to dis.
avow these usurpations which would inev.
itably interrupt our connection and cor.
respondence. They. too. have been deaf
to the voice Of justice and consanguinly.
We must. therefore, acquiesce in the neces-
sity Which denounces our separation. and
hold Them as we hold the rest of man.
kind-enemies IN war-in peace. friends
We. therefore, the representatives OF the
United States OF America, in general Con-
gress assembled. appealing 10 the Supreme
Judge Of the world for the rectitude of our
intentions, do, in the name and by the
authority of the good people of these col.
onies. solemnly publish and declare that
these united colonies are, and of right
ought to be, free and Independent states;
that they are absolved from all allegiance
10 the British crown, and that all political
between them and the state of
Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally
dissolved; and that, as free and indepen.
dent states. they have full power to levy
war, conclude peace, contract alliances,
establish commerce, and to do all other
acts and things which independent states
nay of right do. And for the support of
his declaration, with a firm reliance on
he protection of Divine Providence. we
pledge to each other our lives,
our fortunes. and our sacred honor.