Mountain Democrat., 1857-07-04
Declaration ~ Independence.
July 9Th, 1870.
THR CEAyIN0rs DECLARATION OF TEE THIRTEEN UNITED
STATES OF ANERIoA IN CoSGREss AssENBLED.

dissolve The political bands which have
connected them with another, and to as
sumo among the powers of the earth the
separate and equal station to which the
laws of nature and Of natures God entitle
| them, Il decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they should declare
the causes which impel them 10 the sepa-
ration.
We hold these truths to be selfevident:
That all men are created equal that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienablc rights; that among these are
life, liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness;
that, to secure these -righte,-g governments
arc instituted among men, deriving their
Just powers from the consent Of the gov
erned; that, whenever any form Of gov
crnment becomes destructive to these
cndS it is the right Of the people to alter
or abolish it, and to institute new govern
mcnt, laying its foundation on such prin-
ciplcs, and organizing its powers in such
form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness Pru-
dcncc, indecd,,~wil dictate that govern
ments long established should not be
changed fer light aud transient causes;
and, accordingly, all experience hath
shown that mankind arc more disposed
to suffer, while evils are sufIerable, than
to right themselves by abolishing the
forms to which they arc accustomed But
when q long train Of abuses and usurpa-
tions, pursuing invariably the same object,
evinces design to reduce them under
absolute despotism, it is their right, it is
their duty, to throw Of such government,
and to provide new guards for their future
security. Such has been the patient suf-
fcrance Of these colonies, and such is now
the necessity which constrains them to
alter their former systems of government
The history of the present king of Great
Britain is history Of repeated injuries
and usurpations, all having i'll direct OBJ
jcct the establishment ofan absolute tyr
amy over these states. To prove this,
let facts be submitted to candid world -
He has refused to assent to laws the
most wholesome and necessary for the
public good.
lie has forbidden his governors to pass
laws of immediate and pressing import
ance, unless suspended in their operation
till his assent should be obtained; and
when so suspended, he has utterly neg
| lccted to attend TO them.
lie has refused to pass other laws for
the accommodation of large districts Of
people, unless those people would relin-
quish the right to representation in the
legislaturc-a right incstimable to them,
and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies
at places unuSual, uncomfortable, and dis
tant from the repository of public records,
for the sole purpose Of fatiguing them in-
to a compliance with his measures.
lie has dissolved representative houses
repeatedly for opposing with manly firm
ness his invasions on the rights of the
people.
lie has refused, for long time after
such dissolutions, to cause others to bc
elected; whereby the legislative powers,
incapable of annihilation, have returned
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 convulsions within.
lie has endeavorcd to prevent the pop
ulation of these States-for that purpose
obstructing the laws Of naturalization of
foreigners, refusing to pass others to en-
courage their migration hither, and rails
ing the conditions of new appropriations
of lands.
lie has obStructcd the administration of
justice, by refusing his assent to laws for
establishing judiciary powers.
lie has made judges dependent on his
will alone for the tenure Of their Offices
and tho amount and payment Of their sal
aries.
He has erected multitude of new Of
fees, and sent hither swarms Of officers
to harass our people and eat out their
substance.
Hchas keptamong us, in times ofpeace,
standing armies, without the consent Of
our legislatures.
lie has affected to render tho military
independent Of and superior to, the civil
power.
lie has combined with others to subject
us to jurisdiction foreign to our cOnsti-
tuition, and unacknowledged by our laws
giving his assent to their acts Of pre-
tended legislation.
For quartcring large bodies Of armed
troops among us.
For protecting them, by mock trial,
| ltOHA pulltSilihChI AOI Atly uIuIuCIS WHICH,
they should commit on the inhabitants oi
these states.
For cutting off our trade with all parts
Of the world;
For imposing taxes on US without our
consent;
For drpriving 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 Eng,
lish laws in neighbOring province, cs
tabliShing therein an arbitrary govern,
mcnt, and enlarging its boundaries, SO 1.
to render it at once an example and iii
instrument for introducing the same ab
solute rule into these colonies;
For taking away our charters, abolish
ing our most valuable laws, and altering
fundamentally, the forms Of our govern
ment;
For suspending our own legislatures
and declaring themselves invested will
power to legiSlate for US in all cases what
soever.
He has abdicated government here by
declaring us out Of his protection and wa
ging war against us;
He has plundered our seas, raYaged oul
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed
the lives of our people;
He is at this time transporting larg
armies of foreign merCenaries to cOmplet