The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-07-03
Declaration of Independence.


which the laws OF nature, and Of natures God,
matte them, a decent respect to the opinions oil
mankind requires that they should declare the
causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths 10 be selfevdent: that
all men are created equal; tnat they are endow-
ed. by their Creator. with GER ain unslienable
rights; that among these ale he, liberty, and
the pursuit ofhsppincss. That to secure these
rights governments are instituted among men
deriving their just powers rom the consent OF
the governed; that, Whenever any form OF gov
ernment becomes destrlttfvs Of these ends, II Is
the right Of the people to alter or TO abolish IT.
and TO institute new government laying its
foundation on such principles, and organlzingits
powors in such loIm, rs to them shall seem most
likely to effect their SAFETY and happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that govern
.ments, long establish ed, should not be changed
for light and transient causes; and accordingly
all experience hath shown, that mankind are
more disposed 10 suffer, while evils are suffcTa.
bic, than to right themselves, by Abolishing the
iarns to whirh they are accustomed. But when
along train of abuses and usurpations, pursu
ing invariably the same object, evnees design
10 reduce them under absolute despotsm, it is
their right, it is their duty to throw off such
government, and to provide new guards for their
future security. Such has been the patient sui
hrance OF these colonies; and such is now the
necessity Il at coustrans them to alter their for
mer systems OF government.
The history Of the present king of Great
Britain Is q history OF repeated injuries and
usurpations all having, in direct object. the ss-
Enlistment OF al absolute tyranny over the
States. TO p,oye this, let facts be submitted
to candid world. =
lie has refused his assent TO laws the most
q Il g. a LIZ ers u
He has forbidden his governors 10 pass laws
OF Immediate and pressing importance, unless
suspended in their operation till his assent shod
be obtained; and, when so suspended, he has
utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws fer the &C,
commodation of large districts of people, un-
less those people would relinquish the right Of
representation in the legislature; right inesti-
mabe to them, and formidable to tyrants only.
lie has called together legislative bodies at
places unusual, uncomfortable, distant from the
depository OF their public records, ior the sole
purpose Of fatiguing them into compliance with
his measures.
lie has dissolved representative houses, re
peatedly, for opposing, with manly firmness
his inyasions ON the rights Of ,he people.
lie has refused, for long time, after such
disselutions, to cause others TO be elected;
whereby the legislative powers, incapable of an
inhalation, have returned 10 the people at large
for their exercise; the state remaining, in the
mean time, exposed to all the dangers of inv&-
sion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored TO prevent the population
of those states; for that purpose, obstructing
the laws for naturalization of foreigners; retu-
sing to pass others to encourage their migration
hither, and raising the conditions of new ap-
propriations of lands.
lie has obstructed the administration Of jus
tice, by refusing his assent to laws for estab-
fishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will
alone, for the tenure OF t1eir offices, aud the
amount OF pay ment of their salaries.
He has erected multitude OF new offices,
and sent bither swarms of officers 10 harass
our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among u.s. in time OF peace,
standing armies without the consent Of our
legislatures.
lie has affected 10 render the military indie
pendent OF, and superior to, the civil power.
He has combined with others, to subject us
to jurisdiction foreign to our constitution,
and unacknowledged by our laws; giving.his as
sent to their acts OF pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops
among US:
For protecting them, bya mock trial. from
punishment Tor 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 con
sent: e~n
For depriving us, in many cases, Of tie bene
fits OF trial by jury
For transporting US hey ond seas, to be tried
for pretended offences:
For aboIshng the free system OF English
laws in neighboring province, establishing
an arbitrary government, and enlarging it boun
daries, so as TO render it, at once, al example
and fit instrument for introducing the same
absolute rule into these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our
most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally,
the forms OF our government.
For suspending our own legislatures, and de-
claring themselves invested with power to legis-
late for us, in all cases whatsoever.
lie has abdicated government here, by decla
ring us oat Of his projection, and waging war
against US. s.
He has plundered our seas, ravished our
coasts. burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives
Of our people.
He is at this time, transporting large armies
OF foreign mercenaries, 10 complete the works
of death, desolalicn and tyranny, already he
gun with Circumstances Of cruelty and peridy,
scarcely parallelled in he most barbarous ages,
and totally unworthy the head OF civilized
nation.
He has constrained our fellow. citizens, Ia
ken captive on the high seas, to bear arms
against their country, to become the execution
ers OF their friends and brethren, or to tall them
selves by their hands.
He has excited domestic Instructions amongst
us, aud has endeavoured to bring on the inhab
tants Of our frontiers, the merciless Indian say,
ages, whose know rule of warfare is an undis
tipguished destruction OF all ages and cundi-
tions. In every slage Of these expressions, we
have petitioned for redress, in the most humble
terms, our repeated petitions have been answer
I'd 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 a
free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attentions to
our British brethren. We have warned them
from time 10 time, Of attempts, by their eglsla
ture, to extend an unwarfantabe jurisdiction
over .us. We have reminded them OF the cir
cunstances Of our emigration and settlement
here We have appealed to their native Jus
tjcs and magnanimity, and we have conjured
them. by the ties OF our common kindred, to dis
ayow these nsurpations, which would inevita
bly interrupt our connections and correspon
dence. They too have been deaf 70 the voice
OF justice and Of consangnlnity, we must,
therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which de
nounces our separation, and hold them, as we
hold the rest o. mankind, enemies in war, in
peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives OF the Uni
TED STATES OF AMEnIcA, in GENERAL Con-
eREss assembled, appealing to the Supreme