Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-07-04
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
[ signed on the 9th Of July, liza ]

|
equal station which the laws of nature and Of ma
ture God entite hem decent respect TO the opinions
OF mankind requires that they should declare The causes
which impe them TO the separation
We hold these truths 10 be selfeyident: that all men
created equal that they endowed by their Gre
with certain unaenable rights that among these.
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that TO
secure these rights governments are Instituted au'Ong
! men, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT
GOVERNED; that, whenever any form OF govern
becomes destructive Of these ends, Is the right
Of the people 10 alter 10 abolish , and 10 institute hcp
government, laying Its foundation on such principles,
and organizing its powers in such form, a. THEM
shall most likely TO effect their safety and happi
ness. Prudence, indeed will dictate that governments.
long established, SHOULD not be changed for light and
transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath
shown, that mankind more disposed TO suffer, while
evils siderable, than 10 right themselves by abolish
ing the forms to which they are accustomed But,
when long tram Of abuses and usurpations pursuing
Invariably the same object, eynces design 10 reduce
them under absolute despotsm, 1t IS their right, Is
their duty hror of such gOrernntni, and 10 provide
guards for their future security. Such has been
the patient suferahce OF these colonies and SUCH 10
the necessity which constants them 10 alter their
| former systems of government The history OF The
present king of Grsai Britain is history of repeated
injuries and usurpaons, all having in direct obJeei,
the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these
States To prove this let facts be submitted To can
| did world:
lie has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome
| and necessary for the public good
mediate and pressing importance, unless suspended IN
their operation till his assent should be obtained; and
when so suspended he has utterly neglected to attend
| TO them.
He has refused TO pass other laws for the accommo
daon Of large districts Of people unless those people
would renqush the right OF representation IN the lie
gislature right 'nestlmable to them, and formidable
| 10 tyrants only.
lie has called together legislative bodies at places
unusual uncomfortable and distant from the depository
Of their public records for the sole purpose oil ausu-
| ing them into compliance with his measures.
lie has dssolred representative houses repeatedly for OPP
posing uh manly Tnaess, his inrdston on the rights u
| The people
| lie has refused for long time after such dissOlu-
tons, Others 10 be elected; whereby the Iegs
atiye powers, incapable Of annihatIon have returned
To the people at large for their exercise The State re-
naming in the mean time, exposed 10 all the danger
| of invasion from without, and commissions within.
He has endeayored to prevent the population OF these
States; for that purpose, obsructlng the laws for ma
uralizaton of foreigners; refusing TO pass others to
encourage their migration hther and raising the con-
diliOns of appropriations OF lands.
He has INSTRUCTED the administration OF justice, 10y
refusing his to laws for establishing Judiciary
powers.
| He has made Judges dependent his will alone, for
the tenure of their Offices and the amount and payment
| of their salaries.
He has erected multitude of offices, and sent
hther of officers to harrass our people, and
| eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times OF peace, standing
armies, without the consent Of our Legislature.
| He has affected TO render the military independent,
| of, and superior 10, the civil power.
He has combined with others, TO subject US to ju
risdiction foreign to Constitution, and unacknow
lodged by laws; giving his assent TO their acts OF
pretended legislation:
| For quartering large bodies of armed troops among
For protecting them, By mock trial, from punish
ment, for any murders which they should commit on
| the inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off 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 to be tried for pre-.
| tended offences
| For aboishing the free system of English laws in
neghborng province, establishing therein arbitrary
government, aud enlagng its boundaries, as TO rem
der it at example and fit instrument for intro
duciug the absolute rule into these colonies:
| For taking away charters abolishing our most
valuable laws and altering, fundamentally, the power
| of our governments:
For supending our ocn legislatures, and declaring them
selves invested with power 10 legisate for Us IN all
cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring
| out Of his protection, and raging against us.
He has pundered our seas, rardgtd coasts, burnt
our tolcns, and destroyed the Tires Of our people.
He is, TINE, transporting large armies 81 foreign
mercsndes complete the rOrks IF death, DISSOLUTION, and
tyranny, already begun, with circumstances OF cruelty
and perfdy scarcely paralleed in the most barbaron
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken capty,
the high 10 bear arms against their country,
become the executioners Of their friends and brethren
| or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic instructions amongst US
and has endeayored TO bring the Inhabitants Of cur.
frontiers the mercess Indian sayages, whose known
rule of warfare is undistngushed destruction Of all
| ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage Of these expressions, have pet.
toned for redress, in the most humble terms; r
peated petitions have been answered only by repeated
injury. prince, whose character is thus marked b
every act which may define yrant, Is unit 10 be ih
ruler of free people.
Nor have We been wanting IN attention to our Brni
| brethren. We have warned them, from time TO tml
of attempt. made by their legislature TO extend an
warTaEtabe jurisdiction We have remlndt
them of the circumstances of emigration and SCI
Element here We have appealed TO their native lgr
tce and magnanimity, and We have conJured them,
the ties of common kindred, TO dsayow these usu
pations, which would inevitably interrupt connsr
| lion and spondence. They, too, have been dii
| TO the voice of justice and consanguinity We mus,
therefore, scqesce in the necessity, which denounca
separation and hold them, as we hold the rest
| mankind. enemies IN war, IN peace, friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the Cnim
States of America, in general Congress assembled a.
pealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the re-
ttude of intentions, do, in the name, and by ne
authority of the good people of these colonies solemhy
publish and declare that these united colonies 1n9
of right ought To be, FREE AND NDRPESIESr sTA1L',
that they absoyed from all allegiance the Brt'E
crown and that all political connection between then
and the State OF Great Britain, is, and ought TO be- 10
tally dissolved; and that, as FREE And IsDEPEsDEs
STATES, they have full power TO levy war, concu
peace, contract alliances, establish commerce. and
do all other acts and things which Independent STAT
may OF right do. And for the support of this decar
| tion with firm reliance on the protection Of OWN
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, o.
lives our fortunes, and our sacred honor
DICHMOND yAnlEIlHs.