The mountain Democrat., 1863-07-04

ing the conditions of new appropriations
of lands.
He has obstructed the administration
of justice, BY refusing his assent to laws
for establishing Judiciary powers
He has made judges dependent on his
will alone, for the tenure Of their offices,
and the amount and payment Of their sal
aries.
He has erected multitude Of new Of
fees. and sent hither swarmS Of officers
to haraSs the people, and eat out their
substance.
He has kept among us, in time Of peace,
standing armies, without the consent Of
our legislatures.
lie has affected to render the military
independent OF, and superior to the civil
power.
He has combined, with others, to sub
ject us to jurisdiction foreign to our
constitution, and unacknowledged by our
laws; giving his assent to their acts OF
pretended legislation.
For quartering large bodies of armed
troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial.
i.
they should commit on the inhabitants OF
these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts
of the world:
For imposing taxes on US without our
consent:
! For depriving us. in many casOs, Of the
benefit of trial by jury
For transporting US beyond seas to be
tried for pretefdt d oArDces:
For abolishing the free system Of Eng
lish laws in neighboring province, eS-
tablishing therein an arbitrary govern
mrnt, and enlarging its boundaries so as
to render it at once an example and tit in
Strument for introducing the same abso-
I lutte rule in these colonies:
For taking away cur charters, ahol
iShing our most valuable laws, and alter
ing, fundamentally, the forms Of our gov
ernmtntS:
For SuStending our own legislatures,
and declaring themselves invested with
power to lcgiSlate for us in all cases what
snevcr.
! He has abdcatcd government here, by
declaring US out of his protection, and
waglng war against us.
/ lie has pIundered 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, desolaton and tyran-
ny. already begun, with circumstance of
cruelty and periily scarcely paralclcd in
the most barbarous ages, and 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
! eXccutioners of their friends and brethren,
or to fall themselves by their hands.
lie has excited domestic instructions
amongst us, ami has endeavored to bring
OH the inhabitants OF our frontiers the
mercilcSS Indian savageS, whose known
rule of warfare is an undistinguShed de-
Struction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage Of these expressions, we
have petitontd for redress in the most
humble terms. Our repeated petitions
have been answered only by repeated in
jury. 4 prince. whose character is thus
marked by every act which may define a
tyrant, is unit to be the ruler OF free
people.
Nor have we been wanting in atten-
tions to our British brethren. We have
warned them. from time to time, of the at
tenptS. by their legislature, to extend an
unwarrantable Jurisdiction over MS. We
have reminded them Of the circumstances
Of our emigration and settlement here
We have appealed to their native justice
and magnaniInity, and We have c0njured
them, e. the ties Of our common kindred,
to di,avow tnese u>urpatIonS, which
would inevitably interrupt our connec-
tiouS and correspondence. Ta"v, too,
have been deaf to the voice Of justice aE1
Of consanguinity. We must, therefore,
acquieScc il the necessity which denoun.
ceS our separation, and hold them, as We
hold the rest Of mankind, enemies in war,
in peace, friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of
the United States OF America, in General
Congress assembled, appealing to the Su-
preme Judge of the world for the recti-
tude of our intentions, do, in the name,
and by the authority Of the good people
of these colonies, soemnly publish aud
declare that these United Colonies are,
and Of right ought to be, free and indie
pendent States; that they are ab>oIved
from all allegiance to the British crown,
and that all political connection between
them and the state Of Great Britain is
and ought to be. totally dissolved; and
that, as free and independent States, they
have full power TO levy war, conclude
peace, contract alliances, establish com
merce. and do all other acts and things
which independent States may of right
do. And, for the support of this declara
ton, with firm reliance on the protcc,
ton Of Divine Providence, We mutually
pledge to each other our lives, our for
tunes, and our sacred honor.