The mountain Democrat., 1864-07-02

are endowed, by their Creator, with GER
tain inalienable rights that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happi.
ness. That to secure these rights, govern.
ments are instituted among men deriving
their just powers from the consent Of the
governed ; that whenever any form of gov.
eminent becomes destructive of these ends
it is the right of the people to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute a new govern.
ment, laying its foundation on such prin-
ciples, and organizing its powers in such
form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness. Pru-
dence, indeed, will dictate that govern
mentS, long established, should not be
changed for light aud transient causes !;
and, accordingly, all experience hath
shown that mankind are more disposed to
suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to
right themselves by abolishing the forms
to which they are accustomed. But when
long train Of abuses and usurpations,
pursuing Invariably the same object, evin.
cesa design to reduce them under abso.
lutte deSpotiSn, it is their right, it is their
duty, to throw off such government, and
to provide new guards for their future Sc.
curity. Such has been the patient suffer
ance OF these colonies, and such is now
the necessity which constrains them to al
ter their former system Of government
The history of the present king of Great
Britain is history Of repeated injuries
and nSurpationS, all having in direct ob-
ject the establishment Of an absolute ty-
ranny over these states. To prove this,
let facts be snbIHitled to a candid world.
lie has refused his 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; aud,
when so suspended, he has utterly neg
lectcd TO attend tO thtm.
He has refused to pass other laws for
the accommodation Of large districts OF
people, unless those people would relin.
qul>h the right Of representation in the
lesi>laturc-a right ineStimable to them,
aud formidable to tyrants only.
lie has called together legislative bodies
at places unusual, uncomfortable and dis
;ant from the depository of their public
records, for the sole purpose Of fatiguing
them into compliance with his measures
He 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 dis>olutionS, to cause others to be
elected whereby the legislative powers,
/ incapable Of annihilaton, have returned
to the people at large for their exercise
the state remaining, IN the meantime, ex
posed to all the danger Of invasion from
without aud convul>lons within.
lie has endeavOred to prevent the pop
u'ati0n Of these states; for that purpose
obstructing the laws ior naturalization Of
Foreigners; refusing 10 pass others to en-
courage their migration hither, and rails
ing the conditions Of new appropriations
OF lands.
lie has obStructed 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 the amount and payment Of their Sala-
Tics.
lie has erected a multitude Of new of,
tice>, and sent hitler swarns of officers,
Ia hara-S our people, and eat out their
INSTANCE.
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 to, the civil
power.
lie has combined with others to subject
/ US to Jurisdiction foreign to our consti-
tuition, and unackrowlrdged by our laws;
! giving his assent 10 their acts Of pretend
ed Legislation.
| For quartering large bodies of armed
troops among US:
For protecting them, by a mock trial,
| from punishment for any murders which
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 depriping us, in many cases. Of the
benefits Of trial by jury:
/ For transporting Us beyond the seas, to
be tried for pretended offences:
For ab4lishing the free system Of Eng
li>h laws in neishboring province, eStab
fishing therein an arbitrary COVE, nmeni,
and enlarging its boundaries, so as to rem
der it at once an example and tit 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 powers of our govern.
mentS:
For suspcnding our own legislatures,
and declaring themselves invested with
power to legislate for US in all cases what
socver.
He has abdicatcd government here, by
declaring us ont of his protection, and
waging war against US.
lie has pluHdercd our seas, ravnged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed
the lives Of our people.
lie is, at this tiGEe. transporting large
armies Of foreign mercenarirS to complete
the works of death, desolatiOn and tyran-
nv, already begun, with circumstances of
cruelty and pertdy scarcely paralleled in
the most barharouS 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
executionerS of their friends and brcth-
ren, or to fall themselves by their hands
He has excited domestic instructions
amongst US, and has endeavored to bring