Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-04
QDblol,I !. Statel,ssir|I1nIa3l)nr,.. tl,si|I / IN
DECLARATION W., 20
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE,
Az Delivered in the State House in Philadelphia,
..,, ,,s- on the 4th Of July, l776. ''

nected them with another, and to assume
among the powers of the earth, the separ-
ate and equal station TO which the laws Of
nature and of natures God entitle them, a
decent respect to the opinions of mankind
requires that they shou declare the causes
which impel them to separation. . 49,.
We hold these truths TO be self-evident-
that all men are created equal that they,
are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
That to secure these rights, Governments
are Instituted among rieii, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned !: that whenever any torn of Gov
ernment becomes destructive Of these
ends, it is the right of the people n to
alter or TO abolish 1t, and to institute q
new Government, laying its foundation on
such principles, and organizing its pow
ers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their safety and happiness
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Govern
ments long established, should not be
changed for light and transient causes, and
accordingly, all experience has 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 usurpation, pursuing Invariably the
same object, evinces adesign to reduce them
under absolute despotism, 1T is their right, 1t
is their duty, to throw off such Government,
and to. provide new guards for their future
security Such has been the patient suf-
ferance of these colonies and such is now
the necessitywhich 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 usurpations, all having direct object,
the establishment of an absolute tyranny
overthese States. To prove this, let facts
be submitted to candid world.
He has refused his assent tolaws the most
wholesome and necessary for the public
good. IIG- -,.l. yg. ". ..........
He has forbidden his Governors to pass
laws of immediate and pressing importance
unless suspended In their operation till his
assent should be obtained, and when so
suspended he has utterly neglected to at
tend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for ac-
commodatioh Of large districts of people ;
unless those people would relinquish the
right Of representation in the legislature
right inestimable to them, and formida-
BILE to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies,
at places unusual, uncomfortable, and dis
tant from the depositaryJ 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 sinvasions on the rights OF the peo-
pie. la. .l..-. ...- -...'....
He has refused, for long time after such
dissOlutions, to cause Others to be elected !;
whereby the legislative powers, incapable
of annihilation, have returned to the people
at large for their exercise; the State re-
naming in the mean time, exposed to all
the danger of invasion from without, and
convulsion within. a't.,.l7u ,,t .. ..ri,r.,
- He has endeavored to prevent the popula-
tion of these States; for that purpose. OBJ
structing the laws for the naturalization Of
foreigners refusing to pass others to en-
courage their migrations ,hither, and rails
ing the conditions Of new appropriations
| of lands. io 9,5.fi D. .,,r~I ~ vi
He has obstructed the administration Of
| Justice, by refusing his assent to laws for
establishing Judiciary powers. bissli ai
He has made judges dependent on his
will alonel for tenure of their offices, and
the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude OF new Offices
and sent hither swarms Of officers 10 har-
ass our people, and eat out their sub
He has kept among us, in. tih2es of peace,
standing armies, without the consent of Our
Legislatures .9iJW sW 20 losyuOJ Y4gu
He has effected to render the military in
dependent OF, and superior to, the civil
power. .oI,..,- D.. .-.....,.. D.. . 5..'
He has Combined with Others to- subject
us to a jurisdiction, foreign to our c0nstitu-
ton, and = unacknowledged by our laws,
| giving his assent to their acts of pretended
legislation: 80 q" -.''t.~
For quartering large bodies of armed
,For. protecting them by mock trial,
from punishment for any murders which
they, should commit on Inhabitants Of these
States. h19g at1 20 NDSNSm, ,A oVo1eF4 aJ'g
| For cutting off our trade with all parts Of
/ For imposing taxes OH Ndissa Ndss without our
consent ''''7' no 9iiS '5".iiN o.v't}
For depriving us, in many cases, of the
benefits of trial by jury,,y o,r,,IN az.
Q For transporting us beyond seas, to
be tried for pretended loffenses. l.c -,te,..
For abolishing the tree system of Eng
lish laws in a lneighboring province, estab
fishing therein an arbitrary government
and enlarging its boundaries, so as to rem
der 1t at once an example and fit Instrument
for'introducing the sane absolute rule into
these colonies, ,or,s o,...i.,.. ~.
| For taking away OUR charters, 'abolishing
our most valuable laws, and altering fund-
aniehtaily thepowers of our governments.
kdgFor suspending our own Legislatures,and
declaring themselvesi invested with p0werto
legislate for ds in all cases whatsoever. .
y He has abdioatedi governments here, by
|ideclarmgi US out of his lproteetion, and
1waging war against us, TT, 49,.
Itt He, has, plundered our seas, rayaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lives Of odropeople.io Bib gan1 ii noirU
sat this time, transporting large ar
mics of foreign merceharies to complete tho
work of death, desolation, and tyranny AL
ready begun, with circumstances Of cruelty
and iperfidy scarcely paralleledlif the emost
barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the
head of civilized natien.
He has constrained our fellow citizens,
taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms
against their country, I'd. become the execu4
tiofefs Of their friends and brethern, orto
fall themselves by their handsi1ub b9lIs
1usHe has excited domestic /, insurrections
amongst us, and has endeay0red TO bring
on the inhabitants Of our frontiers, the iher4
ciless INDIAN savages, whose known rule, of
warfare is an sundistinguished destruction
iof albages, sexes and conditions, ,o,,.t
4 In every stage of these expressions, we
have petitioned fof redress, In the most
humble terms; our repeated petitions have
been answered only BY repeated injury. A
prince, whose character DisD thus marked
by every actlwhich may define q, tyrant is