Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-07-05
T II E DECL A r A TION
INDEPENDENCE.
In CoNGREse. JuIy 4. Zig.

TEN NIL I'D STATES OF AMERICA.
When in the course of human events it becomes
necessary Tor one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them with another.
| aud to assume, among the powers of the earth the
separate and equal station, to which the laws of
nature and OF nature 5 God cntitlc them, A decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that
they should declare the causes which impel them
TO the separation.
We hold these truths TO be self cyident-that
all men are created equal; that they are endowed
by their Creator with certniR unalicnable rights;
that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit
OF happiness: that to secure these rights govern
mchts arc instituted among men, deriving their
Just powers nom the consent OF the g0verned tina,
! whenever any form Of government becomes de-
structivc of these ends, is the right of the peo
pie 10 alter or to abolish il, and TO institute new
government, laying its foundation on such princi-
pies, and organizing its powers in such FORM as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their safety
and happiness. Prudence, indeed will dictate that
governments long established should not be chang
cd for light and transient causes; and accordingly
all experience hath shown that mankind are mere
disposed TO suffer while evils are suferable than
TO right themselves by abOlishng the forms to
which they are accustomed. But when long
train Of abuses md usurpations, pursuing invari
ABLY me same object, evinces design to reduce
them under absolute despotiSm it is their right it
is tfeir duty, to throw off such government and to
provide new guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance OF these colo
: MES; AMI such is the necessity which con-
strains them TO alter their former systems of GOV
ernment. The history ofthe present king o: Grca,
Britain, is history of repeated injuries and usur-
patons, all having in direct object the establish
ment OF an absolute tyranny over these States
To prove this, let facts be sub mitted to candid
world
He 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 Importance, unless sus-
pended IN their operation til his should be
obtained; and when suspended, he has utterly
neglected to attend to them. He has refused to
pass other laws FOR the accommodation of large
districts of people, unless those people would re-
nquish the right Of representation in the csisla-
ture-a righ; ines;mable to them, and formidable
to tyrants only.
! He has called together legislative bodies at
places unusual, uncomfortable and distant from
the repository of their public records for the sole
purpose OF fatiSuing them into compliance with
/ his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeat
ediy, Tor opposing, with manly firmness, his inva-
tions on the rights OF the people.
| He has refused, for a long time after such disso
utions, to cause others TO be clected whereby the
legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have
returned to the people large for their exercise;
the State remaininS, in the time. expos cd to
]
convulsiOns within.
! He has endeavored to prevent the population of
these States; for tat purpose obStrucng the laws
for naturalization OF foreigners; refusing 10 pass
others TO encourage their migraions hither, and
raising the conditions OF new appropriations of
( lands
! lie has obs;ruc:cd the administration of Justice,
by refusing his assent to laws for establishing iu-
dietary powcTs.
! He has made judges dependent on his will
alone, for the tenure OF their offices, and the
amount and payment Of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude OF hew Offices. and
sent hther of officers, to harass our people
and eat out their substance.
tie has kept among us, in times OF peace, stand
ing armies, without the consent of our legisll
lures.
lie has affected TO render the military indie
pendent OF, and superior to, the civil power.
H0 has combined with others to subject US to a
jurisdiction foreign TO our constitution, and unac
knowlcdged by our laws, giving his assent 10 their
acts of pretended legslation:
For quartering large bodies Of armed troops
among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from pun
, ishment for any murders which they should com
nit 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 cases, Of the benefits
of trial by jury:
For Transporting us beyond seas to be tried FOR
| pretended offences.
For a0olishing the free system of English laws
in neighboring province, establishing therein
arbitrary government and enarging its bounda ries
SO to render it at once an example and fit in
/ strument for introducing the same absolute rule
into these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our
most valuable laws. and altering, iundamen tally
| the forms Of our governments:
| For suspending our own legislatures, and de-
claring themselves invested with power to legis-
! late for in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here by declaring
us out of his protection, and waging against
He has plundcred our seas. ravaged our coasts,
burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives OF our
people.
! lie is at this time transporting large armies Of
/ foreign mercenaries to complete the works of
DEATH desOa ton, and Tyranny, already begun with
circumstances of cruelty and perfdy scarcely par
alleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally
worthy the head of a civilized nation.
! lie has constrained our fellow citizens, taken
captive the high SEAS to bear arms against their
country, to become the executoners oftheir friends
and brethren, TO fall themselves by their hands
He has excited domestic instructions amongst
US, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants
of our frontiers the merciless Indian sayages,
I whose known rule OF warfare is an un0lStinGuShed
destruction Of all ages, sexes. and conditions.
| In every stage Of these expressions We have pc
titioned for redress in the most humble terms our
repeated petitions have been answered only by re-
peated injury. A prince whose character is thus
marked by every act which may define a 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 to time, OF attempts by their legislature. to
extend an unwarantable Jurisdiction over US
We have reminded them of The circumstances of
our emigration and settlement here. We have ap-
pealed to their native justice and magnanimlty;
and we have copjrred them. by the ties of our som-
mon kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which
would inevitably interrupt our connexions and cor
res?ondence. They, too, have been deaf to the
voice of justice and consangunity We must,
therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which de-
nounces our separation, and hold them 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 Supreme Judge of the world for
/ the recttude of our intentions, do, in the name
and by authority of the good people Of these colo
nes, solemnly publish and declare, that these
united colonies are, and Of right ought to be, free
and independent States; that they absolved
from all allegiance 70 the British crown, and that