Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-06-29

guards Tor their future security. Such has
been the patient suflerance of these Colo
nies, and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to alter their former sys-
| tens of government. The history of the
present King of Great Britain, is a history
of repeated injuries and usurpations, all
having, in direct object, the establishment
of an absolute tyranny over these States.
To prove this, let facts be submitted to q
candid world
lie has refused his assent to laws the
most wholesome and necessary for the pub
lie good.
He has forbidden the Governor 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.
lie has refused to pass other laws for the
accommodation of large districts of people,
unless those people would relinquish the
right of representation in the legislature q
right inestimablc to them, and formidable
TO tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies
at places unusual, uncomfortable, and dis
tant from the depository of their public re-
cords, for the sole purpose Of fatiguinG
them into compliance with his measures.
lie 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
dissolutions, to cause others to be elected
whereby the legislative powers, incapable
of humiliation, have returned to the people
at large for their exercise the State re-
manning, in the meantime, exposed to all
the dangers of invasion from without, and
convusiOns within.
lie has endeavOred TO prevent the popu-
lation of these States for that purpose, OBJ
structing the laws for naturalization Of
foreigners refusing to pass others to en-
courage their migration hither, and raising
the conditions of new appropriations of
lands.
He has obstructcd the administration of
justice, by refusing his assent to laws es-
tabishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependant on his
will alone, for the tenure of their offices,
and the amount and payment of their sal
aries.
lie has erected q multitude of new Off
ces, and sent hther swarms of officers to
harass our people and eat out their SUBJ
stance.
He has kept among US, in time of peace,
standing armies, without the consent of
our legislatures.
He has affected to render the military in
dependent of, and superior to the civil
power.
lie has combined with others to subject
us to jurisdiction foreign 10 our Cousttu-
ton, and acknowledged by our laws Civ
ing his assent to their acts of pretended
legislation.
For quartering large bodies Of armed
troops among us.
fhann h,, rin nl
from punishment, 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 deprivng us, in many cases, Of the
| benefit of trial by jury.
For transporting us beyond seas 10 be
tried for pretended offences.
For abolishing the free system of English
laws in n neighboring province, establish
ing therein an arbitrary government, and
enlarging its boundaries SO as to render it
at once an example and iit instrument for
introducing the same absolute rule into
these colonies
For taking away our charters, abolishng
our most valuable laws, and altering fund
| amentally, the forms of our government:
For suspending our own legislatures and
declaring themselves invested with power
to legislatc for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by
declaring US out of his protection, and
| waging war against us.
lie has plundered our seas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lines of our people.
He is at this time transporting large ar
mics of foreign mcrcenarics, to complete
the works of death, desolation and tyianuy
| already begun, with circumstances of cru
city aud perIidy, scarcely paralelled in the
most barbarous ages. and totally unworthy
the head of civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens,
taken captive Oh the high seas, to bear
arms against their country, to become the
execuiOners of their friends and brethren,
or to fall themselves by their hands.
lie has excited domestic instructions
against us, and has endeavorcd to bring on
! the Inhabitants Of our frontiers, the merci-
| less Indian savages, whose known rule of
warfare is an undistingushed destruction
of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage Of these expressions we
have pctitioned for redress in the most
humble terms ; our repeated petitions have
been answered only by repeated injury.
! by every act which may define a tyrant, is
unfit to be the ruler of free people.
! Nor have we been wanting in attention
to our british brethren. We have warned
! them, from time to time, of attempts by
! their legislature to extend au unwalranta-
! BILE jurisdiction over us. We have remind
| ed them of the circumstances Of emigration
| and settlement here. We have appealed
to their native justice and maGnanimity,
and we have conjured them, by the ties of
our common kindred to disavow these
| usurpations, which would inevitably inter-
/ rupt our connections and correspondence.
| They too have beel deaf to the voice Of
justice and of cOnsangunity. We must
| therefore acquiesce in the necessity which
denounces our separation, and hold them
rs hold the rest of mankind, enemies in uCdr
| in peace, friends.
| We, therefore, the representatives of the
/ Uuited States Of America, in general con-
gress assembled, appealing to the Supreme
Judge of the world for the rectitude of our
/ intentions, do in the name and by the au-
| thority of the good people Of these colonies,
/ 4. l.. 4