The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-09-18
Farmers Declaration of Indie.
pendenCP.

pendence.
The following declaration Of independ
enee was made by the Nestern farmer
july 4, 1873:
When in the course Of human events
becomes necessary for class af4people, sui
fering from long continued systems OF OBJ
preston and abuse, 10 rouse themselvr.
from an apathetic Indifference to their owl
interests which has become habitual: Il
assume among their fellow citizens tina
| equal station and demand from the Govern.
| ment they support those equal rights Il
which the laws of nature and natures Goo
| entities them! decent respect tor the
/ opinions OF mankind requires that they
| should declare the cause that impels them
| to course 50 necessary 10 their own pro-
| lection.
We hold these truths to be self-evident.
! that all meu are created equal: that they
are endowed lay their Creator with certain
! iHalienable rights: that among these are
| life, liberty. and the pursuit of happiness.
! That 10 secure these rights governments
| are Instituted among men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned that whenever the powers OF a GOV
eminent become destructive of these. either
through the Injustice or inefiiciency of its
laws, or through the corruption of its adj
ministratorS, it is the right of the people to
abolish snch laws and institute such re-
forms as TO them shall seem most likely TO
indeed viii dictate that laws long
established shall not be changed for light,
and trItling causes, and, accordingly, all
experience hath shown that mankind are
more disposed to suffer while evils are suf-
ferabie than To right themselves by abOl-
ishng the laws to which they are accuS-
toned But when long train of abuses
and usurpationS, pursuing invariably the
same object. eVinces desire TO reduce a
people under the absolute despotism OF
ffttf
of government, and with wealth Wrung
from the people. have grown To such gigau-
tic proportions rs to oVerShadow all the
land and WELD an almost irresistible iuiu-
ence for their own selfish purposes. in all
its halls of legislation. II is their right, it is
their duty. to throw oil such tyranny and
provide new guards for their future Sc
curity.
Such has been the patient sufIerance of
the producing class OF these States, and
such is now the necessity which compels
them to declare that they will use every
means save resort to arms to overthrow
this despotism of monopoly, and TO reduce
all men claiming the protection of Ameri-
can laws to an equality before those laws,
making the owner of a railroad as amen
able thereto as the ''verieSt bcggar that
walks the streets, the sun and air his sole
Inheritance
The history of the present railway mo-
nopoly. is Il history of repeated injuries and
establishment Of an absolute tyranny over
the people of these States uncqual!ed in any
monarchy of the Old World, and having its
only parallel in the history of the midieVal
ages, when the strong hand was the only
law, and the highways Of commerce were
taxed by the feudal barons, who from their
stronghOlds. surrounded by their armies of
Yassals, could levy such tribute upon the
traveller "a their own wills alone should
dictate. To prove This let facts be Submit
ted to a candid world
They have influenced our executive Off
GERS to refuse their assent to laws the most
wholesome and necessary for the public
good and when such laws have been passed !
they have utterly refused to obey them.
They have procured the passage of other
laws, for their own benefit alone, by which /
they have put untold millions into their own
Golfers. to the injury of the entire CONNER
cial and Industrial interests of the country. /
They have Influenced legislation To suit /
by bribing venal Legislators TO I
betray the true interests of their cOnstitu- +
ents, while others have been kept quiet by 1
the compliment of free passes.
The have repeatedly prevented the re- (
election OF representatives, for opposing /
with manly tirmness their invasion of the 4
peoples rights.
They have by false representations and /
subterflIges induced the people to subscribe /
built, were so eXhorbitant that, in many T.
instances. transportation by private con- I
vevance is less burdensome.
They have procured charters by which /
they condemn and appropriate our lands 7
without adequate compensation therefor, I
and arrogantly claim that by virtue of these I
charters they are absolutely above the con- /
troll of legal enactments.
They have procured a law of Congress by (
which they have deprived hundreds of /
farmers of the homes that by years of toll /
they have built up; have induced others to
their farms for roads never in
tended To be built, and after squandering I
the money thus obtained have lett their vic
tins to the mercy of courts over which 4
they held absolute sway.
They have DISTRACTED the administration
Justice by injunctons procured from Venal i
Judges, by legal bubbles ana appeals from
court to court, with intent to wear out or
ruin the prosecutor, openly avoWing their
determination to make it so terrible for the
public to prosecute them that they will not
lare undertake it.
They have virtually made judges depend
am on their will alone. and have procured
their appointment for the express purpose
1t reversing decision OF the highest court /
1t the nation, by which millions were gain
ad To them. To the injury of the holders of
the bonds and the breaking down this last
OF \ merican frcemen.
They have affected To render themselves +
of ana superior Ia the evil
power. by ordering large bodies of hire
ings to enforce their unlawful eNIctions.
anu nave projected them from punishment /
Tor the injury they might iuilict upon peace
tul eli liens while ciecting then, from their
,onvevancrS for refusing 70 ply more than
Ine rate ot iare prescribed by laws.
They have arrested and SUNNI 'uei from
their homes TOR trial, at distant points other
citizens for the same offeHse OF refusing TO
pay more than the legal fare, putting them
to rs great Inconvenience and expense as
possible, aud still further evincing their de-
termination t. make it too terrible for the
nrla IL ,p4ssl In
with them.
They have combi.cd together 10 destroy
com petition and 10 practice All unjust dis
contrary To the expressed pro-
visions OF our constitution aud the spirit OF
0ur laws
They have virtually cut of our trade with
distant parts OF the world ny their unjust
and by their exhorbitant
rates of freight, forcing upon us the alter
nate of accumulating upon our hands
" orthless surplus, or of giving three
Iourths of the price our customers pay for
our products for transportation.
Under the false and specious pretence of
developing the country, they have obtained
enormous grants of public lands from Con-
? ress, and now retard rather than develop
IFS settlement, by the higa prices charged
for such land.
They have converted the bonds fraudu-
ently obtained from the government into a
great corruption fund, with which they are
enabled 20 bribe and control legislatures
ard subvert every branch OF government 10
their own base and sordid purpose.
They have increased the already intoler-
able burden Of taxation, which the people
have to endure, compared with which the
tea and stamp tax, which precipitated the
war of the revolution, seems utterly insig-
by the appropriation of money |
from the public treasury, while they have
escaped taxation themselves by evading
and violating the expressed provisions OF
their charters.
In every stage of these expressions we
have petitioned our Legislatures for redress
in the most humble terms. Our repeated
petitions have been answered only by silence,
- lLat sh..lI