The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-07-04

power.
He has combined, with Others, to sub
jeet us to a jurisdiction foreign to our
constitution, and unacknowledged by our
laws; giving his assent to their acts of
pretended legislation
For quartering large bodies Of armed
troops among us
For protecting them, by mock trial,
from punishment, for any murders which
they should commit on the inhabitants of
these States
For cutting of 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 abolishing the free system of Eng
lish laws in neighboring province,
establishing therein an arbitrary govern
ment, and enlarging its boundaries, so as
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, aboIishing
our most valuable laws, and altering,
fundamentally, the powers Of our govern.
ments
For suspending our own legislatures,
and declaring themselves invested with
power to legislate for Us in all cases what
soever
lie has abdicated government here, by
declaring us out of his protection, and
waging war against us
He has plundercd our seas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the
lives of our people.
He is, at this time, transporting large
armies of foreign mereenaries to complete
the works of death, desolation, and tyranny,
already begun, with circumstances of
cruelty and perfdy scarcely parallelcd in
the most barbarous ages, aud totally
unworthy the head Of civilized nation.
/ He has constrained our fellow-citizeus.
taken captive on the high seas, to bear
arms against their country, to become the
executioners of their friendsan brethren,
or to fall themselves by their hands.
lie has excited domestic iusurreetions
amongst us, and has endeavorcd to bring
on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the
mcrciless Indian savages, whose known
rule of warfare is an undistinguished
destruction, Of all ages, sexes, and condi-
tions.
In every stage Of these expressions, we
have petitioned for redress, in the most
humble terms; our repeated petitions have
been answered only by repeated injury.
A prince, whose character is thus marked
by every act which may define tyrant, is
unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention
to our British brethren. We have warned
them, from time to time, of attempts made
by their legislature to extend an unwar-
rantable Jurisdiction over us. We have
reminded them of the circumstances of
our emigration and settlement here. We
have appealed to their native justice and
magnanimity, aud we have conjured them,
by the ties Of our common kindred, to
disayow these usurpations, which would
inevitably interrupt our connections and
correspondence. They, too, have been deaf
to the voice of justice aud consanguinity
We must, therefore, acquiesce in the
necessity, which denounees our separation,
and hold them, as we hold the rest of
mankind, enemies in war, in peace, friends
We, therefore, the representatives ofthe
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GESER-
AL CONGRESS assembled, appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the World for the
rectitude of our intentions, do in the
name, and by the authority of the good
people of these colonies, solemnly publish
and declare, That these United Colonies
are, and of right ought to be, Free and
Independent States that they are absolyed
from all allegiance to tho British crown,
and that all political connexion between
them and the state of Great Britain, is,
and ought to be, totally dissolved; and
that, as Free aud Independent States they
have full power to levy war, conclude
peace, contract alliances establish com
merce and to do all other acts and things
which Independent States may of right do
And, for the support of this declaration,
with a firm reliance on the protection of
Dirine Proridenee, We mutually pledge to
each other, our lives, our fortunes, and
our sacred honor.
The foregoing declaration was, by order
,of Congress, engrossed, and signed by the
following members
JOHN HANCOCK.
Ne,c Hampshire. Massdeh usetts Bay.
Josiah Bartlett, Samuel Adams.
William Whipple, John Adams,
Matthew Thornton. Robert Treat Paine,
Rhode Island Elbridge Gerry.
Stephen Hopkins, DeEdrme.
William Ellery. Caesar Rodney
Connecticut. George Read,
Roger Sherman, Thomas NJ kean.
Samuel Huntington, AdJyial,d
William Williams. Samuel Chase,
Oliver Wolcott William Paea,
Neic York. Thomas Stone,
William Floyd Charles Carroll, Of
Philip Livingston, Carrollton.
Francis Lewis. Tlgiaia.
Lewis Morris George Wythe
Ne,c Jersey Richard Henry Ice,
Richard stockton, Thomas jefferson,
John Witherspoon, Benjamin Harrison,
Fraucis Hopkinson, Thomas Nelson, jun.