The Lake County star., 1876-07-13

would relinquish the inestimable right of
representation in the legislature
| tion of Va.
BY dissolving legislative assemblies re-
peatedly and continually, for opposing with
manly frmpess his invasion of the rights OF
the people.-Constitution OF Va.
When dissolved, by refusing to call ethers
for long space of time, thereby leaving
the political system without any legislative
head.-Constitution OF Va.
By endeavoring to prevent the popula-
tion of our country, and, for that purpose,
obstructing the laws for the naturalization
of Observation-Disclosures of Va.
BY keeping among us, in times of peace,
standing armies and ships Of war.-Consti-
tuition of Va.
By affecting to render the military indie.
pendent OF and superior to the civil power.
BY combining with others to subject us to
a foreign jurisdiction.
Giving his assent to their pretended acts
of legislation.
For quartering large bodies of armed
troops among us.-Censtitution of Va.
To protect from punishment, such as might
be guilty even of murder in endeavoring to
carry their oppressive edicts into execution.
For cutting off our trade with all parts of
the world.
For imposing taxes on us without our
consent.
For depriving us of the benefits of trial
by jury.
For transporting US beyond seas to be tried
for pretended offences.-Constitutio of Va.
The Dominion of Canada is to be so gov
erned as that by being disunited from us
they might become formidable to us, and
on occasion be fit instruments in the hands
OF power to reduce the ancient free Prot.
estant Colonies to the same state of slavery
with thenselves.-Jay'sA Address.
By rendering the American charters of no
validity, having annulled the most material
parts of the charter of the Massachusetts,
Bay.-Drayton's Charge.
For suspending our own legislatures, and
declaring themselves invested with power to
legislate for us in all cases Whatsoever
Constitution of Va.
George the Third has abdicated the gov.
ernment-Drayton's Charge.
BY abandoning the helm of government,
and declaring us out of his allegiance and
Observation-Disclosures of Va.
BY plundering eur seas, ravaging our
coasts, burning our towns, and destroying
the lives Of our people. Constitution of Va.
By transporting at this time a large army
OF foreign mercenaries to complete the
works OF death, desolation and tyranny,
already begun, with circumstances of cruelty
and peridy unworthy the head of civil
lied nation.-Constitution of Va.
BY endeavoring to bring on the inhabit-
ants of our frontiers the merciless Indian
savages, whose known rule of warfare is an
undistinguished destruction of all ages,
sexes and conditions of existence.-Consti-
tuition of Va.
BY melting instructions OF our fellow
subjects, with the allurements of forfeiture
and confscation.- of Va.
BY answering our repeated petitions for
redress with a repetition of injuries.-Con-
stitution of Va.
We, the citizens of Mecklenburg County,
do hereby dissolve the political bands which
have connected us to the mother country;
and hereby absolve ourselves from all alle-
glance to the British crown, and abjure all
political connection, contract, or association
with that nation. -Mecklenburg Declare
ton.
To declare the United Colonies free and
independent states absolved from all alle-
glance to, or dependence upon the crown
or Parliament OF Great Britain.-Instruc-
tions of Virginia Convention to her Del
egates.
We do hereby declare ourselves free and
Independent people are, and of right ought
to be, sovereign and self.governing asso-
citation.
To the maintenance of which indepen.
dence,
We solemnly pledge to each other our
mutual cooperation. our lives, our fortunes,
Declaration.
Every instrument from which a quo
tation is made in the column of resem-
- L., oI
to be of earlier date than the Declaration
of independence. Thus the Virginia
Declaration Of Rights was adopted June
18th, 1776. The Constitution of Vir-
ginia was adopted June 20, 1776.
Governor jays address to the people of
England was written and published
in September, 1774. Judge DraytOn's
charge was delivered on the 23d of
April, 1776, and published in May of
the same year. And the declaration by
the citizens of Mecklenburg County in
North Carolina, was made on the Goth of
May, 1775.
An attempt has been made to show
that the Constitution of Virginia, or
more properly, the List of Grievances
prefixed to that Document, was written
by Mr.. Jefferson, but there is no proof of
this. Mr.. Tucker says it was written by
Mr.. Jefferson, in Philadelphia, and for
warded to Mr.. Wythe in Virginia. But
on the 1lth of August, 1775, Mr.. Jeffer-
son was elected delegate to Congress
for one year, by the convention of Vir-
ginia, and on the Goth of June, 1776, was
reelected for another year. The Jour-
nails, show us that George Wythe, also,
was elected with Mr.. Jefferson, on both
the occasions referred to; and as the list
of members in the Virginia convention
presents us with the name, at one time,
of Mr.. Edmund Randolph, and at
another, of Mr.. Prentiss, sitting for Mr..
Wythe, we infer that in 1776, when the
Virginia constitution was. under con-
sideration, Mr.. Wythe was in Philadel.
phia with Mr.. jefferson, attending To
his duties in Congress; If this be so, we
do not perceive how this list of griev-
ances could have been transmitted to
him in Virginia. 1t may, indeed, have
been sent to some other friend named
Wythe; or the professor may<have mis-
taken the person to whom it was sent
in which case it was plain that th'
original letter of Mr.. Jefferson contain
ing these grievances was not before hi
. biographer. It may be received
opinion, in Virginia, that Mr.. Jefferson
furnished the list of grievances prefxe'
: to the constitution /; nor would we b
understood as denying that he did so.
he did, he only borrowed very largel,
from himself; and it is to be lamente,
} that he has left no explanation of the re
semblance between the Declaration ant
the charter of Virginia; while in anothe
case, of much less moment, he has bee
. at the pains to account for the likenes
r of a Virginia document, which wa
penned by himself, to public .pape
: which he prepared as member .
Congress. If letter TO any one in Vii
e ginia can be produced, from Mr.. JefeI
I sons pen, which contains this list q
4 grievances, and If they. were thus CON
!, municated before the 10Th of June, 177t