National Republican., 1876-07-04
OLD HUNDRED.
The American Eagle Shedding His
~Moulting Feathers.
AN HISTORIC SOUVENIR.

AN HISTORIC SOUVENIR.
THE ORIGINAL DECLARAIIoS OF INDEPENDENCE
AS WRITTEN RY THOMAS JEFFERSON. The
PARTS PRINTED As "QUoTATIoNs WERE
ERASED BY CoNGRE~s AND THE WORDS IN
IERACEETs sU"TLIEn.
A Declaration bv the representatives. Of the Uni
I'D States Of America n Gcncr0i Congress as
SfHbiCd.
When in the course Of human events, it
becomes nece ssary for one people to dis
solve the political bands which have con-
nectcd them with another, and to assume
among the Powers ofthc earth the separate
and equal station to which the laws Of Ma
ture and of n .turc's God Gntitle them, a
decent respect for the opinions of mankind
requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be selfevident-
that all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with Icertain ]
inherent and" unalienable rights; that
amongst these are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness: that, to secure these
rights governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed; that whenever
any form of government becomes destruc-
tive of these ends 1t is the rIght of the peO-
pie to alter or to abolish it, and to institute
a new government, laying IFS foundation
on such principles, and organizing its
powers in such form as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their safety and hap
piness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate
that governments long established should
not be changed for light and transient
causes; and accordingly all experience hath
shown that mankind are more disposed to
suffer, while evils are suflcrablc, than to
right themselves by abolishing the forms
to which they are accustomed. But when
a long train of abuses and US Irpations,
''begun at distinguished period and pur-
suing invariably the same object, cvinces
a design TO reduce them under absolute
despotism, it is their right, it is their duty
TO throw of such government, and 10 pro-
vide new guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufTcrancc of
these Colonies; and suchFs now the neccs-
~@h;ch cOnstvains them to [alterI ''eX-
punge" tleir fcrmcr systems of govern
ment.
The history of the present king of Great
Britain is history Of Lrcpcatedl ''unre-
mitting" injuries and usurpations, among
(which appears no solitary fact to contra
q" dict the uniform tenor OF tue rest but all
"have" Iall having, ] in direct object the
establishment Of an absolute tyranny over
these States. To prove this, let facts be
submitted TO candid world ''lor the truth
&c of which we pledge a faith vet unsullied
"by falsehood.
He has refused his assent TO laws the
most wholesome and necessary for the
public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass
laws OF immediate and pressing importance,
unless suspended in their operation till his
assent should he obtained, and when so
suspended he has utterly neglected to attend
to them.
He has refused to plSs other laws for the
accommodation Of large districts of people,
unless those people would rGlinquish the
right Of representation iu the Legislature
= -ght ineStimablc to them and formidable
@yrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies
a places unusual, uncomfortable and dis
tant from the depository of their public
records for the sole purpose of fatiguing
them into compliance with his measures
He hss dissolved Representative Houses
repeatedly ''and continually, for oppos-
ing, with manly tirmness, his invasions on
the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such
dissolutions, to cause others to be elected
whereby the legislative powers, incapable
of annihilation, have returned to the people
at large, for their exercise; the State re,
naming, in the meantime, exposed TO all
the danger of invasion from without and
cChvulsions within.
He has endesvored TO prevent the popu
lation Of these States: for that purpose Oh
structinC the laws for naturalization of for.
eigners; refusing to pass others, to cncour
age their migrations hither, and raising
the conditions Of new appropriations Of
lands.
He has suffered cbstructedI the ad
mipistraiion of justice. totally TO cease in
some Of these States, - Ibyl refusing his
assent 10 laws for establishing judiciary
poweTs.
He has made 'our' judges dependent
on his will alone for the tenure of theiI
Offices and the amount and payment o.
their salaries.
Hc has erected multitude of new offices,
"by self assumed power, and sent hithel
swarms Of officers to harass Our people aud
eat ont their substance.
- He has kept among us, in time of peace
standing armies, ''and ships of war, " with
out the consent of our Legislatures.
He has affected to render the military in
dependent of, and superior to, the civi
power.
He has combined with others to subjec
us TO o Jurisdiction foreign to our constitu
ton, and unacknowledged by our laws
giving his assent to their acts of pretended
legislation.
For quarterlng large bodies of armed
troops among us.
For protecting them by mock trial from