The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-07-07
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE


/
The smantmors dec1asanon Of fKs thirteen United
D. ,Stafcs " A0wtca: I5s 10 a 4cITitl ID ASA
When in the course Of human events It becomes
necessary for one people TO dissolve the political
| banda which have contested them with another
and 70 assume among the Rowsr,s Of the earth the
tre and of natures God entitle Them decent re-
spect to the opinions OF mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them TO the
We hold these truths to be sslf-evidsnt That all
| men are created equal; that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unaliens6le rghts; that
among these are life, liberty and the pursuit OF hap
piness 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 de-
structive of these ends, IL IL the right OF the people
to alter TO abolish 1t, and 70 institute new Gov.
ernment laying its foundation on such principles,
and organizing its powers In such form, a. to them
shall seem most likely to effect their safety and
happiness Prudence, indeed, wili , ac'sse thas
changed for light and transient causes and accord
ingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are
disposed to suffer- while evils are sufferabe,
than TO right themselves by abolishng the forms 10
| which they accustomed. But when long train
OF abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
| same object, evnces q design to reduce them under
absolute esposni IL is their right, II IL their duty,
| to throw of such government and to provide new
guards for their future security. Such has been
the patient sufferance of these colonies and such
is the necessity which constrains them to alter
| their former system of government. The history
of the present KING of Great Britain Is history OF
repeated injuries and usurpatons, all having in di
rect object the establishment of an absolute tyranny
these States. To prove this, let facts be sub
mitted to a candid world. rrr
He has refused his assent to laws, the most whole
some and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors TO pass laws OF
inm ediate and pressing Importance, unless suspend
ed in their operation till his assent should be OBJ
tanned and, when suspended, he has utterly
neglected to attend TO them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accom-
mediation of large districts of people, unless those
people would relnquish their right of representation
in the Legislature, n right inestmable to them and
! formidable to tyrants only. .a r.
lie has called together legislative bodies at places
unusual, uncomfortable and distant from the de-
postory of their public records for the sole purpose
| Of fatiguing them into compliance with his meas
ures. N. Ih..4
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly
for opposing with manly hrmness his invasions on
the rights of the people. af
He has refused for long time after such dissolu-
| lions to cause others to be elected; whereby tho
Legislative powers incapable Of humiliation, have
returned to the people at large for their exercise
the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all
the dangers of invasion from without, and convul-
| lie has endeavored TO prevent the population of
these States for that purpose obstructing the laws
for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass
others to encourage their migrations hither, and
raising the conditions OF new appropriations Of
lands.
ne mas obstructed the administration of justice,
by refusing his assent to laws for establishing ju-
dietary powers
He has made Judges dependent on his will alone
Tor the tenure OF their offices, and the amount and
| He has erected a multitude of new Offices and
sent hither swarms of officers to harrass people
and eat out their substance.
! He has kept among us in times of peace stand
ing armies, without the consent of Legislatures
He has affected to render the military independ-
ent of and superior TO the civil power.
b He has combined with others to subject to
jurisdiction foreign TO our Constitution, and
knowledged by our laws, giving his assent to their
ofc of nAn1 alafiA La.
bodies of armed troops among us for protecting
them by mock trial from punishment for any
murders which they should commit on the inhabi-
tants Of these States; for cutting off trade with
all parts Of the world for imposing taxes us
without consent for deprving in many cases
of the benefits of trial by jury for transporting
beyond seas to be tried for pretended offerses
abolishing the free system of English laws in a
neghboring province, establishing therein an arbi-
trary Government, and charging its boundaries so
as TO render 1T at once an example and ut instru-
, ment for introducing the same absolute rule into
these colonies; for taking away charters, abol-
ishing our most valuable laws and altering funda-
mentally the forms of governments; for sus-
pending our own Legislatures, and declaring them
selves invested with power to egislate for in all
He has abdicated government here by declaring
us out of his protection, and waging war against
He has plundered our seas, ravaeed our coasts
burnt our towns, aud destroyed the lives Of our
people.
foreign mercenares to complete the works of death
desolation and tyranny already begun with crcum-
stances of cruelty and perfdy scarcely paraeled in
the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the
head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our feow-citizens taken cap
tive ON the high seas to bear arms against their
country to become the executoners of their frien d.
and brethren, or TO fall themselves by their hands
He has excited domestic instructions amongs
! us, and has endeayored to bring on the inhabitants
OF our frontiers the merciess Indian savages
, whose known rule of warfare is undistnguishet
destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these expressions We have petit
. toned for redress in the most humble terms. Ou
repeated petitions have been answered by repeated
injury. prince, whose character is thus m arke
by every act which may define tyrant, is UNFIT tc
be the ruler OF a free people. Nor have we beer
wanting in attentions to our British brethren. W,
have warned them from time to time of attempts b.
their Legislature to extend unwarrantable juris
l dicton over us. We have reminded them of the
circumstances OF our emigration aud settlement
here. We have appealed to their native justice anC
. magnanimity, and we have conjured them by tn
3 ties of our common kindred to disavow these usur
: pations which would inevitably interrupt our con
nections and correspondence. They too have beer
deaf TO the voice OF justice and of consanguinity
= We must, therefore, acquesce in the necessit,
which denounces our separation, and hold them, a
we hold the rest OF mankind, enemies in war, II
G peace friends
q We, therefore, the Representatives of the Unite,
States of America, in general Congress assembled
" appealing to the Supreme Judge OF the world TO
: the recttude Of our intentions, do in the name an'
@ 10y authority of the good people of these colonies
: solemnly publish and declare that these Unite'
Colonies are and of right ought to be, free and in
pendent States; that they absolved from al
allegiance to the British Crown, and that all poti
u cal connection between them and the State OF Grea
Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved AM
that free and Independent States, they have fu
= power TO levy war; conclude peace, contract ALI
ances establish commerce, and to do all other act
e and things which independent States may OF RICH
:, do. And for the support Of this Declaration, wit
u a firm reliance the protection of Divine Prov
n dence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives
= our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
4 JOHN HANCOCK, GEO. TAYLOR,
y BUTTON GwINAErT, JAMES WILSON,
q LYMAN HALL, Gro Ross,
a Gro. WALTON, CESAR RODNEY,
wM HOOPER, GEO. READ,
II JOSEPH HEwEs, THO. MCKEAS,
n JOHN PENN VIM. FLOYD,
10 | EDWARD RUTLFDGE, PHILIP LIVINGSTON,
" THos. HAYWARD, JUNR., FRANCIS LEWIS,
IS THOMAS LYNCH, JUNR., LEWIS MORRIS,
Il ARTHUR MIDDLETON, RIcH'D STOCKTON,
" MANUEL CHASE JNo WITHERsPooS
IL WM PAoA, FRANCIS HoPhiSsoS'
4, THos. STONE, joan HART,
CHARLES CARROLL of ABRA. CLARK,
Carrollton, -- .r.. JOSIAH BARTLETT,
WHIPPIE.