Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-03
DECLARATION or IsDEPENDENCF or
TBE UNITED STATES JULY 4, rssG.

/ OF INOEFENDENCH OF
THE UNITED STATES JULY =. fssG.
| When, in the course of human events, il
| becomes necessary for ono people to dissolve
the political bands which have connected
| them with another, and To assume, among
| tho powers OF the EARTH the separate and
| equal station to which the laws of natures
| God entitle them, n decent respect To the
| opinions of mankind requires that they
| should declare the causes which inpel them
| To tho separation.
| Wa hold these truths 10 bo self evident
that all men are created equal that they
| are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights that among these, are
| life, liberty aud the pursuit of happiness
| That, To secure these rights, governments
are instituted among men, deriving their
lust powers from tho consent Of the gov
erened that whenever any form OF govern
ment becomes destructive of these ends, 1t Is
the right of the people to alter or abolish IL,
| aud to institute q new government, laying
its foundation on such principles, aud or
gauiZlng its powers In such iorin, ~ To them
shall seem most likely To effect their safety
and happiness. Prudence indeed, Will
dictate that governments long estab-
lished. should not be changed Tor light
and transient cause aud accordingly,
all experience hath shown, that man.
kind are more disposed to suiler, while evils
are sullerabe, than to right themselves by
abolishing the forms to which they are ac-
customed. But when along train cf abuses
aud unsurpatiOns, pursuing invariably the
same object, eyinCes To reduce them under
absolute despotisin, IT Is their right, II is
their duty, to throw oil such government,
aud to provide new guards for their future
security. Such has been the patient suffer-
ance OF these colonies, aHd such - now the
necessity which ConstraIns them to alter
their former system oi government The
history OF the present king of Great Britain
Is "A history of repeated injuries aud usurpa-
tions, all having, in direct object, tho estab-
lI-hnont of an absolute tyranny over these
states. To provide this, let iacts DO sub
mitled to a candid world:
He has refused his assent to laws the most
wholesome and necessary to the public good.
He has forbidden his government to pass
laws of immediate ana pressing Importance,
unless suspended in their operation till his
assent should be obtained; and, when SO
suspended, he has utterly neglected TO attend
TO them.
lie has refused to pass other laws for the
recommendation OF large districts of people,
unless those people would relinquish the
right of representation in tho legislature; a
right inestmable 10 them and formidable
To tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at
places unusual, uncomfortable and distant
IRON the depository of their public records,
for the sole purpose Of tatigulng them into
compliance with his measures.
lie has dissolved representative houses re-
peatedly for opposing, with manly trmn ess,
his invasion on the rights OF the people.
lie has refused, for "a long time atler such
dis-olutiOus, to cause others to he elected
whereby the legislative powers, incapable Ol
aunihilation, have returned to the people at
large for their exercises; the state remaining
in the meantime exposed to all the danger OF
Invasion from without and conNuislonS with
in.
lie has oudeAvorcd to prevent the popula-
ton OF these states for that purpose, OBJ
structng the laws Tor naturalization oil
foreigners refusing to pass others 10 encour-
age their migration hithcr, and raising the
condition of new appropriations OF lands
He has obstructed tho admin lstration of
Justice, by refusing to assent to laws Tor es-
| taniishiug Judiciary powers.
lie has made Judges depend on his will
alone, for tho tenure OF their offices, and the
| amount of payment OF their salaries.
| lie has erected "A multitude of new offices,
| aud sent hither sSarms OF officers to harrass
| our people. aud cast out their substance.
| He has kept among uS, IN times OF peace,
| standing armies, without tho consent ol our
! legislature.
| lie has affected to render themilitary indie
| pendent OF, and superior To the civil power.
| He has combined, with Others, to subject
| us Ia a jurisdiction foreign Ia our constitu-
ton, aud unacknowledged by our laws; Civ
ing his assent to their act Of pretended legis'
| lation.
| For quarteriug largo bodies oi armed
| troops among Us.
| For protecting thom by "A mock trial, from
| punishment for any murder which they
should commit on the inhabitants OF these
| states.
For cutting oil our trade with all parts o
| the world
For imposing Ia Nes on Us without our con
| seut.
For deprivng us, in many cases, of tn,
benefit of the trial by jury.
| For transporting us beyond seas To be tried
for pretending oilenses.
For abOlishing the free system oi Engiisl
laws in neighboring province, establishing
therein an arbitrary government, and enlarg
| lng ITS boundaries, SO as TO render 1t at onc'
an example and tit instrument for intro
ducing the same absolute rule into these col
onioS
For taking away our charters, abolishinl
| our most valuable laws, aud altering iuuda
mentally the powers OF our governments.
For suspending our own legislature, AM
declaring themselves invested with powe
to legslate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here by de
claring us out OF his protection aud waginl
war against us.
| He mas plundered our seas ravaged on
coasts, burut'our towns, aud destroyed tn
| lives of our people.
lie AT this time transporting large armie
OF foreign mercenaries to complete the work
! | OF death, desolation and tyranny, already he
/, | gun, with circumstances Of cruelty and pei
. lidity scarcely paralleled III the most barba
D Gus ages, and totally unworthy the head OF
q civilized nation.
lie has constrained our fellow -ctizen
! taken captive on the high seas, to bear arm
| against their country, TO become the eNec'
q TONERS of their friends and brethren, or
o fall themselves by their bands,
r lie has excited domestic insurrectioi
o among us, and has endeavored to bring G
. the inhabitants Of our frontiers, the mercile
l. Indian sayages, whose known rule of wa
l. fare is an undistinguished destruction of u
g. ages, sexes and conditions.
L. In every stage of the expressions we ha'
terms our repeated petitions have been a
swered only by repeated injury. prin
re- whose character is thus marked by every a
OF which may define tyrant, is unit to bo d
~ ruler OF a Tree people.
h. Nor have we been wanting in attention
:, | our British brethren. We have warned thel
~ from time to time, of attempts made by the
a. legislature to extend an unwarrantableju jur
III diction over us. We have reminded them
~ the circumstances OF our emigration and s
~, tlement here. We have appealed 10 their
,io tive justice and magnanimity, and we ha
o ne injured them, by the ties OF our comm
us kindred to disavow these usurpations, VIII
on would inevitably interrupt our connectiC
u and correspondence. They, too, have pe
deaf to the voice OF justice aud consanguini
We must, therefore, acquiesce in the nee
r." sity, which denounces our separation a
If. hold them, as we hold the rest of manki
nd enemies in war, in peace friends
we We, therefore, the representatives of