The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-07-08

ing, fundamentally, the forms or our
governments; for suspending our W
legislatures, and declaring themselves
invested with power TO legislate for US
in all cases whatsoever. He has alb
dictated government here, by declaring
us out of his protection. and waging
war against us. He has plundered 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 m~ercenaries to
complete the works of death, desola-
ton and tyranny, already begun with
circumstances Of cruelty and perfdy.
scarcely paralleled, in the most bar
barOus ages, and totally unworthy the
head Of a civilized nation. He has CON
strained III fellow citizens, taken cap
tive on the high seas, to bear arms
against their country, to become the
eXeCutioners Of their friends and
brethren. OF to fall themselves by their
hands. He has excited domestic insur-
reCtions among us, and has e%ndeavored
to bring on the inhabitants of our
frontiers the merciless Indian savages,
whose known rule of warfare is an IN
distinguished destruction OF all ages,
sexes and conditions. In every stage of
these expressions we have petitioned
for redress in the most humble terms;
our repeated petitions nave been ans
wered only by repeated injury. A
prince whose character is thus marked
by every act which may define a tyrant
is unfit to be the ruler OF a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in atten-
tions to our British brethren. We have
warned them, from time to time, of at
tempts by their legislature to extend
an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.
We have reminded them Of the circum-
stances of our emigration and settle
ment here. We have appealed to their
native justice and magnanimity, and
we have conjured them by the ties of
our common kindred TO disavow these
usurpations which would inevitably
interrupt our connections and CORES
pondence. They, too, have been deaf
to the voice Of justice and cCnsan-
g~uinity. We must, therefore, &C
AuASo'C III Iut htCSSSlIig WHICH uc-
nounces our separation, and hold them,
as we hold the rest Of mankind-ene-
mics in war, in peace, friends.
We, therefore, the representatives
Of the United States of America, in
general 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, SOL
EMMY publish and declare, that these
united colonies are, and of right ought
to be, free and independent states; that
they are absolved from all allegiance
to the British crown, and that all po-
litical connection between them and
the state Of Great Britain is and ought
to be totally dissolved: and that. as
free and Independent states, they have
full power to levy war, conclude
peace, contract alliances, establish
commerce, and 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 Divine Providence,
W. mutually pledge to each other our
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred
honor. JOHN HANCOCK,
President of Congress and Delegate
from Massachusetts.