The broad ax., 1897-07-03

states: For cutting OF our trade;
with all parts of the world: For inn
posing taxes on us without our con-
sent: For depriying rs, in many
cases, of the benefits of trial by
jury: For Transporting rs beyond
seas to be tried for pretended
offenses: For abolishing the free
system of English laws in neigh
boring province, establishing there
in an arbitrary government and
charging Its boundaries, so as to
render it at once an example and fit
instrument for interchangeable same
absolute rule into these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abol-
ishing our most valuable laws, and
altering, Fundamentally, the forms
of our governments: For suspend
ing our own legislatures, and de-
cIaring themselves invested with
power to legislate for us In all cases
whatsoever.
He has abdicated government
here, by declaring us out of his
protection, and waging war against
us.
He has plundered our seas, raw
aged our coasts, burnt our towns,
and DESTROYED the lives Of our
people.
He is, at this time, transporting
large armies of foreign mercenaries
to complete the works of death, des-
olation, and tyranny already begun
with circumstances of cruelty and
perfdy scarcely paralleled in the
most barbarous ages, and totally
unworthy the head of a civilized
nation.
He has constrained our fellow
citizens, taken captive on the high
seas, to bear arms against their
country, to become the executioners
of their friends and brethren, or to
fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insur-
rections amongst us, and has en-
deavored 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.
In every stage of these oppres-
sions, we have petitioned for re-
dress, in the most humble terms;
our repeated petitions have been
answered only by repeated injury.
A prince whose character is thus
marked by every act which may de-
fine tyrant is unfit to be the ruler
of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in at
tention to our British brethren.
We have warned them, from time
to time, of attempts by their legis-
lature to extend an unwarrantable
jurisdiction over us. We have re-
minded them of the circumstances
/ of our emigration and settlement
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 usurpstions, which would in
evitably interrupt our connections
and correspondence. They, too,
have been deaf to the voice of JUS
tice and of consanguinits. We
must therefore acquiesce in the ne
cessity which denounces our sep
aration, and hold them, as we hold
the rest of mankind, enemies in
war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representa-
tives of the United States of Amer
lea, 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, solemnly publish
and declare, that these United Col
onies are, and of right ought to be,
HREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that
they are absolved from all allegiance
to the British crown, and that all
political 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 ALI
ances, establish commerce, and to
do all other acts and things which
Independent States may of right
do. And for the support of this
declaration, with firm reliance on