The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-03
Declaration of independence
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

He has combined with others to subject to
Jurisdiction foreign to constitutions and I'M
acknowledged by laws; giving his assent to
their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among
US;
For protecting them, by mock trial. from pun
ishment for any murders which they should COM
nit on the inhabitants of these States;
For cutting off trade with all parts of the
world;
For imposing taxes without consent;
For depriving us, in many cases, OF the benefits
OF trial by jury;
For transporting US beyond seas, to be tried for
pretended Offences
For abolishing the free system of English laws
in a neighboring province, establishing therein
arbitrary government, and charging its boundaries,
so to render it at once example and fit in
strument for introducing the same absolute rule
into these colonies;
For taking away our charters, abolishing
valuable laws, and altering, fundamentally, the
forms of governments;
For suspending legislatures, and declar-
ing themselves invested with power eglsIate for
US in all whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us
out of his protection and wagng war against u.s.
He has plundered seas, ravaged our coasts
burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our
people
He is at this time Transporting large armies of
foreign mercenaries complete the works of DEATH
desolation, and tyranny, already begun with cir
cumstances of cruelty and perfdy scarcely pnraeled
in the most barbarous ages and totally unworthy
the head of civilized nation.
He has constrained fellow citizens, taken cap
tive on the high seas to bear arms against their
country, become the executoners Of their friends
and brethren, to fall themselves by their hands
He has excited domestic insurrection among u.s.
and has endeavored to bring the inhabitants OF
our frontiers the merciless Indian savages, whose
known rule Of warfare is undistingushed dcstruc
tion of oil ages, sexes, and conditions
In every stage Of these expressions we have peti-
TONED for redress in the most humble terms;
ropeated petitions have been answered only by re-
peated injury. prince whose character Is thus
marked by every act which may define tyrant is
unfit to be the ruler of free people
Nor have we been wanting in our attentions to
orr British brethren We have warned them, from
time to time attempts by their Legislature to ex-
tend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. we
have reminded them of the circumstances OF our
emigration and settlement here. We have appealed
to their native Justice and magnanmity; and
have conjured Them by the ties of our common kim
dred, to dsavow these usurpations, which would IN
eyitabIy interrupt connections and correspond
ence They, too, have been deaf to the voice or
iustce and consanguinity. We must therefore,
ouesce in the necessity which denounces separa-
ton and hold them, hold the rest OF MANKIND
enemies 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 Intentions, do, in the name and by
the authority of the good people OF these colonies,
solemnly publish and declare That these united
coIonies are and of right ought to be free and in
dependent states; that they are absolved from all
allegiance to British CROWN and that all political
connection between them and the stnte OF Great
Britain is and ought to be- totally dissolved; ana
that as free and independent states they have full
power to levy war; conclude peace, contract al
lances establish commerce. and do all other acts
and things which independent states may OF right
do And for the support of this declaration, with
n firm reliance on the protection Of Divine Prov-
dence we mutually pledge to each other our lives
our fortunes, and our sacred honor.