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Show DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE! i Let tho Children Read and Romomber tho J "? Immortal Document When, In tho courso of human ovents, It become- necessary for ono pcoplo to dlssolvo tho polltlcnl bands which havo connected thorn with another, an-other, and to nsaumo, among tho powers of tho earth, tho Bcparnto and equal station to which tho laws of nnturo and of naturo's God cntltlo them, n decent ! respect to tho opinions of mankind requires that they should dcclaro tho . causes which Impel them to tho separation. Wo hold theso truths to bo Bclf-ovldcnt, that all mon aro created equal; that they nro endowed by their Creator with certain unallcnablo rights; that among theso, nro llfo, liberty nnd tho pursuit of happiness. That, to Bccuro tneso rights, governments nro instituted among mon, deriving their Just powers pow-ers from tho consent of tho governed; that, whenovor any form of government govern-ment becomes destructive of theso ends, it Is tho right of tho pcoplo to niter or to abolish It, nnd to instltuto n now government, lnylng Its foundation on such principles, nnd organizing Its powers In bucIi form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Bafety nnd happiness. Prudenco, Indeed, will die-tato die-tato that governments long established should not bo changed for light and transient causos; nnd, accordingly, all oxperlcnco hath shown that mankind aro moro disposed to suffer, whllo evils aro sufferablo, than to right thorn-Bclves thorn-Bclves by abolishing tho forms to which they nro accustomed. Hut, when a long train of abuses nnd usurpations, pursuing Invariably tho Bnmo object, evinces n design to reduce thcra under absoluto despotism, It Is their right, It Is their duty, to throw off such government, and to proldo now guards for their futuro security. Such has been tho patient suffcrauco of theso colonies, and such Is now tho necessity which constrains them to niter tholr former systems of government. Tho history of tho present King of Great llr' tin Is a history of repented injuries and usurpations, all having, In direct object, tho establishment of nn absoluto tyranny over theso states. To provo this, let facts bo submitted to a candid world: Ho hns refused his assent to laws tho most wholcsomo and necessary for tho public good. Ho has forbidden his governors to pasB laws of lnimedlato and prosslng importance, unless suspended In their operation till his assent should bo obtained; and, when so suspended, ho has utterly neglected to attend to them. Ho hns refused to pass other laws for tho accommodation of largo districts dis-tricts of people, unless thoso pcoplo would relinquish tho right of representation representa-tion In tho legislature; a right lnostlmablo to them, and formldablo to tyrants only. , Ho has called together lcglslatlvo bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, uncomfort-able, nnd distant from tho depository of their public records, for tho solo pur-poso pur-poso of fatiguing them into compllanco with his measures. Ho has dissolved representative houses repeatedly for opposing, with manly firmness, Ills Invasions on tho rights of tho people. Ho has refused for a long tlmo after such dissolutions to causo others to bo elected; whoroby tho lcglslatlvo powers, lncapablo of annihilation, havo returned re-turned to tho pcoplo nt largo for their cxcrclso; thu stato remaining, in tho mean tlmo, exposed to all tho dangers of Invasion from without, and convulsions convul-sions within. Ho has endeavored to prevent tho population of theso states; for thnt purposo obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising tho conditions of now appropriations of lands. Ho has obstructed tho administration of Justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing Judiciary powers. Ho has mado Judges dopendent on his will alono for tho tenure of their offices, and tho amount and payment of their salaries. Ho has erected a multltudo of now offices, and sent hither swarms of officers of-ficers to harass our peoplo and cat out their substance Ho has kept among us, In times of peace, standing armies, without tho consent of our legislature. Ho has affected to render tho military Independent of, and superior to, tho civil power. Ho has combined, with others (that Is, with tho lords nnd commons of Drltalu) to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged unac-knowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation. legis-lation. For quartering largo bodies of armed troops among us; For protecting them, by n mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on tho Inhabitants of theso states; For cutting eft our irado with nil parts of tho world; For Imposing taxes on us without our consent; For depriving us, In many cases, of tho benefits of trial by Jury; For transporting us bojond Beas to bo trlod for pretended offenses; For nboltshtng tho frco syBtem of nngllBh laws In a neighboring province establishing therein nn arbitrary government, nnd enlarging Its boundaries, so as to render It at onco an examplo and lit Instrument for Introducing tho samo nljrioluto rula Into theso colonies; For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuablo lawB, nnd altering, fundamentally, tho forniH of our government; For suspoudlni; our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to leglslnto for us in nil cases whatsoever. Ho has abdlcuted go eminent hero by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war against us. Ho has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed de-stroyed tho lives of our people. Ho Is, at this time, transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complcto tho works of death, desolation and tyranny, nlrendy begun, with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled In the most barborous ages, and totally unworthy tho head of u civilized nation. He lias constrained our fellow citizens, taken captlvo on tho high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become tho oxouutlonor of their frlonds and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. Ho has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on tho Inhabitants of our frontiers tho merciless Indian savagaes, whoso known rulo of warfaro is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage- of these oppressions, wo have petitioned for redress, In tho most humblo terms; our repcatod petitions havo been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prlnco, whoso character Is thus marked by every act which may deflno a tyrant, Is unfit to bo tho ruler of a free peoplo. Nor havo wo been wnntlng In attentions to our Ilrltlsli brethren. Wo havo warned thorn, from tlmo to time, of attempts by their leglslaturo to oxtend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. Wo havo reminded them of tho circumstances of our emigration and settlement horo. Wo havo appoalcd to tholr natlvo Justlco and magnanimity, and wo huvo conjured them, by tho tics of our common kindred, to disavow thoso usurpations, which would in-ovltably in-ovltably Interrupt our connections and correspondence. Thoy, too, havo boon deaf to tho volco of justlco and of consanguinity. We must, thereforo, ac-quIcsco ac-quIcsco In tho necessity which denounces our separation, and hold them, as wo hold the rest of mankind, oncmlcs In war, In peace, friends. Wo, thereforo, tho representatives of the United States of America, In General Congress nsscmblod, appealing to tho Supremo Judge of tho world for tho rectitude of our Intentions, do, In tho namo, and by tho authority of tho good pcoplo of theso colonies, solemnly publish and declaro, that those United Colonies aro, aud of right ought to bo, Free and Independent States; thot they aro ubbolved from all allegiance to tho British crown, nnd that all political connection botwoen them and the Btnto of Great Britain Is, and ought to bo, totally dlssolvod; and that, as Freo and Independent States, thoy havo full powor to levy war, concludo poaco, contract alliances, establish com-morce, com-morce, and to do nil other acts and things which Independent States may of right do. And, for tho support of this declaration, with a firm rollanco on tho protection of Divine Providence, wo mutually plcdgo to oach other our Urea, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. |