The Essex Journal, and New-Hampshire Packet, 1776-07-19

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures, He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution acknknow acknknowledged - ledged acknknowledged by our laws; given his assent to their acts of pretended legislation; For quartering large bodies of armed troops a among - mong among us: For protecting them by a mock trial, from punish punishment - ment punishment for any murders, which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states: For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world: For imposing taxes on us without our consent: For depriving us, in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury: For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pre pretended - tended pretended offences : For abolishing the free system of English laws, in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an ar arbitrary - bitrary arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Co Colonies: - lonies: Colonies: F or taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our goverments: For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring 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 fees, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time, transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circum circumstances - stances circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely parallelled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow citizens taken cap captive - tive captive on the high seas to bear armns against their coun country, - try, country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruc destruction, - tion, destruction, of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these oppressions we have petition petitioned - ed petitioned for redress, in the most humble terms: Our re repeated - peated repeated petitions have been answered only by re repeated - peated repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of free people. Nor have we been wanting in attention to our Brit British - ish British brethren. We have warn'd them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwar unwarratable - ratable unwarratable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and set settlement - tlement settlement here. We have appealed to their native jus justice - tice justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of common kindred to disavow these usur usurpations, - pations, usurpations, which inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must therefore acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separanon, and hold them, as we 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 recitude 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 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 political connection between them and the state of Britain, is, and ought to be totally dissolved;

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dis dissolve - solve dissolve the political bands which have con connected - nected connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the seperate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God en entitle - title entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of man mankind - kind mankind require that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be 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, and the pursuit of hap happiness. - piness. happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dic dictate - tate dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes, and accord accordingly - ingly accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable; than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under ablolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their for former - mer former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of, and absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his assent to laws, the most whole wholesome - some wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and 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. He has refused to pass other laws for the accom accommodation - modation accommodation of large Districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them, and for formidable - midable formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the deposi depository - tory depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolu dissolusions, - sions, dissolusions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the le legislative - gislative legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have re returned - turned returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without; and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment all their salaries.

A JE have tHought fit, wi'h (ke advice of W Coancily and at the desire of the Homfa of Raprefentatives, to apsoint; and do hereby sex apait THURSDAY the fi-ft day of next, o be observed, throughout this Colnoy, as a day of solemn Hamiliation, Faftng and Piayer ; hereby caliing upon ministers and peaple, publicly ta. humble. themiclves under the righteays hand of GOD ; penitently to ackiowled ;e their many 'Reinous, and aggravated Goy, aod th~ righ'e suf< nefs of bis difpzalations toward them : W ith de devout, - vout, devout, and smpor tunate supplications to implo ¢ Al= mighty GOD, that the trowns of bis Providenceg manifefted by the severe diought whesewith (oma parts of the land have been vifired, and all the humiliating events which heve lately taken place 'in Amlerica, may, under the Zivin, influcnce, pra praduee - duee praduee a sincere repéntance; snd thorough refor~ Wation among all orders, snd degrees of persons § that he would mercifully remove the prelent tokeas and effefls of his righteous displeasure a againlt - gainlt againlt v, dod prevent those more severe judg judgments - ments judgments that our sing deserve § and which, in the 'prefent afpe&ts of Divine Providence, we are warned o prepare for ;==That be would com~ mand his blefling upon all our public Couneils inf - this important crisis of our political affairs 3 Pro= tett and preserve the life of our General his offi « cers, and soldiers ; (uceeed and prosper theit armsy wherever employed 5 that our cruel, and unnatus ral enemies may be defeated in theiy open ate tempts, secret plots, and diabolical machinationg to fubjugare, or destroy us ; and this peooleyg placing their hope and confidence in that GODy in whom their patiotic, and pious fathers trufled, and were delivered, may be difpoled, with manly chearfulnefls to offer themfeves for the defence of their dleeding CoUNTRY, ana of those rights, ciyil aad rcligious, upon the enjoyment of which, the prace and happinels of the present, and future" geoerations depend 5 that he will be pleased ta' bear che cry of the prisoner, and grant a speedy liberation'to all our captivated brethren 5 that he' would water the earth with timely refiething' thowe:s, and caule this yéar to aboutid with healthy and dleity 5 and prevént thé spreading of any e~ pidemical sickness-among us ;- thdt be would pul a flop to the wanton c#ufion of human bioudy

For aday of public Sumiliation, fafting and prayer, ] T being our incumbent duty to acknowledge GOD; in all our ways, and to commit all our ajfairs, both public and private, ts his alwife direttion and guidance ; and especially, in & day of Jingular, and peneral :_:)?mity. to implore bis merciful interposition 3 and it having beem the laudable practice of this ga= vernment, 1o recommiend, and appoint days of public. Fafling and Prayer, iipon Jpecial and Jolemn occafi< ons 5 and this Court apprebending the present feafen 10 be big with the most important events, not only @0 this, bat to all the United American Colopies,, and [enfible that these tvents are at the difpofat of the supreme governor of the uziverfe | x ?

and that as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alli alliances, - ances, alliances, 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 a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.