A
declaration by the representatives of the united colonies of North
America, now met in Congress at Philadelphia, setting forth the
causes and necessity of their taking up arms.
If it was possible for men, who exercise their reason to believe,
that the divine Author of our existence intended a part of the human
race to hold an absolute property in, and an unbounded power over
others, marked out by his infinite goodness and wisdom, as the
objects of a legal domination never rightfully resistible, however
severe and oppressive, the inhabitants of these colonies might at
least require from the parliament of Great-Britain some evidence,
thatthis dreadful authority over them, has been granted to that
body. But a reverance for our Creator, principles of humanity, and
the dictates of common sense, must convince all those who reflect
upon the subject, that government was instituted to promote the
welfare of mankind, and ought to be administered for the attainment
of that end.
The legislature of Great-Britain, however, stimulated
by an inordinate passion for a power not only unjustifiable, but
which they know to be peculiarly reprobated by the very constitution
of that kingdom, and desparate of success in any mode of contest,
where regard should be had to truth, law, or right, have at length,
deserting those, attempted to effect their cruel and impolitic
purpose of enslaving these colonies by violence, and have thereby
rendered it necessary for us to close with their last appeal from
reason to arms. Yet, however blinded that assembly may be, by their
intemperate rage for unlimited domination, so to sight justice and
the opinion of mankind, we esteem ourselves bound by obligations of
respect to the rest of the world, to make known the justice of our
cause.
Our forefathers, inhabitants of the island of Great-Britain,
left their native land, to seek on these shores a residence for
civil and religious freedom. At the expense of their blood, at the
hazard of their fortunes, without the least charge to the country
from which they removed, by unceasing labour, and an unconquerable
spirit, they effected settlements in the distant and unhospitable
wilds of America, then filled with numerous and warlike barbarians.
-- Societies or governments, vested with perfect legislatures, were
formed under charters from the crown, and an harmonious intercourse
was established between the colonies and the kingdom from which they
derived their origin. The mutual benefits of this union became in a
short time so extraordinary, as to excite astonishment. It is
universally confessed, that the amazing increase of the wealth,
strength, and navigation of the realm, arose from this source; and
the minister, who so wisely and successfully directed the measures
of Great-Britain in the late war, publicly declared, that these
colonies enabled her to triumph over her enemies. --Towards the
conclusion of that war, it pleased our sovereign to make a change in
his counsels.
From that fatal movement, the affairs of the
British empire began to fall into confusion, and gradually sliding
from the summit of glorious prosperity, to which they had been
advanced by the virtues and abilities of one man, are at length
distracted by the convulsions, that now shake it to its deepest
foundations. -- The new ministry finding the brave foes of Britain,
though frequently defeated, yet still contending, took up the
unfortunate idea of granting them a hasty peace, and then subduing
her faithful friends.
These colonies were judged to be in such a state, as to present
victories without bloodshed, and all the easy emoluments of
statuteable plunder. -- The uninterrupted tenor of their peaceable
and respectful behaviour from the beginning of colonization, their
dutiful, zealous, and useful services during the war, though so
recently and amply acknowledged in the most honourable manner by his
majesty, by the late king, and by parliament, could not save them
from the meditated innovations. -- Parliament was influenced to
adopt the pernicious project, and assuming a new power over them,
have in the course of eleven years, given such decisive specimens of
the spirit and consequences attending this power, as to leave no
doubt concerning the effects of acquiescence under it.
They have
undertaken to give and grant our money without our consent, though
we have ever exercised an exclusive right to dispose of our own
property; statutes have been passed for extending the jurisdiction
of courts of admiralty and vice-admiralty beyond their ancient
limits; for depriving us of the accustomed and inestimable privilege
of trial by jury, in cases affecting both life and property; for
suspending the legislature of one of the colonies; for interdicting
all commerce to the capital of another; and for altering
fundamentally the form of government established by charter, and
secured by acts of its own legislature solemnly confirmed by the
crown; for exempting the "murderers" of colonists from legal trial,
and in effect, from punishment; for erecting in a neighbouring
province, acquired by the joint arms of Great-Britain and America, a
despotism dangerous to our very existence; and for quartering
soldiers upon the colonists in time of profound peace. It has also
been resolved in parliament, that colonists charged with committing
certain offences, shall be transported to England to be tried.
But
why should we enumerate our injuries in detail? By one statute it is
declared, that parliament can "of right make laws to bind us in all
cases whatsoever." What is to defend us against so enormous, so
unlimited a power? Not a single man of those who assume it, is
chosen by us; or is subject to our control or influence; but, on the
contrary, they are all of them exempt from the operation of such
laws, and an American revenue, if not diverted from the ostensible
purposes for which it is raised, would actually lighten their own
burdens in proportion, as they increase ours. We saw the misery to
which such despotism would reduce us. We for ten years incessantly
and ineffectually besieged the throne as supplicants; we reasoned,
we remonstrated with parliament, in the most mild and decent
language.
Administration sensible that we should regard these oppressive
measures as freemen ought to do, sent over fleets and armies to
enforce them. The indignation of the Americans was roused, it is
true; but it was the indignation of a virtuous, loyal, and
affectionate people. A Congress of delegates from the United
Colonies was assembled at Philadelphia, on the fifth day of last
September. We resolved again to offer an humble and dutiful petition
to the King, and also addressed our fellow-subjects of
Great-Britain. We have pursued every temperate, every respectful
measure; we have even proceeded to break off our commercial
intercourse with our fellow-subjects, as the last peaceable
admonition, that our attachment to no nation upon earth should
supplant our attachment to liberty. -- This, we flattered ourselves,
was the ultimate step of the controversy: but subsequent events have
shewn, how vain was this hope of finding moderation in our enemies.
Several threatening expressions against the colonies were inserted
in his majesty's speech; our petition, tho' we were told it was a
decent one, and that his majesty had been pleased to receive it
graciously, and to promise laying it before his parliament, was
huddled into both houses among a bundle of American papers, and
there neglected. The lords and commons in their address, in the
month of February, said, that "a rebellion at that time actually
existed within the province of Massachusetts-Bay; and that those
concerned with it, had been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful
combinations and engagements, entered into by his majesty's subjects
in several of the other colonies; and therefore they besought his
majesty, that he would take the most effectual measures to inforce
due obediance to the laws and authority of the supreme legislature."
-- Soon after, the commercial intercourse of whole colonies, with
foreign countries, and with each other, was cut off by an act of
parliament; by another several of them were intirely prohibited from
the fisheries in the seas near their coasts, on which they always
depended for their sustenance; and large reinforcements of ships and
troops were immediately sent over to general Gage.
Fruitless were all the entreaties, arguments, and eloquence of an
illustrious band of the most distinguished peers, and commoners, who
nobly and strenuously asserted the justice of our cause, to stay, or
even to mitigate the heedless fury with which these accumulated and
unexampled outrages were hurried on. -- equally fruitless was the
interference of the city of London, of Bristol, and many other
respectable towns in our favor. Parliament adopted an insidious
manoeuvre calculated to divide us, to establish a perpetual auction
of taxations where colony should bid against colony, all of them
uninformed what ransom would redeem their lives; and thus to extort
from us, at the point of the bayonet, the unknown sums th
at should
be sufficient to gratify, if possible to gratify, ministerial
rapacity, with the miserable indulgence left to us of raising, in
our own mode, the prescribed tribute. What terms more rigid and
humiliating could have been dictated by remorseless victors to
conquered enemies? in our circumstances to accept them, would be to
deserve them.
Soon after the intelligence of these proceedings arrived on this
continent, general Gage, who in the course of the last year had
taken possession of the town of Boston, in the province of
Massachusetts-Bay, and still occupied it a garrison, on the 19th day
of April, sent out from that place a large detachment of his army,
who made an unprovoked assault on the inhabitants of the said
province, at the town of Lexington, as appears by the affidavits of
a great number of persons, some of whom were officers and soldiers
of that detachment, murdered eight of the inhabitants, and wounded
many others. From thence the troops proceeded in warlike array to
the town of Concord, where they set upon another party of the
inhabitants of the same province, killing several and wounding more,
until compelled to retreat by the country people suddenly assembled
to repel this cruel aggression. Hostilities, thus commenced by the
British troops, have been since prosecuted by them without regard to
faith or reputation. -- The inhabitants of Boston being confined
within that town by the general their governor, and having, in order
to procure their dismission, entered into a treaty with him, it was
stipulated that the said inhabitants having deposited their arms
with their own magistrate, should have liberty to depart, taking
with them their other effects. They accordingly delivered up their
arms, but in open violation of honour, in defiance of the obligation
of treaties, which even savage nations esteemed sacred, the governor
ordered the arms deposited as aforesaid, that they might be
preserved for their owners, to be seized by a body of soldiers;
detained the greatest part of the inhabitants in the town, and
compelled the few who were permitted to retire, to leave their most
valuable effects behind.
By this perfidy wives are separated from their husbands, children
from their parents, the aged and the sick from their relations and
friends, who wish to attend and comfort them; and those who have
been used to live in plenty and even elegance, are reduced to
deplorable distress.
The general, further emulating his ministerial masters, by a
proclamation bearing date on the 12th day of June, after venting the
grossest falsehoods and calumnies against the good people of these
colonies, proceeds to "declare them all, either by name or
description, to be rebels and traitors, to supercede the course of
the common law, and instead thereof to publish and order the use and
exercise of the law martial." -- His troops have butchered our
countrymen, have wantonly burnt Charlestown,besides a considerable
number of houses in other places; our ships and vessels are seized;
the necessary supplies of provisions are intercepted, and he is
exerting his utmost power to spread destruction and devastation
around him.
We have rceived certain intelligence, that general Carleton, the
governor of Canada, is instigating the people of that province and
the Indians to fall upon us; and we have but too much reason to
apprehend, that schemes have been formed to excite domestic enemies
against us. In brief, a part of these colonies now feel, and all of
them are sure of feeling, as far as the vengeance of administration
can inflict them, the complicated calamities of fire, sword and
famine. We are reduced to the alternative of chusing an
unconditional submission to the tyranny of irritated ministers, or
resistance by force. -- The latter is our choice. -- We have counted
the cost of this contest, and find nothing so dreadful as voluntary
slavery. -- Honour, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to
surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors,
and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We
cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding
generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them, if we
basely entail hereditary bondage upon them.
Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are
great, and, if necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly
attainable. -- We gratefully acknowledge, as signal instances of the
Divine favour towards us, that his Providence would not permit us to
be called into this severe controversy, until we were grown up to
our present strength, had been previously exercised in warlike
operation, and possessed of the means of defending ourselves. With
hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly,
before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy
of those powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously
bestowed upon us, the arms we have been compelled by our enemies to
assume, we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating
firmness and perseverence, employ for the preservation of our
liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather thanto
live slaves.
Lest this declaration should disquiet the minds of our friends and
fellow-subjects in any part of the empire, we assure them that we
mean not to dissolve that union which has so long and so happily
subsisted between us, and which we sincerely wish to see restored.
-- Necessity has not yet driven us into that desperate measure, or
induced us to excite any other nation to war against them. -- We
have not raised armies with ambitious designs of separating from
Great-Britain, and establishing independent states. We fight not for
glory or for conquest. We exhibit to mankind the remarkable
spectacle of a people attacked by unprovoked enemies, without any
imputation or even suspicion of offence. They boast of their
privileges and civilization, and yet proffer no milder conditions
than servitude or death.
In our own native land, in defence of the freedom that is our
birthright, and which we ever enjoyed till the late violation of it
-- for the protection of our property, acquired solely by the honest
industry of our fore-fathers and ourselves, against violence
actually offered, we have taken up arms. We shall lay them down when
hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, and all
danger of their being renewed shall be removed, and not before.
With an humble confidence in the mercies of the supreme and
impartial Judge and Ruler of the Universe, we most devoutly implore
his divine goodness to protect us happily through this great
conflict, to dispose our adversaries to reconciliation on reasonable
terms, and thereby to relieve the empire from the calamities of
civil war.
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