Declaration of Independence — Part V

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and  unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from 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 pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an  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 Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms  of our Governments:

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 seas, 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 circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy 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 insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our  frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of  all ages, sexes and conditions.

 

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply