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He has made Judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

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, 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 peopic.

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He is, at this time, transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun, with circumstances of cruelty and 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 warfar is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress, in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a Free People.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts made by their Legislature to extend 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 magnanimity, and we have conjured them, by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They, too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation, 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 Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, Do, in the name and by the authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly de

clare

clare, 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 connexion, between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that, as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract 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 honour..

Signed by order and in behalf of the Congress,

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JOHN HANCOCK, Pres.
CHA. THOMSON, Sec.

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Math. Thornton. Fra. Hopkinfon,

Malachujetts-Bay. John Hart,

Samuel Adams,

John Adams,

Rob. T. Paine,

Eldridge Gerry.
Rhode Island, &c.
Stephen Hopkins,
Wm. Ellery.

Connecticut.
Roger Sherman,
Sam. Huntington,
Wm. Williams,
Oliver Wolcott.
New-York.
Wm. Floyd,
Philip Livington,
Francis Lewis,
Lewis Morris.

Ab. Clark.

Pennsylvania.
Robert Morris,
Benjamin Rush,
Benjamin Franklin,
John Morton,
Geo. Clymer,
James Smith,
Geo. Taylor,
James Wilfon,
Geo. Rofs.

Delaware.
Cæfar Rodney,
George Read.

Maryland.
Samuel Chafe,
Wm. Paca,

Tho. Stone,

Cha. Carrol of Cn.
Virginia.

George Wythe,
Rich. H. Lee,

Tho. Jefferfon,
Benj. Harrison,
Tho. Nelfon, jun.
Fra. Light. Lee,
Carter Braxton.

North-Carolina. Wm. Hooper, Jofeph Hewes, John Penn.

South-Carolina.
Edw. Rutledge,
Tho. Heyward, jun.
Tho. Lynch, jun.
Art. Middleton.

Georgia.
But. Gwinnet,
Lyman Ball,
Geo, Walton,

1

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

The CONSTITUTION framed for the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, by a Convention of Deputies from the States of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, at a Session begun May 25, and ended September 17, 1787.

WE

E, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, eftablifh justice, infure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourselves and pofterity, do ordain and establish this Conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I.-SECTION 1.

All legislative powers herein granted, shall be vested in a Congrefs of the United States, which fhall confift of a Senate and Houfe of Representatives.

SECTION II.

1. The House of Reprefentatives fhall confift of Members chofen every fecond year by the People of the feveral States; the electors in each State fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the moft numerous branch of the State Legislature.

II. No perfon fhall be a Representative who thall not have attained to the age of 25 years, and been feven years a Citizen of the United States; and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he fhall be chofen.

III. Reprefentatives and direct taxes fhall be apportioned among the feveral States which may be included within this Union, according to their refpe&tive numbers, which fhall be determined by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The aqual enumeration fhall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every fubfequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they fhall by law direct. The number of Reprefentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thousand; but each State fhall have at least one Representative; and, until fuch enumeration fhall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three;

Maffachusetts eight; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one; Connecticut five; New York fix; New Jersey four; Pennfylvania eight; Delaware one; Maryland fix; Virginia ten; North Carolina five; South Carolina five; and Georgia three.

IV. When vacancies happen in the Reprefentation from any State, the executive authority thereof fhall iffue writs of elec. tion to fill fuch vacancies.

V. The House of Reprefentatives fhall choose their Speaker and other officers, and shall have the fole power of impeach

ment.

SECTION III.

1. The Senate of the United States fhall be composed of two Senators from each State, chofen by the Legislature thereof for fix years, and each Senator fhall have one vote.

II. Immediately after they fhall be assembled, in confequence of the first election, they fhall be divided, as equally as may be, into three claffes. The feats of the Senators of the firft clafs fhall be vacated at the expiration of the fecond year; of the fecond clafs, at the expiration of the fourth year; and of the third clafs, at the expiration of the fixth year; fo that one third may be chofen every fecond year. And if vacancies happen by refignation or otherwife, during the recefs of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the Legislature, which hall then fill fuch vacancies.

HI. No perfon fhall be a Senator, who fhall not have attained to the age of 30 years, and been nine years a Citizen of the United States; and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabiant of that State for which he fhall be chofen.

IV. The Vice-President of the United States fhall be Prefident of the Senate, but shall have no vote unless they be equally divided.

V. The Senate fhall choofe their other Officers, and alfo a Prefident pro tempore, in the abfence of the Vice-Prefident, or when he shall exercife the office of Prefident of the U.States.

VI. The Senate fhall have the fole power to try all impeachments. When fitting for that purpose, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the Prefident of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall prefide; and no perfon fhall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members prefent.

VII. Judgment, in cafes of impeachment, fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and difqualiñcation to hold and enjoy any office of honour, trust, or profit, under the United States. But the party convicted fhall, never hele fs, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law.

Sec

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