美国宪政历程:影响美国的25个司法大案-第83章

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and　to　assume　among　the　Powers　of　the　earth；　the　separate　and　equal

station　to　which　the　Laws　of　Nature　and　of　Nature's　God　entitle　them；　a

decent　respect　to　the　opinions　of　mankind　requires　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　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　bees　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　the　m　shall　seem　most　likely　to　effect

their　Safety　and　Happiness。　Prudence；　indeed；　will　dictate　that

Governments　long　established　should　not　be　changed　for　light　and　transient

causes；　and　accordingly　all　experience　hath　shown；　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　absolute　Des　potism；　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　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　an　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　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　acmodation　of　large

districts　of　people；　unless　those　people　would　relinquish　the　right　of

Representation　in　the　Legislature；　a　right　inestimable　to　them　and

formidable　to　tyrants　only。

He　has　called　together　legislative　bodies　at　places　unusual；

unfortable；　and　distant　from　the　depository　of　their　public　Records；

for　the　sole　purpose　of　fatiguing　them　into　pliance　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　dissolutions；　to　cause　others

to　be　elected；　whereby　the　Legislative　powers；　incapable　of　Annihilation；

have　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　of　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　of　their　salaries。

He　has　erected　a　multitude　of　New　Offices；　and　sent　hither　swarms　of

Officers　to　harass　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　bined　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　mit　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　t　hese　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

pleat　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　H　ead　of　a　civilized　nation。

He　has　constrained　our　fellow　Citizens　taken　Captive　on　the　high　Seas　to

bear　Arms　against　their　Country；　to　bee　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。

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　by　their　legislature　to　extend

an　unwarrantable　jurisdiction　over　us。　We　have　reminded　them　of　the

circumstances　of　our　emigration　and　sett　lement　here。　We　have　appealed　to

their　native　justice　and　magnanimity；　and　we　have　conjured　them　by　the

ties　of　our　mon　kindred　to　disavow　these　usurpations；　which　would

inevitably　interrupt　our　connections　and　correspondence。　They　too　have

been　deaf　t　o　the　voice　of　justice　and　of　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

General　Congress；　Assembled；　appealing　to　the　Supreme　Judge　of　the　world

for　the　rectitude　of　our　intentions；　do；　in　the　Name；　and　by　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　Great　Bri

tain；　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　merce；　and　to　do　all　other　Acts　and

Things　which　Independent　States　may　of　right　do。　An　d　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。

JOHN　HANCOCK；　President

Attested；　CHARLES　THOMSON；　Secretary