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第83部分

美国宪政历程:影响美国的25个司法大案-第83部分


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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


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