Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

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 legislature, 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 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 warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

The

colonies

have repeatedly appealed against the tyrannous attitude of the king,

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 settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred but in vain. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to 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.

In view of the facts submitted

in this document the colonies declare themselves free and independent states.

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 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 honor.

Questions on the foregoing Readings

1. What, according to Lord Bryce, are "the legitimate children of Magna Charta"?

2. To what extent may it be claimed that the principle of representation in the House of Commons goes back to the Magna Charta?

3. What does the Magna Charta say concerning justice?

4. What guarantee did the Magna Charta provide in order that the promises contained in this document should be carried into effect?

5. In what terms did the King and the barons agree to observe the Magna Charta?

6. What two political principles did the Pilgrims have in mind when they dropped anchor in Cape Cod harbor?

7. Why did the Pilgrims agree to establish a civil body politic in their new home?

8. Name some of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.

9. What were the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1619?

10. What was the object of the Ordinance for Virginia?

II. Name the two supreme councils which the ordinance established. 12. What persons were to constitute the membership of the second council?

13. What were the powers of this council?

14. What limitations were placed upon its powers?

15. Briefly describe the origin of the three Connecticut towns of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield.

16. Why did the inhabitants of these three towns come together to establish a joint government?

17. Define the suffrage under the Connecticut Fundamental Orders. 18. Who were to be members of the General Court?

19. What were the powers of the General Court?

20. What is the date of the Virginia Bill of Rights?

21. What did this bill of rights say concerning the "inherent rights of men?

[ocr errors]

22. What, according to this bill of rights, is the basis of government? 23. What was declared to be the object of government?

24. What did this bill of rights say concerning the legal rights of the individual?

25. Outline the contents of the Declaration of Independence.

26. Why did the colonies feel that this declaration was necessary?

Political development

in early America.

The New
England
Confedera-

tion, 1643.

Purpose of the colo

nies in

uniting.

CHAPTER III

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

13. Four colonies combine for mutual defense 1

Political development in the British colonies of North America proceeded along two lines at the same time. On the one hand, there was a development of democratic institutions in local government. As we have seen in the last chapter, this development culminated in the Declaration of Independence and the triumph of state sovereignty. On the other hand, there was, for more than a century preceding the Revolution, a growing tendency toward union among the colonies. The first definite attempt at union occurred in 1643, under the name of the New England Confederation. This consisted of a league between Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut and New Haven. The chief purpose of the Confederation was mutual defense against the Indians in their midst, the French on the north, and the Dutch in New Netherland. The following are the most significant passages of the agreement between the four colonies: Whereas we all came into these parts of America, with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel, in purity with peace; and whereas in our settling . . . we are further dispersed upon the seacoasts and rivers than was at first intended, so that we cannot with convenience communicate in one government and jurisdiction; and whereas we live encompassed with people of several nations, and strange languages, which hereafter may prove injurious to us, and our posterity: And forasmuch as the natives have formerly committed sundry insolencies and outrages upon several plantations of the English, and have of late combined against us. And seeing by reason of the sad distractions in England, which they have heard 1 From the New England Confederation, 1643.

of, and by which they know we are hindered both from that humble way of seeking advice, and reaping those comfortable fruits of protection which, at other times, we might well expect: we, therefore, do conceive it our bounden duty, without delay, to enter into a present constitution amongst ourselves, for mutual help and strength in all our future concernments, that, as in nation, and religion, so, in other respects, we be, and continue, one, according to the tenor and true meaning of the ensuing articles.

federation.

Wherefore it is fully agreed and concluded by and between the Name of parties, or jurisdictions [of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut the Conand New Haven] that they all be, and henceforth be called by the name of The United Colonies of New England.

petual league."

The said United Colonies for themselves and their posterities, "A firm and perdo jointly and severally hereby enter into a firm and perpetual league of friendship and amity, for offence and defence, mutual advice and succour, upon all just occasions, both for the preserving and propagating the truth, and liberties of the Gospel, and for their own mutual safety and welfare.

...

Confedera

It is also agreed, That for the managing and concluding of all The governaffairs proper to, and concerning the whole Confederation, two com- ment of the missioners shall be chosen by, and out of the four jurisdictions, tion. namely, two for the Massachusetts, two for Plymouth, two for Connecticut, and two for New Haven, . . which shall bring full power from their several General Courts respectively, to hear, examine, weigh, and determine all affairs of war, or peace, leagues, aids, charges, and numbers of men for war, division of spoils, or whatsoever is gotten by conquest, receiving of more confederates, or plantations into combination with any of these confederates, and all things of like nature . . . not intermeddling with the government of any of the jurisdictions, which . . . is preserved entirely to themselves.

It is further agreed, That these eight commissioners shall meet Meetings of the once every year, besides extraordinary meetings, . . . to consider, eight treat, and conclude of all affairs belonging to this Confederation, which commismeeting shall ever be the first Thursday in September. . . . sioners. And for that the justest wars may be of dangerous conse- The conquence, it is agreed, that neither the Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, nor New Haven, nor any of the members of any of them,

[ocr errors]

trol of future wars.

« AnteriorContinuar »