ment of Great Britain fome evidence, that this dreadful authors ity over them has been granted to that body.

2. But a reverence for our great Creater, principles of hu. manity, and the dictates of common fenfe muft convince all those who reflect upon the subject, that government was infti. tuted to promote the welfare of mankind, and ought to be ad. ministered for the attainment of that end.

3. The legislature of Great Britain, however, ftimulated by an inordinate paffion for a power, not only unjuftifiable, but which they know to be peculiarly reprobated by the very conftitution of that kingdom, and defparate of fuccefs in any mode of conteft, where regard fhould be had to truth, law or right, have at length, deferting those attempted to effect their cruel and impolitic purpofe of enflaving thefe colonies by violence, and have thereby rendered it neceffary for us to clofs with their laft appeal from reafon to arms,

4. Yet, however blinded that affembly may be, by their in. temperate rage for unlimited domination, fo to flight juftice and the opinion of mankind, we esteem ourselves bound by ob ligations of refpect to the rest of the world to make known the justice of our cause.

5. Our forefathers, inhabitants of the island of Great Britain, left their native land, to feek on these shores, a refidence for civil and religious freedom. At the expence of their blood, at the hazard of their fortenes, without the leaft charge to the country from which they removed, with unceafing labor and an unconquerable fpirit they effected fettlements in the dif tant and inhospitable wilds of America, then filled with numer. ous and warlike nations of barbarians.

6. Societies or governments, vefted with perfect legislatures, were formed under charters from the crown, and an harmoni. ous intercourfe was eftablished between the colonies and the kingdom from which they derived their origin. The mutual benefits of this union became in a fhort time fo extraordinary as to excite astonishment. It is univerfally confeffed that the amazing increase of the wealth, ftrength, and navigation of the realm, arofe from this fource; and the minifier who fo wifely and fuccefsfully directed the measures of Great Britain, in the late war, publicly declared, that these colonies enabled her to triumph over her enemies.

7. iowards the conclufion of that war, it pleafed our fove. reign to make a change in his counfels. From that fatal moment, the affairs of the British empire began to fall into confu

fion, and gradually fliding from the fummit of glorious prof perity, to which they had been advanced by the virtues and abilities of one man, are at length distracted by the convul fions, that now shake it to its deepeft foundations.-The new miniftry finding the brave, foes of Britain, though frequently defeated, yet ftill contending, took up the unfortunate idea of granting them a hafty peace, and of then fubduing her faithful friends.

8. Thefe devoted Colonies were judged to be in uch a state as to prefent victories without bloodshed, and all the eafy emoluments of ftatuteable plunder. The uninterrupted tenor of their peaceable and refpectable behaviour from the beginning of colonization, their dutiful, zealous, and ufeful fervices during the war, though fo recently and amply acknowledged in the moft honorable manner, by his majefty, by the late king, and by parliament, could not fave them from the meditated innova

tions,

9. Parliament was influenced to adopt the pernicious pro ject, and affuming a new power over them, have in the courfe of eleven years given fuch decifive specimens of the fpirit and confequences attending this power, as to leave no doubt concering the effects of acquiefcence under it.

10. They have undertaken to give and grant our money without our confent, though we have ever exercised an exclufive right to difpofe of our own property. Statutes have been paffed for extending the jurifdiction of courts of admiralty and vice-admiralty beyond their ancient limits; for depriving us of the accustomed and ineftimable privilege of trial by jury, in cafes affecting both life and property; for fufpending the legiflature of one of the colonies; for interdicting all commerce to the capital of another; and for altering fundamentally, the form of government eftablished by charter, and fecured by acts of its own legiflature, folemnly confirmed by the crown.

11. For exempting the "murderers" of colonifts from legal trial, and in effect from punishment; for erecting in a neigh bouring provitice, acquired by the joint arms of Great Britain and America, a difpotifm dangerous to our very existence; and for quartering foldiers upon the colonists in time of profound peace. It has alfo been refolved in Parliament that colonists, charged with committing certain offences, fhall be tranfported to England to be tried,

12. But why fhould we enumerate our injuries in detail ?

N

By one ftatute it is declared, that parliament can "of right make laws to bind us in all cafes whatsoever." What is to de fend us against fo enormus, fo unlimited a power? Not a fingle man of those who affume it is chofen by us; or is subject to our controul or influence,

13. But on the contrary, they are all of them exempt from the operation of fuch laws, and an American revenue, if not di verted from the oftenfible purpofes for which it is raifed, would actually lighten their own burden in proportion as they increase ours. We faw the mifery to which fuch difpotifm would re. duce us. We for ten years inceffantly and ineffectually be feeched the throne as fupplicants; we reafoned, we remonftrat. ed with parliament in the most mild and decent language.

14. Administration, fenfible that we should regard thefe op. preffive measures as freemen ought to do, fent over fleets and armies to enforce them. The indignation of the Americans. was roufed, it is true; but it was the indignation of a virtu ous, loyal and affectionate people. A Congrefs of delegates from the United Colonies was affembled at Philadelphia, on the fifth day of last September.

15. We refolved again to offer a humble and dutiful petition to the king, and alfo addreffed our fellow fubjects of Great Britain. We have purfued every temperate, every respectful measure ; we have even proceeded to break off our commer cial intercourfe with our fellow fabjects, as the last peaceable admonition, that our attachment to no nation upon earth fhall fupplant our attachment to liberty.

16. This we flattered ourfelves, was the ultimate ftep of the controverfy; but fubfequent events have fhewn how vain was this hope of finding moderation in our enemies.

17. Several threatening expreffions against the Colonies were inferted in his majefty's fpeech. Our petition, tho we were told it was a decent one, and that his majefty had been pleased to receive it gracioufly, and to promife laying it before his parliament was huddled into both houfes among a bundle of American papers, and there negle&ed,

18. The Lords and Commons in their addrefs in the month of February, faid that a rebellion at that time actually exift. ed within the province of Maffachusetts Bay; and that thofe concerned in it had been countenanced and encouraged by un lawful combinations and engagements, entered into by his majefty's fubjects in feveral of the other colonies; and there. fore they befought his majefty to take the most effectual mea,

fures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the fupreme legislature.

19. Soon after, the commercial intercourse of whole colonies, with foreign countries, and with each other, was cut off by an act of parliament. By another, feveral of them were entirely prohibited from the flheries in the feas near their coaft, on which they always depended for their fubfiftence; and large reinforcements of hips and troops were immediately fent over to General Gage.

20. Fruitlefs were all the entreaties, arguments, and eloquence of an illuftrious band of the mort diftinguished peers and commoners, who nobly and ftrenuously afferted the justice of our caufe, to stay or even to mitigate, the heedlefa fury with which thefe accumulated and unexampled outrages. were hur ried on.

21. Equally fruitlefs was the interference of the city of Lon don, of Bristol, and many other refpectable towns in our favor. Parliament adopted an inti duous manoeuvre calculated to divide us, to establish a perpetual auction of taxations, where Colony should bid against Colony, all of them uninformed what ran. fom would redeem their lives; and thus to extort from us, at the point, of the bayonet, the unknown fums that would be fufficient to gratify, if possible to gratify, minifterial rapacity, with the miserable indulgence left to us of raifing, in our own mode, the preferibed tribute,

32. What terms more rigid and humiliating could have been dictated by remorfelefs victors to conquered enemies? In our circumstances, to accept them would be to deserve them.

23. Soon after the intelligence of thefe proceedings arrived on this continent, General Gage, who, in the course of the laft year had taken poffeffion of the town of Bofton, in the province of Maffachusetts Bay, and Itill occupied it as a garrison, on the 19th day of April, sent out from that place a large detachment of his army, who made an unprovoked affault on the inhabitants of the faid province, and the town of Lexington; as appears by the affi lavits of a great number of persons (fome of whom were officers and foldiers of that detachment) murdered eight of the inhabitants, and wounded many others.

24. From thence the troops proceeded in warlike array, to the town of Concord, where they fet upon another party of the inhabitants of the fame province, killing feveral and wounding more, until compelled to retreat by the country people, fuddenly affembled to repel this cruel aggreffion.

25. Ioftilities thus commenced by the British troops, have been fince profecuted by them without regard to faith or reputation. The inhabitants of Bofton, being confined in that town by the General their Governor, and having, in order to procure their difmiffion, entered into a treaty with him, it was tipulated that the said inhabitants having depofited their arms with their own magiftrates, fhould have liberty to depart, taking with them their other effects.

26. They accordingly delivered up their arms; but in open violation of honor, in defiance of the obligation of treaties, which even favage nations efteem facred, the Governor ordered the arms depofited as aforefaid that they might be preferved for their owners, to be feized by a body of foldiers; detained the greatest part of the inhabitants in the town, and compelled the few who were permitted to retire, to leave their most valuable effects behind.

27. By this perfidy, wives are feparated from their hufbands, children from their parents, the aged and fick from their rela tions and friends, who wish to attend and comfort them :and those who have been used to live in plenty, and even ele. gance, are reduced to deplorable diftrefs.

28. The General, further emulating his minifterial masters by a proclamation bearing date on the 12th day of June, after venting the groffeft falfehoods and calumnies against the good people of these Colonies, proceeds to "declare them all, either by name or defcription, to be rebels and traitors; to supercede the course of common law, and instead thereof to publish and order the use and excercife of the law martial.”

29. His troops have butchered our countrymen, have wantonly burnt Charlestown, befides a confiderable number of houles in other places; our fhips and veffels are feized ; the ne. ceffary fupplies of provifions are intercepted, and he is exerci. fing his utmoft power to spread destruction and devastation a

round him.

30. We have received certain intelligence, that Gen. Carleton, the Governor of Canada, is inftigating the people of that province, and the Indians, to fall upon us; and we have but too much reafon to apprehend, that schemes have been formed to excite domestic enemies against us. In brief, a part of these colonies now feel, and all of them are fure of feeling, as far as the vengeance of administration can inflict them, the complicated calamities of fire, fword and famine.

31. We are reduced to the alternative of choosing an un