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 injuries.
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 *who mean to be free. Future ages will scarcely believe that the hardiness of one man adventured, within the short compass of twelve years only, to lay a foundation so broad & so undisguised for tyranny over a people fostered & fixed in principles of freedom.*Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren.
We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend *a* [an unwarrantable] jurisdiction over *these our states* [us]. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration & settlement here, *no one of which could warrant so strange a pretension: that these were effected at the expense of our own blood & treasure, unassisted by the wealth or the strength of Great Britain: that in constituting indeed our several forms of government, we had adopted one common king, thereby laying a foundation for perpetual league & amity with them: but that submission to their parliament was no part of our constitution, nor ever in idea, if history may be credited: and*, we [ ] [have]
appealed to their native justice and magnanimity *as well as to* [and we have conjured them by] the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations which *were likely to* [would inevitably] interrupt our connection and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice & of consanguinity, *and when occasions have been given them, by the regular course of their laws, of removing from their councils the disturbers of our harmony, they have, by their free election, re-established them in power. At this very time too they are permitting their chief magistrate to send over not only soldiers of our common blood, but Scotch & foreign mercenaries to invade & destroy us. These facts have given the last stab to agonizing affection, and manly spirit bids us to renounce forever these unfeeling brethren. We must [We must therefore] endeavor to forget our former love for them, and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends. We might have been a free and a great people together; but a communication of grandeur & of freedom it seems is below their dignity. Be it so, since they will have it. The road to happiness & to glory is open to us too. We will tread it apart from them, and* acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our *eternal* separation [ ] [and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.]!
We therefore the representatives We therefore the representatives of the United Statesof of the United States of America in General Congress America in General Congress assembled do in the name & assembled, appealing to the by authority of the goodsupreme judge of the world people of these *states reject for the rectitude of our & renounce all allegiance & intentions, do in the name, & by subjection to the kings of the authority of the good Great Britain & all others people of these colonies, who may hereafter claim by, solemnly publish & declare that through or under them: we these united colonies are &utterly dissolve all political* of right ought to be free &*connection which may independent states; that they heretofore have subsisted are absolved from all allegiance between us & the people or to the British crown, parliament of Great Britain:and that all political & finally we do assert &connection between them & the declare these colonies to be free state of Great Britain is, && independent states,* & that ought to be, totally as free & independent states, dissolved; & that as free &they have full power to levyindependent states they have war, conclude peace, contract full power to levy war, alliances, establish commerce, conclude peace, contract & to do all other acts &alliances, establish commerce &things which independentto do all other acts & things states may of right do. which independent states may of right do.
And for the support of And for the support of this this declaration we mutuallydeclaration, with a firm pledge to each other ourreliance on the protection of lives, our fortunes, & our divine providence we mutually sacred honor. pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, & our sacred honor.
The Declaration thus signed on the 4th, on paper was engrossed on parchment, & signed again on the 2d. of August.
Some erroneous statements of the proceedings on the declaration of independence having got before the public in latter times, Mr.
Samuel A. Wells asked explanations of me, which are given in my letter to him of May 12. 19. before and now again referred to. Itook notes in my place while these things were going on, and at their close wrote them out in form and with correctness and from 1 to 7 of the two preceding sheets are the originals then written; as the two following are of the earlier debates on the Confederation, which Itook in like manner.
