the fathers of the constitution-第30章

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d　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　Government：　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　compleat　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　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。　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　Brittish　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　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。　We；　therefore；　the　Representative　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。　JOHN　HANCOCK。　New　Hampshire。　JOSIAH　BARTLETT；　WM。　WHIPPLE；　MATTHEW　THORNTON。　Massachusetts　Bay。　SAML。　ADAMS；　JOHN　ADAMS；　ROBT。　TREAT　PAINE；　ELBRIDGE　GERRY。　Rhode　Island。　STEP。　HOPKINS；　WILLIAM　ELLERY。　Connecticut。　ROGER　SHERMAN；　SAM'EL　HUNTINGTON；WM。　WILLIAMS；　OLIVER　WOLCOTT。　New　York。　WM。　FLOYD；　PHIL。　LIVINGSTON；FRANS。　LEWIS；　LEWIS　MORRIS。　New　Jersey。　RICHD。　STOCKTON；　JNO。　WITHERSPOON；　FRAS。　HOPKINSON；　JOHN　HART；　ABRA。　CLARK。　Pennsylvania。　ROBT。　MORRIS；　BENJAMIN　RUSH；BENJA。　FRANKLIN；　JOHN　MORTON；　GEO。　CLYMER；　JAS。　SMITH；　GEO。　TAYLOR；　JAMES　WILSON；　GEO。　ROSS。　Delaware。　CAESAR　RODNEY；　GEO。　READ；　THO。　M'KEAN。　Maryland。　SAMUEL　CHASE；　WM。　PACA；；　THOS。　STONE；　CHARLES　CARROLL　of　Carrollton。　Virginia。　GEORGE　W　WYTHE；　RICHARD　HENRY　LEE；　TH。　JEFFERSON；　BENJA。　HARRISON；THOS。　NELSON；　JR。；　FRANCIS　LIGHTFOOT　LEE；　CARTER　BRAXTON。　North　Carolina。　WM。　HOOPER；　JOSEPH　HEWES；　JOHN　PENN。　South　Carolina。　EDWARD　RUTLEDGE；　THOS。　HEYWARD；　JUNR。；　THOMAS　LYNCH；　JUNR。；　ARTHUR　MIDDLETON。　Georgia。　BUTTON　GWINNETT；　LYMAN　HALL；　GEO。　WALTON。　NOTE。Mr。　Ferdinand　Jefferson；　Keeper　of　the　Rolls　in　the　Department　of　State；　at　Washington；　says：　〃The　names　of　the　signers　are　spelt　above　as　in　the　fac…simile　of　the　original；　but　the　punctuation　of　them　is　not　always　the　same；　neither　do　the　names　of　the　States　appear　in　the　fac…simile　of　the　original。　The　names　of　the　signers　of　each　State　are　grouped　together　in　the　fac…simile　of　the　original；　except　the　name　of　Matthew　Thornton；　which　follows　that　of　Oliver　Wolcott。〃　ARTICLES　OF　CONFEDERATION　　1777。　To　all　to　whom　these　Presents　shall　come；　we　the　undersigned　Delegates　of　the　States　affixed　to　our　Names　send　greeting。　WHEREAS　the　Delegates　of　the　United　States　of　America　in　Congress　assembled　did　on　the　fifteenth　day　of　November　in　the　Year　of　our　Lord　One　Thousand　Seven　Hundred　and　Seventyseven；　and　in　the　Second　Year　of　the　Independence　of　America　agree　to　certain　articles　of　Confederation　and　perpetual　Union　between　the　States　of　Newhampshire；　Massachusetts…bay；　Rhodeisland　and　Providence　Plantations；　Connecticut；　New　York；　New　Jersey；　Pennsylvania；　Delaware；　Maryland；　Virginia；　North　Carolina；　South…Carolina　and　Georgia　in　the　Words　following；　viz。　〃Articles　of　Confederation　and　perpetual　Union　between　the　States　of　Newhampshire；　Massachusetts…bay；　Rhodeisland　and　Providence　Plantations；　Connecticut；　New…York；　New…Jersey；　Pennsylvania；　Delaware；　Maryland；　Virginia；　North…Carolina；　South…Carolina　and　Georgia。　ARTICLE　I。　The　stile　of　this　confederacy　shall　be　〃The　United　States　of　America。〃　ARTICLE　II。　Each　State　retains　its　sovereignty；　freedom　and　independence；　and　every　power；　jurisdiction　and　right；　which　is　not　by　this　confederation　expressly　delegated　to　the　United　States；　in　Congress　assembled。　ARTICLE　III。　The　said　States　hereby　severally　enter　into　a　firm　league　of　friendship　with　each　other；　for　their　common　defence；　the　security　of　their　liberties；　and　their　mutual　and　general　welfare；　binding　themselves　to　assist　each　other；　against　all　force　offered　to；　or　attacks　made　upon　them；　or　any　of　them；　on　account　of　religion；　sovereignty；　trade；　or　any　other　pretence　whatever。　ARTICLE　IV。　The　better　to　secure　and　perpetuate　mutual　friendship　and　intercourse　among　the　people　of　the　different　States　in　this　Union；　the　free　inhabitants　of　each　of　these　States；　paupers；　vagabonds　and　fugitives　from　justice　excepted；　shall　be　entitled　to　all　privileges　and　immunities　of　free　citizens　in　the　several　States；　and　the　people　of　each　State　shall　have　free　ingress　and　regress　to　and　from　any　other　State；　and　shall　enjoy　therein　all　the　privileges　of　trade　and　commerce；　subject　to　the　same　duties；　impositions　and　restrictions　as　the　inhabitants　thereof　respectively；　provided　that　such　restrictions　shall　not　extend　so　far　as　to　prevent　the　removal　of　property　imported　into　any　State；　to　any　other　State　of　which　the　owner　is　an　inhabitant；　provided　also　that　no　imposition；　duties　or　restriction　shall　be　laid　by　any　State；　on　the