Page:Constitution of the United States, 2009.djvu/42

 and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule into these Colonies:

taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.

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 and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

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.

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.

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.

have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to 38