When the news of this glorious action reached Congress, it kindled into a flame that spark of liberty, which pru dence, and caution had long smothered in that honourable body; and it burst forth in the ever memorable declaration of independence. The strength, and confidence which the action of Charleston, joined to the action of Bunker's Hill, and the evacuation of Boston, had given to the public mind, gave universal support to the measure, and the declaration of independence was hailed by the patriots of America, as the salvation of their country.

Although Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New-York had resisted the measure, and withheld their support; yet now they had become sensible, not only of the necessity; but of the practicability of the measure, and they were prepared to unite with Congress in proclaiming the independence of the colonies, in an unanimous vote.

Congress moved forward to this decisive, and eventful measure, with great prudence, and firmness; the sense of the people was taken throughout the colonies, by their instructions to their representatives; the following may serve as specimens to shew, with what feeling, and yet with what firmness the people met this momentous question.

"The time was," said they, "when we loved the king, and the people of Great Britain, with an affection truly filial; we felt ourselves interested in their glory; we shared in their joys and sorrows; we cheerfully poured the fruit of all our labours into the lap of our mother country, and without reluctance expended our blood and treasure in her cause.

"These were our sentiments towards Great Britain, while she continued to act the part of a parent state; we felt ourselves happy in our connection with her, nor wished it to be dissolved. But our sentiments are altered; it is now the ardent wish of our hearts that America may become a free, and independent state."

This spirit of instruction was communicated to Congress from all the colonies, and upon the strength of this, they met with firmness the all important duty, by the following resolution, which was moved by Richard Henry Lee, and seconded by John Adams.

"Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

This resolution was referred to a committee of the whole, where it was debated until instructions had come in from all the colonies, and the question was taken, and passed, without a dissenting voice.

Pending these debates, the following Declaration of Independence had been prepared, by a special committee, appointed for the purpose, and after a few trifling amendments, was also adopted unanimously.*

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

PREAMBLE.

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands that have united them with another, and to assume ainong the powers of the earth, the separate and equal stations, to which the laws of nature and of nature's God, entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires, that they should declare the causes which impel them to a separation.

The gentlemen who composed this ever memorable committee, were Mr. Jefferson. Mr. John Adams, Mr. Franklin, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. R. R. Livingston; but the honor of the draft has ever been ascribed to Mr. Jefferson.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted amongst men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter, or abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety, and happiness.

"Prudence indeed, will dictate, that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves, by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses, and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism; it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such a government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies, and such is the necessity now that constrains them to alter their former systems of government."

Here follows a succession of injuries, in detail, which the colonies have suffered from Great Britain, which are closed with this remark-" To prove this let facts be submitted to a candid world." Causes of separation here follow.

As these causes here enumerated, consist only of a summary of the numerous causes, already noticed, it will be unnecessary to swell this work with their recital here in detail, a few only shall suffice.

"Standing armies have been kept up among us, in times of peace, without the consent of our legislatures.

"The military has been rendered independent of, and superior to the civil power.

"A plan has been formed to subject us to a jurisdiction for. eign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws. "Acts have been passed by the British legislature, for quartering large bodies of armed troops upon us; for protecting them by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit upon the inhabitants of these states; for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; for imposing taxes upon us without our consent; for depriving us in many cases of the benefits of the trial by jury; for transporting us beyond seas to be tried for supposed offences; for abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighbouring province, establishing them in 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 the taking away our charter, abolishing our most valua ble laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments; for suspending our own legislatures, and declaring the British parliament invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

"The crown of Great-Britain has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of its protection, and waging war with us.

"Our seas have been plundered, our coasts ravaged, our towns burnt, and the lives of our people destroyed.

"Large armies of foreign mercenaries are at this time transporting into this country, to complete the work of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun, with circumstances of cruelty, and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy a civilized

nation.

"Our fellow citizens taken captive upon the high seas, have been constrained to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, and to fall themselves by their hands.

"Domestic insurrections have been excited amongst us, and endeavours have been used to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless 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 manner. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. 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, 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 representatives of the Unied States of America, in Congress assembled, appealing to the su preme judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of course 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 Great-Britain, is, and ought