EXPLORING FREEDOM [Part 5]
A closer look at the Declaration of Independence
The delegates responsible for the Declaration of Independence had seriously considered not only the violations of their own rights, but the violations of God-given rights of all men and women by the Crown.
“For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein 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 taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:”
Winston Churchill is often quoted as having quoted an unnamed predecessor, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
These other forms of government would include empires, kingdoms, and monarchies.
Perhaps this is why the framers of our Constitution chose to create a democratic republic.
“For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.”
The delegates made it clear that they resented the corrupt government imposed upon them by those outside of their society. They believed the King to have no true authority to undermine the self-governance of these colonies.
“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.”
In essence, they believed the actions of Britain against the states were acts of war, and they had had enough.
“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.”
They intended to hold their “ruler” accountable for his and his subordinates’ ill-treatment of themselves, confronting them with accusations of the most barbaric treatment of their colonies.
This further demonstrates the belief that governments reign only with the consent of the governed, and that, should the governed no longer accept unjust governance, it is within their rights to throw it off in favor of a more acceptable form of government.
“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.”
They presented that despite the humility and faithful service of the colonists, the Crown had actively instigated internal struggles and violence to undermine unity and instigate unrest within the colonies.
“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.”
Americans insisted that it was only right for the citizens of these free states to enjoy liberty. No man has a right to the wealth and choices of others.
“Nor have We been wanting in attentions 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.”
God bless you, Dave