time too, they are permitting their chief magistrate to send over not only soldiers of our common blood, but Scotch and foreign mercenaries to invade and destroy us. These facts have given the last stab to agonizing affection, and manly spirit bids us to renounce for ever these unfeeling brethren. We must endeavour 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 and of freedom, it seems, is below their dignity. Be it so, since they will have it. The road to happiness and to glory is open to us too. We will tread it apart from them, and_ acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our _eternal_ separation. We, therefore, the We, therefore, the representatives of the United representatives of the United States of America in general States of America in general congress assembled, do, in the congress assembled, _appealing name and by the authority of to the supreme judge of the the good people of these world for the rectitude of our _states, reject and renounce all intentions_, do in the name, allegiance and subjection to and by the good people of the kings of Great Britain, these _colonies, solemnly and all others who may hereafter publish and declare that these claim by, through or united colonies are and of under them; we utterly dissolve right ought to be free and all political connexion which independent states; that they may heretofore have are absolved from all subsisted between us and the allegiance to the British crown, people or parliament of Great and that all political Britain; and finally we do connexion between them and the assert and declare these colonies state of Great Britain is, and to be free and independent ought to be, totally dissolved_; states_, and that as free and and that as free and independent independent states, they have states they have full full power to levy war, power to levy war, conclude conclude peace, contract alliances, peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things all other acts and things which independent states may which independent states may of right do. of right do.