The Founders' Revolution: The Forgotten History & Principles of the Declaration of Independence by Michael S. Law

Author:Michael S. Law [Law, Michael S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: American Government, History, Non-Fiction, Political Freedom, Political Science, Revolutionary Period (1775-1800), United States
ISBN: 9781683505860
Google: KCkzDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B0757BNHPF
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2018-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

The Charges: Abuses of War Power

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 of 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.

These charges have to do with the colonists’ grievances against the king for his acts of war against his own subjects. These abuses were considered tyrannical. England’s king should have protected and defended his people rather than trying to injure or destroy them. Tyrants, however, are not interested in their people’s welfare. Despite this, the colonists still attempted reconciliation for a time.

Charge 23: He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

On April 19, 1775, the war for independence began even though it would be more than one year later when the Continental Congress formally declared independence from England. In the summer of 1775, Congress sent the king the Olive Branch Petition, which sought for reconciliation with him and England. However, two days after he received it, King George rejected it without even looking at it. He then proclaimed the colonies to be in open rebellion. For the mother country not to listen to the petitions of her children but begin punishing immediately, even by death, is extraordinary. But this is precisely what the king proclaimed on August 23, 1775:

Whereas many of our subjects in divers parts of our Colonies and Plantations in North America, misled by dangerous and ill designing men, and forgetting the allegiance which they owe to the power that has protected and supported them; after various disorderly acts committed in disturbance of the publick peace, to the obstruction of lawful commerce, and to the oppression of our loyal subjects carrying on the same; have at length proceeded to open and avowed rebellion, by arraying themselves in a hostile manner, to withstand the execution of the law, and traitorously preparing, ordering and levying war against us … we do accordingly strictly charge and command all our Officers, as well civil as military, and all others our obedient and loyal subjects, to use their utmost endeavours to withstand and suppress such rebellion, and to disclose and make known all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which they shall know to be against us, our crown and dignity.210

The king moved from protecting his subjects to waging war against them.

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