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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2016)
OPINION 4A W e hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, when- ever any form of government becomes destruc- tive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new govern- ment, 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 govern- ments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are suffer- able, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usur- pations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under abso- lute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. H e has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in this operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodations of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of. representation in the legislature — a right ines- timable to them, and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing, with manly fi rmness, his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dis- solutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihila- tion, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the mean- time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of jus- tice, by refusing his assent to laws for establish- ing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offi ces, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of new offi ces, and sent hither swarms of offi cers to harass our people and eat of their substance. He has kept among us in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the military inde- pendent of, and superior to, civil power. H e has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitu- tion, and acknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation: For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world: For imposing taxes on us without our consent: For depriving us, in many cases, of the ben- efi ts of trial by jury: For transporting us beyond the seas, to be tried for pretended offenses: For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging boundaries, so as to render it at once an exam- ple and fi t instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies: For taking away our charters, abolishing our invaluable laws, and altering, fundamentally, the forms of our governments: For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. 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, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfi dy 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 endeavored 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. 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 defi ne a tyrant, is unfi t to be the ruler of a free people. N or have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdic- tion over us. We have reminded them of the cir- cumstances 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 inter- rupt 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. THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JULY 4, 2016 We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme 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 solemnly publish and declare: That these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the Brit- ish crown, and that all political connections between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alli- ances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a fi rm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. JOHN HANCOCK July 4, 1776 New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton. Massachusetts-Bay: Saml. Adams, John Adams, Robt. Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry. Rhode Island: Step. Hopkins, William Ellery. Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Sam’el Hun- tington, Wm. Williams, Oliver Wolcott. New York: Wm. Floyd, Phil. Livingston, Frans. Lewis, Lewis Morris. Pennsylvania: Robt. Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benja. Franklin, John Morton, Geo. Cly- mer, Jas. Smith, Geo. Taylor, James Wilson, Geo. Ross. Delaware: Caesar Rodney, Geo. Read, Tho. M’Kean. Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, Geo. Walton Maryland: Samuel Chase, Wm. Paca, Thos. Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Th. Jefferson, Benja. Harrison, Ths. Nel- son, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton. North Carolina: Wm. Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn. South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thos. Heyward, Junr., Thomas Lynch, Junr., Arthur Middleton. New Jersey: Richd. Stockton, Jno. Wither- spoon, Fras. Hopkinson, John Hart, Abra. Clark Take the Independence Day patriotic presidential quiz By GAIL COLLINS New York Times News Service I ndependence Day weekend’s coming — time to show a little patriotism. Budweiser beer just renamed itself “America,” for heaven’s sake. If a Belgian brewing company can do that, the least you can do is show you’re a well-educated citizen. Let’s see whether you’ve been keeping up with the presidential race: 1. Since endorsing Donald Trump for presi- dent, Chris Christie … A. Tracked down the man he once chased down the boardwalk while waving an ice cream cone and apologized. B. Got the support of a full 18 percent of New Jersey voters on whether Trump should pick Christie as his running mate. C. Told reporters he does not want to be the vice-presidential nominee because “really, my life is ruined already.” 2. When Marco Rubio ran for president, he made it clear he was done with being a senator forever. (“I have only said like 10,000 times I will be a private citizen in January.”) This month he … A. Told reporters he was pursuing a lifelong dream of playing defensive back for the Miami Dolphins. B. Said he was running for re-election because “I’ve discovered I’m not worth nearly as much money as I thought in the private sector.” C. Said he was running for re-elec- announced he’s going to stop trying to tion because, “Control of the Senate answer for things the candidate says. may very well come down to the race But he’s still on the Trump bandwagon in Florida.” because … 3. After the demise of his presi- A. “Everybody makes mistakes.” dential campaign, Ben Carson joined B. “… him talking about things and the Trump team. When his candidate saying things about things is different claimed a federal judge was biased due than him saying what he’s going to do.” to his Mexican heritage, Carson said C. “Hell, I don’t know. Go ask Paul that Trump … Ryan.” A. “… was probably talking out 6. After he dropped out of the Gail loud rather than thinking.” Republican race, Sen. Lindsey Gra- Collins B. Believes all jurists should ham endorsed Ted Cruz, whom be examined for “the fruit salad he loathes. Then when Cruz Budweiser of their life.” dropped out, he … C. Has many good Mexican A. Endorsed William How- beer just friends among the caddies at his ard Taft, noting, “He’s dead, golf courses. perfect.” renamed itself but B. nobody’s 4. Paul Ryan began the Said he’d “probably month by endorsing Donald write somebody in or just skip ‘America,’ Trump for president. Since then, the presidential.” for heaven’s he’s denounced several of the C. Compared the cur- candidate’s more outrageous rent campaign to “Game of sake. statements. When asked how Thrones” and announced that it many times he could do this was “time for a woman presi- without washing his hands of the whole campaign, dent, but only if it’s Daenerys the Dragon Queen.” Ryan said … 7. Bernie Sanders’ biggest post-primary news A. “Four.” was that … B. “I don’t know the answer to that, either.” A. He’s going to endorse Hillary Clinton (but C. “Did I tell you I saw John Boehner in Flor- that doesn’t mean he’ll vote for her). ida? God, that man looks happy.” B. He’s going to vote for Hillary Clinton (but 5. Duncan Hunter of California, one of the fi rst that doesn’t mean he’s endorsing her). members of Congress to endorse Donald Trump, C. He needs to take one more look at Martin O’Malley. 8. When Britain voted to exit the European Union, Donald Trump was visiting his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland. Asked for his analysis of the big event, Trump said … A. “You know, when the pound goes down, more people are coming to Turnberry, frankly.” B. “Analysts have drastically overstated the impact on the British economy; we will of course have to keep a close eye on the manufacturing sector.” C. “Vote? What vote?” 9. A former White House Secret Service offi cer has written a tell-all book about the Clintons in which he claims to have seen evidence that Hillary once … A. Broke a law. B. Broke a promise. C. Broke a vase. 10. Campaigning in New York, Hillary Clin- ton demonstrated she had lost some of her old city sophistication when she … A. Had trouble getting into the subway. B. Made eye contact with a fellow passenger in the subway. C. Posed for a selfi e in front of Trump Tower. 11. When Clinton made her big speech on for- eign policy this month, people couldn’t help notic- ing that she appeared on stage in front of… A. Huge pictures of Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey and the pope. B. Her grandchildren. C. 19 American fl ags. ANSWERS: 1-B, 2-C. 3-A, 4-B, 5-B, 6-B, 7-B, 8-A, 9-C, 10-A, 11-C STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher • LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager • CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager • DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Founded in 1873
