l 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.

26. "We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of
America, in general Congress assembled, do, in the name and by the
authority of the good people of these [States, reject and renounce
all allegiance and subjection to the King of Great Britain, and
all others who may hereafter claim by, through, or under them; we
utterly dissolve all political connection which may heretofore
have subsisted between us and the people or Parliament of Great
Britain; and, finally, we do assert and declare these colonies to
be free and independent States;] and that, as free and independent
States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract
alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things
which independent States may of right do.

"And for the support of this declaration, we mutually pledge to
each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

FOOTNOTES:

[A] Massacre at Lexington.

[B] See Note A, page 277.

ANALYSIS.

We have to do with the original draft, and to let the reader see the
hand of a master, I will analyze it.

"I love method," said Mr. Paine. The method of the piece stands as
follows, and, for the sake of elucidation, I have numbered the
paragraphs in the original;

I. INTRODUCTION, viz:--Paragraph 1.

II. BILL OF RIGHTS--Paragraph 2.

III. INDICTMENT--under three general charges: _Usurpation_,
_Abdication_, and _War_, as follows:

USURPATION.

Par. 3, 4, 5--Laws usurped, and hereunder:

_a._ Negatived.
_b._ Forbidden and neglected.
_c._ Refused, unless rights are surrendered.

Par. 6, 7, 8, 9--Legislation usurped, and hereunder:

_a._ Legislative bodies meet at the wrong place.
_b._ Legislative bodies dissolved.
_c._ Refused to have them elected.
_d._ Obstructing legislation for naturalization.

Par. 10, 11, 12--Judiciary powers usurped, and hereunder:

_a._ Destroyed by his negative.
_b._ Made the judges dependent on his will,
_c._ And erected new offices by his own will.

Par. 13, 14--Military powers usurped, and hereunder:

_a._ Established without consent of legislatures.
_b._ M