"[W]ith respect to our rights, and the acts of the British government contravening those rights, there was but one opinion on this side of the water. All American whigs thought alike on these subjects. When forced, therefore, to resort to arms for redress, an appeal to the tribunal of the world was deemed proper for our justification. This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion. All its authority rests then on the harmonizing sentiments of the day, whether expressed in conversation, in letters, printed essays, or in the elementary books of public right."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
1776Founding Fathers of the United States of AmericaHistorical documentsUnited Kingdom–United States relations
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Thomas Jefferson, letter to Henry Lee (8 May 1825)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
United States Declaration of Independence
62 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by United States Declaration of Independence →
Related Quotes
"When the decision was finally made to accept blacks as full citizens, the founders' principles provided the theoretic…"
"My own nation’s story began with simple words: All men are created equal, and endowed by our Creator with certain una…"
"The virtually official reply to the Declaration was written by the barrister John Lind, who largely devoted himself t…"
"The growing openness to members of all the world's races was always possible under the terms of the Declaration of In…"
"At the time of America's Declaration of Independence, when preparing to separate from England, a remarkable incident …"
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually ple…"
"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the …"
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have co…"
"Flights of oratory... especially that concerning Negro slavery, which, though I knew his Southern brethren would neve…"
"We must, therefore,…hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends."