Thursday, 28 Nivôse, 185 21:34 LMT

Commonwealth Celebrates Declaration Day

by Oliver Morris

CH'TAALA, L'NHRAEI (LNN) – The traditional fireworks and parades were held in ch'Taala and other cities on L'nhraei and across the Commonwealth celebrating the 711-year-old document that provided much of the foundation for the liberties of every Commonwealth citizen. It was adopted on 4 July 1776 [5 Vendémiaire 527 PUC] in Philadelphia, on Earth.

President MacPherson read from that document, the Declaration of Independence, during his 30-minute speech at 20:00 LMT.

"'WHEN in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.'"

"'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable 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 whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, 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.'"

The president also spoke of the history of the Commonwealth. "The people who left Earth and ch'Rihan settled here seeking a place where they could live in peace, not only from outside attack but also from oppressive governments. They had seen the result of people not guarding their freedom and wanted that to never happen again."

"It is the function of government to do those things - and only those things - that those governed consent to, to defend against the use of force and to protect life, liberty, and property. Government cannot solve our problems, and even laws with the best of intentions will eventually serve the interests of whoever is in power. 'The government that governs least, governs best', Thomas Jefferson wrote. It was unfortunate his own country failed to heed those words. Hopefully we can do better."

"Our economy and our standard of living are better than they have ever been. The average family of four earns £16,000 a year, better than anywhere else. We have excellent systems of education and health care, very low crime, and the belief that anyone can achieve whatever they want regardless of how they started."

"We also know that the Commonwealth is not perfect and never will be. People themselves are not perfect. Perhaps it is possible to completely eliminate crime by putting police on every corner and allowing them to search everyone who passed. I would not want to live in such a place, and I suspect that those of you who choose to live in the Commonwealth would not, either."

"Many nations believe that people are naturally selfish and must be forced by law to provide for each other. We agree that people, particularly those who run a business, usually do what is in their best interests. But to stay in business, they have to make the customers happy or they will go elsewhere. They want to be able to sell to as many people as possible and be allowed to change their business to best meet their customer's needs."

"Benjamin Franklin said, 'They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' Nor will they have either. When the latest government programme doesn't work, a call for the sacrifice of even more liberties will go out."

"The Commonwealth has so far lasted for 185 years. Yet the Commonwealth we know now, the one I want to live in and the one I want future generations to inherit, will not see two centuries if we allow it. As it is so often said, freedom is not free. It is fortunate that, unlike the people creating a new nation over 700 years ago, the Commonwealth was not created out of war. However, liberty still has a price, eternal vigilance. It is the responsibility of the government to defend the rights of citizens against each other. But every citizen of the Commonwealth must ensure that in so doing, the government does not overstep the limits you have placed upon it."

"L'nhraei left the Federation over this very issue. The Federation Council no longer cared about its members, especially individual citizens. They insisted that the people and resources of L'nhraei were only there to be used to benefit everyone regardless of the consequences. But we hold no ill will towards the people of the Federation. It is up to them to decide how they wish to be governed, not for us to dictate to them."

"'We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances 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 interrupt 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.'"

"'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 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 British Crown, and that all political connection 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 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, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.'"

© CLXXXV L'nhraei News Network

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