90 AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 



No. 8. 



THE CONSTITUTION OF PENNSYLVANIA— 1776. 



A¥HEREAS all Government ought to be instituted and supported for 

 the Security and Protection of the Community as such, and to enable 

 the Individuals, who compose it, to enjoy their natural Eights and the 

 other Blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed upon Man; 

 and, whenever these great Ends of Government are not obtained, the 

 people have a Eight, by common Consent, to change it and take such 

 Measures as to them may appear necessary to promote their Safety and 

 Happiness. And WHEEEAS the Inhabitants of this Commonwealth 

 have, in Consideration of Protection only, heretofore acknowledged Al- 

 legiance to the King of Great Britain ; and the said King has not only 

 withdrawn that Protection, but commenced and still continues to carry 

 on, with unabated Vengeance, a most cruel and unjust War against 

 them, employing therein not only the Troops of Great Britain, but for- 

 eign Mercenaries, Savages and Slaves, for the avowed Purpose of re- 

 ducing them to a total and abject submission to the despotic Domination 

 of the British Parliament, with many other Acts of Tyranny (more fully 

 set forth in the Declaration of Congress) whereby all Allegiance and 

 Fealty to the said King, and his Successors, are dissolved and at an End, 

 and all Power and Authority derived from him ceased in these Colonies. 

 And whereas it is absolutely necessary for the Welfare and Safety of the 

 Inhabitants of said Colonies, that they be henceforth free and indepen- 

 dent States, and that just, permanent and proper Forms of Government 

 exist in every part of them derived from, and founded on the Authority 

 of the People only, agreeable to the Direction of the honorable American 

 Co7igress. 



We, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FREEMEN OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN 



GENERAL CONVENTION MET, for the express Purpose of framing such a 

 Government, confessing the Goodness of the great Governor of the Uni- 

 verse, (who alone knows to what Degree of earthly Happiness Mankind 

 may attain, by perfecting the Arts of Government) in permitting the 

 People of this State, by common Consent, and without Violence, delib- 

 erately to form for themselves such just Eules as they shall think best 

 for governing their future Society ; and being fully convinced that it is 

 our indispensable Duty to establish such original Principles of Govern- 

 ment as will best promote the general Happiness of the People of this 

 State and their Posterity, and provide for future Improvements, without 



