IN CONVENTION,
held at Lorraine-Orange, 20 Brumaire of the Year I

A DECLARATION
by the oppressed citizens of the Kingdom of Porto Claro assembled,

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 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 persons are created equal, theat 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 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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes, and accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing inevitably the same object, produces a design to reduce them under absolute 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 districts; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former system of government. The History of the present Government of Porto Claro is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of absolute tyranny over these Districts. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world:

- The King has lead a complot to overrun the Confederal Senate and to remove the autonomy of the districts.

- The Prime Minister has refused his assent to constitutional provisions that would enable the people to govern themselves.

- The King and the Prime Minister have refused assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

- The Government and majority coalition has wilfully violated in letter and in spirit, Article 37 of the National Constitution, adopted only one month ago, to keep linguistic minorities ignorant of its machinations.

- With the blessing of the King, The Prime Minister, following adoption of a Constitution allowing autonomy to the Districts, now proposes a plebiscite to remove such autonomy, a power formidable to tyrants only.

- The Prime Minister has endeavored to prevent the population of the districts, and obstructing laws for the naturalization of foreigners.

- The Prime Minister has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing to introduce or assent to laws establishing judiciary powers.

- The Prime Minister has combined with others to subject usto a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws.

- The Prime Minister has endeavored to prevent the creationof a free economy for the trade of goods and services within the kingdom, and with the world.

- The Prime Minister has excited domestic insurrections among us.

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 Head of Government, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in our attentions to our brethrenin the other Districts. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by the majority coalition to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have pleaded with them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and corresponsence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as wehold the rest of the world, enemies in war, in peace, friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the PRINCIPALITY OF ORANGE, in Convention assembled, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of our confederated districts, solemnly publish and declare that these confederated districts are, and of right ought to be, a free and independent state, that they are absolved of all allegiance to the Crown of Porto Claro, and that all political connection between them and the Kingdom of Porto Claro is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a free and independent state, 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.

Anne Sourbonne
Eric Praline
Fabio Trigo
Filipe Oliveira
Francesc Savalls
Guilherme de Orange
Jean Tisserrand
Joie de France
Kharoliny Kaprinski
Kiso Colocat
Marcella Costa
Maria Eduarda Costa
Nadja Kaprinsky
Patricia Trigo
Ramon Llatzer