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Address & Declaration Separation From the English King by Henry Felder

At a court of general session for the District of Orangeburgh, Monday, the 20th day of May, before the Honorable William Henry Drayton, Esq, Chief Justice of the Colony of South Carolina.

The Address & Declaration of the Grand Jury of said district to his Honor the Chief Justice.

May it please your Honor,

Whilst engaged in an arduous but glorious Struggle for the Preservation of those invaluable Right and Liberties, which, by the Laws of Reason, and of Nature, all men have a right to possess, and without the Possession of which Life itself would be a Burthen; it was matter of no small Grief to us that any Men should be found amongst us ready to add to the Distress of an oppressed and injured People, by endeavoring to Introduce Anarchy and Confusion and thereby to light up the Flames of Civil Discord in the Bowels of this once happy Country.— We are fully convinced that those must have been the nefarious intentions and base Hopes which induced the King’s Judges to refuse the Execution of their Offices, and by so doing to put a Stop to the Administration of Justice in the Courts under their Jurisdiction; to the great Danger of the Lives, Liberties and Properties of the good People of this Colony.
But, however great our Grief, we cannot say that we are surprised at their Conduct—Strangers in this Land as they are, and induced by no Ties of Affection to this Country, or its Inhabitants, they acted as may ever be expected from the wretched Hirelings of an arbitrary and despotic Power. We trust they are the last Officers of the Kind this Colony will ever Know, and hope it will be an additional Cause for us hereafter to rejoice that we resisted, that we thereby became sensible of the true Interest of America in this, as well as many other Respects. To the Base Conduct of our late Judges, among other Causes, we owe however the excellent Constitution lately established amongst us: a Constitution evidently framed for the Good, Welfare and Happiness of those who are to live under it. We declare, that as we do most heartily approve of, so we are determined with our Lives and Fortunes to support, maintain and defend it.

And to that End, we will to the utmost of our Power, endeavor to make known its Excellency to all around us, to promote and encourage Peace, Harmony and good Will among the People; and whilst we treat with the tender Hand of Pity and Compassion those few, if any, of our Brethren, who from the Want of Information or the artful Designs and Intrigues of Wicked Men, may be found at present unfriendly to the sacred Cause in which we are now engaged. We will use our utmost Efforts to teach and instruct them, what and how many Grievances we labour under; the dutiful, humble, and we cannot help. now thinking too submissive, Petitions and Remonstrances, we have vainly submitted for Redress; the appeal made by our oppressors to the Sword, and driven as we are by dire necessity, the becoming and spirited Measures we have pursued and are now pursuing for a vigorous, manly, and virtuous Defense of the Liberties of ourselves and, which are still dearer to us, our Posterity. Thus acting, we doubt not but that we shall be able to create such an Union among them, as if extended over the whole Colony, will with the Assistance     of that gracious Providence which has hereto manifested itself in our Favor; the Goodness of our Cause, the Advantage of our Situation, our Use to Arms, and our Equality, if not Superiority in other respects to those who are, or may be sent against us, insure us, if called to Action, both Victory and Peace.

Great Britain has forced us into a new Form of Government; she may continue the Sword so long unsheathed that by observing its Superiority over the old, we may be unwilling to part with it. We now have Rulers of our free Choice and Judges of our own Election; a full and equal Representation in the Government; Blessings we hope we should never lose, and which the Wisdom of the Continental Congress will enable us long to keep Possession of.

In our present Situation it would be needless for us to present any Grievances to this Court. From the Joy we are in, and the Pleasures we feel in Observing the Attention paid to the Interests of the Colony, at the first Session of the Assembly under the present constitution, by the Law for the once more opening of the Courts of Justice amongst us, and, the many other excellent Laws passed in that Session, we can think of none we labour under; Should there be any, we have the greatest Confidence that your Honor would lay proper Attention to them, were they pointed out, and that the Legislature will at all Times be ready to provide adequate Remedies, when they are.

Henry Felder,
George King, Michael Leitner, William Heatly, Garrit FitzPatrick, Adam Snell, Gaspar Brown, John M’Williams, Henry Rickenbacker, Henry Whetstone, Henry Crum, Godfred Drelve, Jonas Beard