Matt Danzico and Kate Dailey at BBC News Magazine:
By 4 July, America’s founding fathers approved a simple document penned by Jefferson that enumerated their grievances and announced themselves a sovereign nation.
Called the Declaration of Independence, it was a blow for freedom, a call to war, and the founding of a new empire.
It was also totally illegitimate and illegal.
At least, that was what lawyers from the UK argued during a debate at Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Hall.
I’m pretty sure our friends across the pond are totally missing the point here. Yes, the Declaration of Independence was illegal. Here’s the closing paragraph:
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.
So, uh, I don’t know if these folks have actually read the Declaration of Independence—it sounds like they haven’t—but we sort of rejected the authority of Great Britain, including all of their laws. I have no doubt that King George probably thought that our declaration was both illegal and illegitimate. In fact I’d say there’s a pretty strong argument for that because we had this tiny little conflict with Britain called the Revolutionary War. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?
Here’s the kicker though: we actually won that war. It cost us a lot of lives. That makes it legitimate. We won. End of story. Nobody cares if you think our founding documents are legal or legitimate.
What’s the point here? Does Great Britain want their colonies back? Come and get them. In the words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto “There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.”
