...certainly have something of the Jeffersonian ring. But even these paragraphs contain a pacific assurance: "Lest this declaration should disquiet the minds of...between us, and which we sincerely wish to see restored. We have not raised armies with ambitious designs of separating from Great Britain and establishing...

...forth the causes of taking up arms expressly assured their fellow subjects in every part of the Empire: "That we mean not to dissolve that union which has...us, and which we sincerely wish to see restored." Washington in all his demands upon Congress never wasted his powers urging that allegiance to England...

...to live slaves. "Lest this declaration should disquiet the minds of our friends and fellow subje;ts In any part of the empire, we assure them that we...mean not to dissolve that union which has so long and ao happily subsisted between us, and which we sincerely wish to see restored. Necessity has not yet...

...began, the second Congress reassured the mother country, in a statement drafted by Thomas Jefferson, "that we mean not to dissolve that union which has so long and so happily subsisted between us." It would almost seem that independence came as an afterthought to the men who had taken up arms against...

...Jefferson's draft.] Lest this declaration should disquiet the minds of our friends and fellow-subjects in any part of the empire, we assure them that we...subsisted between us, and which we sincerely wish to see restored.—Necessity has not yet driven us into that desperate measure, or induced us to excite any...

...undoubtedly attainable. Despite this threat, care was taken to disclaim any motive of independence. 'We mean not to dissolve that union which has so long...subsisted between us, and which we sincerely wish to see restored.'129 Those delegates anxious to tread the path of independence were aware that premature disclosure...

...months before the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress protested that it did not wish "to dissolve that union which has so long and so happily subsisted between American colonies and the mother country." To see in the conflict an attempt of a colonized nation,...

...the members avowed a determination "to die free men rather than to live slaves," but also asserted, "We mean not to dissolve that union which has so long and so happily subsisted between us. ... We have not raised armies with ambitious designs of separating from Great Britain, and establishing...

...preservation of [their] liberties." At the same time, they assured their supporters in Great Britain, "We mean not to dissolve that union which has so long and so happily subsisted between us."23 A year later, however, they must "acquiesce in the Necessity" of declaring independence. Since...

...adding quickly: "Lest this declaration should disquiet the minds of our friends and fellow-subjects in any part of the Empire, we assure them that we mean not to dissolve that Union [with the King] which ... we sincerely wish to see restored." 102 This conceptual dissonance was cleared...