to the several Towns in this Province and to
the World, as the Sense of this Town, with
the Infringements and Violations thereof that
have been, or from Time to Time may
be made. Also requesting of each Town a free
Communication of their Sentiments on this
Subject," -- beg Leave to report.
First, A State of the Rights of the Colonists
and of this Province in particular.
Secondly, A Lift of the Infringements and
Violations of those Rights.
Thirdly, A Letter of Correspondence with the
other Towns.
1. Natural Rights of the Colonists as Men.
Among the natural Rights of the Colonists
are these: First, a Right to Life; secondly, to
Liberty; thirdly, to Property; together with
the Right to support and defend them in the
best Manner they can. These are evident Bran-
ches of, rather than Deductions from the Duty
of Self-Preservation, commonly called the first
Law of Nature.
All Men have a Right to remain in a State
of Nature as long as they please: And in Case
of intollerable Oppression, civil or religious,
to
leave the Society they belong to, and enter in-
to another.