135 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
135 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF THE CITIZEN
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Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789
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The representatives of the French people, organized as a National
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Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of
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the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of
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the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a
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solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of
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man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all
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the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of
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their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative
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power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared
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at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political
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institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order
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that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple
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and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of
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the constitution and redound to the happiness of all. Therefore
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the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence
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and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights
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of man and of the citizen:
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Articles:
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1 Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social
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distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.
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2 The aim of all political association is the preservation of
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the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights
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are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
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3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the
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nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which
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does not proceed directly from the nation.
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4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which
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injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights
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of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other
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members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These
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limits can only be determined by law.
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5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society.
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Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no
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one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.
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6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has
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a right to participate personally, or through his representative,
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in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it
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protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of
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the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public
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positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and
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without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.
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7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in
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the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one
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soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed,
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any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned
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or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as
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resistance constitutes an offense.
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8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are
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strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer
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punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law
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passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense.
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9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been
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declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all
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harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's
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person shall be severely repressed by law.
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10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions,
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including his religious views, provided their manifestation does
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not disturb the public order established by law.
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11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the
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most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may,
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accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall
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be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be
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defined by law.
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12. The security of the rights of man and of the citizen
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requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore,
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established for the good of all and not for the personal
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advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted.
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13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance
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of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This
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should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in
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proportion to their means.
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14. All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally
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or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public
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contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is
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put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of
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collection and the duration of the taxes.
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15. Society has the right to require of every public agent an
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account of his administration.
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16. A society in which the observance of the law is not assured,
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nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all.
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17. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one
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shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally
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determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition
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that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified.
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-------------------------------------
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The above document was written by The Marquis de Lafayette,
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with help from his friend and neighbor, American envoy to France,
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Thomas Jefferson. Lafayette, you may recall, had come to the
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Colonies at age 19, been commissioned a Major General, and was
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instrumental in the defeat of the British during the American
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Revolutionary War. He considered one special man his 'father':
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George Washington.
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French King Louis XVI signed this document, under duress, but
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never intended to support it. Indeed, the Revolution in France
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soon followed, leading to the tyrannical rule of Napolean
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Bonaparte.
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-------------------------------------
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Prepared by Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300)
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Distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the
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National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN).
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Permission is hereby granted to download, reprint, and/or otherwise
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redistribute this file, provided appropriate point of origin
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credit is given to the preparer(s) and the National Public
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Telecomputing Network.
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Vš�R¥�T
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