Editor’s Note: If there was a declaration to be written in the years soon after the founding of our republic, who better than Thomas Jefferson to have at least have some hand in its composition? As U.S. minister to France, Jefferson at times leant his expertise and insights — in many ways the product of George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights — to General Lafayette (full name Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette), one of\u00a0the authors of this\u00a0historic document. Considered one of the most foundational in the history of human rights, this declaration was enacted in August 26, 1789 by France’s Constituent General Assembly during the French Revolution. A first essential step towards the creation of a Constitution in France, the document\u00a0asserts that there are universal human rights that all enjoy, no matter the time or place or clime.<\/p>\n
The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all.<\/p>\n
Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen:<\/p>\n
Articles: 1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.<\/p>\n
2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.<\/p>\n
3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.<\/p>\n
4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.<\/p>\n
5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.<\/p>\n
6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.<\/p>\n
7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense.<\/p>\n
8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense.<\/p>\n
9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner’s person shall be severely repressed by law.<\/p>\n
10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.<\/p>\n
11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.<\/p>\n
12. The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted.<\/p>\n
13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.<\/p>\n
14. All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.<\/p>\n
15. Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration.<\/p>\n
16. A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all.<\/p>\n
17. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified.<\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www1.curriculum.edu.au\/ddunits\/downloads\/pdf\/dec_of_rights.pdf<\/p>\n
Text in the original French:<\/p>\n
Les Repr\u00e9sentants du Peuple Fran\u00e7ais, constitu\u00e9s en Assembl\u00e9e Nationale, consid\u00e9rant que l’ignorance, l’oubli ou le m\u00e9pris des droits de l’Homme sont les seules causes des malheurs publics et de la corruption des Gouvernements, ont r\u00e9solu d’exposer, dans une D\u00e9claration solennelle, les droits naturels, inali\u00e9nables et sacr\u00e9s de l’Homme, afin que cette D\u00e9claration, constamment pr\u00e9sente \u00e0 tous les Membres du corps social, leur rappelle sans cesse leurs droits et leurs devoirs ; afin que les actes du pouvoir l\u00e9gislatif, et ceux du pouvoir ex\u00e9cutif, pouvant \u00eatre \u00e0 chaque instant compar\u00e9s avec le but de toute institution politique, en soient plus respect\u00e9s ; afin que les r\u00e9clamations des citoyens, fond\u00e9es d\u00e9sormais sur des principes simples et incontestables, tournent toujours au maintien de la Constitution et au bonheur de tous.<\/p>\n
En cons\u00e9quence, l’Assembl\u00e9e Nationale reconna\u00eet et d\u00e9clare, en pr\u00e9sence et sous les auspices de l’Etre supr\u00eame, les droits suivants de l’Homme et du Citoyen.<\/p>\n
Art. 1er. <\/strong>Les hommes naissent et demeurent libres et \u00e9gaux en droits. Les distinctions sociales ne peuvent \u00eatre fond\u00e9es que sur l’utilit\u00e9 commune.<\/p>\n Art. 2. <\/strong>Le but de toute association politique est la conservation des droits naturels et imprescriptibles de l’Homme. Ces droits sont la libert\u00e9, la propri\u00e9t\u00e9, la s\u00fbret\u00e9, et la r\u00e9sistance \u00e0 l’oppression.<\/p>\n Art. 3.<\/strong> Le principe de toute Souverainet\u00e9 r\u00e9side essentiellement dans la Nation. Nul corps, nul individu ne peut exercer d’autorit\u00e9 qui n’en \u00e9mane express\u00e9ment.<\/p>\n Art. 4.<\/strong> La libert\u00e9 consiste \u00e0 pouvoir faire tout ce qui ne nuit pas \u00e0 autrui : ainsi, l’exercice des droits naturels de chaque homme n’a de bornes que celles qui assurent aux autres Membres de la Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 la jouissance de ces m\u00eames droits. Ces bornes ne peuvent \u00eatre d\u00e9termin\u00e9es que par la Loi.<\/p>\n Art. 5.\u00a0<\/strong> La Loi n’a le droit de d\u00e9fendre que les actions nuisibles \u00e0 la Soci\u00e9t\u00e9. Tout ce qui n’est pas d\u00e9fendu par la Loi ne peut \u00eatre emp\u00each\u00e9, et nul ne peut \u00eatre contraint \u00e0 faire ce qu’elle n’ordonne pas.<\/p>\n Art. 6.<\/strong> La Loi est l’expression de la volont\u00e9 g\u00e9n\u00e9rale. Tous les Citoyens ont droit de concourir personnellement, ou par leurs Repr\u00e9sentants, \u00e0 sa formation. Elle doit \u00eatre la m\u00eame pour tous, soit qu’elle prot\u00e8ge, soit qu’elle punisse. Tous les Citoyens \u00e9tant \u00e9gaux \u00e0 ses yeux sont \u00e9galement admissibles \u00e0 toutes dignit\u00e9s, places et emplois publics, selon leur capacit\u00e9, et sans autre distinction que celle de leurs vertus et de leurs talents.<\/p>\n Art. 7. <\/strong>Nul homme ne peut \u00eatre accus\u00e9, arr\u00eat\u00e9 ni d\u00e9tenu que dans les cas d\u00e9termin\u00e9s par la Loi, et selon les formes qu’elle a prescrites. Ceux qui sollicitent, exp\u00e9dient, ex\u00e9cutent ou font ex\u00e9cuter des ordres arbitraires, doivent \u00eatre punis ; mais tout citoyen appel\u00e9 ou saisi en vertu de la Loi doit ob\u00e9ir \u00e0 l’instant : il se rend coupable par la r\u00e9sistance.<\/p>\n Art. 8.<\/strong>\u00a0La Loi ne doit \u00e9tablir que des peines strictement et \u00e9videmment n\u00e9cessaires, et nul ne peut \u00eatre puni qu’en vertu d’une Loi \u00e9tablie et promulgu\u00e9e ant\u00e9rieurement au d\u00e9lit, et l\u00e9galement appliqu\u00e9e.<\/p>\n Art. 9.<\/strong>\u00a0Tout homme \u00e9tant pr\u00e9sum\u00e9 innocent jusqu’\u00e0 ce qu’il ait \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9clar\u00e9 coupable, s’il est jug\u00e9 indispensable de l’arr\u00eater, toute rigueur qui ne serait pas n\u00e9cessaire pour s’assurer de sa personne doit \u00eatre s\u00e9v\u00e8rement r\u00e9prim\u00e9e par la loi.<\/p>\n Art. 10.<\/strong> Nul ne doit \u00eatre inqui\u00e9t\u00e9 pour ses opinions, m\u00eame religieuses, pourvu que leur manifestation ne trouble pas l’ordre public \u00e9tabli par la Loi.<\/p>\n Art. 11. <\/strong>La libre communication des pens\u00e9es et des opinions est un des droits les plus pr\u00e9cieux de l’Homme : tout Citoyen peut donc parler, \u00e9crire, imprimer librement, sauf \u00e0 r\u00e9pondre de l’abus de cette libert\u00e9 dans les cas d\u00e9termin\u00e9s par la Loi.<\/p>\n Art. 12. <\/strong>La garantie des droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen n\u00e9cessite une force publique : cette force est donc institu\u00e9e pour l’avantage de tous, et non pour l’utilit\u00e9 particuli\u00e8re de ceux auxquels elle est confi\u00e9e.<\/p>\n Art. 13.\u00a0<\/strong>Pour l’entretien de la force publique, et pour les d\u00e9penses d’administration, une contribution commune est indispensable : elle doit \u00eatre \u00e9galement r\u00e9partie entre tous les citoyens, en raison de leurs facult\u00e9s.<\/p>\n Art. 14. <\/strong>Tous les Citoyens ont le droit de constater, par eux-m\u00eames ou par leurs repr\u00e9sentants, la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 de la contribution publique, de la consentir librement, d’en suivre l’emploi, et d’en d\u00e9terminer la quotit\u00e9, l’assiette, le recouvrement et la dur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n Art. 15.<\/strong> La Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 a le droit de demander compte \u00e0 tout Agent public de son administration.<\/p>\n Art. 16. <\/strong>Toute Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 dans laquelle la garantie des Droits n’est pas assur\u00e9e, ni la s\u00e9paration des Pouvoirs d\u00e9termin\u00e9e, n’a point de Constitution.<\/p>\n Art. 17.<\/strong> La propri\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9tant un droit inviolable et sacr\u00e9, nul ne peut en \u00eatre priv\u00e9, si ce n’est lorsque la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 publique, l\u00e9galement constat\u00e9e, l’exige \u00e9videmment, et sous la condition d’une juste et pr\u00e9alable indemnit\u00e9.<\/p>\n Source:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/Droit-francais\/Constitution\/Declaration-des-Droits-de-l-Homme-et-du-Citoyen-de-1789<\/p>\n Image source:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.google.com\/imgres?imgurl=http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/6\/6c\/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen_in_1789.jpg&imgrefurl=http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_Revolution&h=1533&w=1165&tbnid=kkKS8yhVx5zueM:&zoom=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=121&usg=__Cw5rJNyZ80Mt5a1HVgcbzE0ueKk=&docid=x1dUdXNY5egEkM&itg=1<\/p>\n Further reading:<\/p>\n The French Idea of Freedom: The Old Regime and the Declaration of Rights of 1789<\/em>, Dale Van Kley, Ed., Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1994<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Editor’s Note: If there was a declaration to be written in the years soon after the founding of our republic, who better than Thomas Jefferson to have at least have some hand in its composition? 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