Approved by the National Assembly of
France, August 26, 1789
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.
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:
Articles:
| Men are born and remain free and equal in
rights. Social distinctions may be founded
only upon the general good.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Society has the right to require of every
public agent an account of his
administration.
A society in which the observance of the law
is not assured, nor the separation of
powers defined, has no constitution at all.
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. |
