Representatives of the people of France, gathered into a National Assembly, considering that ignorance, neglect, and disregard of human rights are in themselves able to wrong peoples and distort governments, have decided to bring forward a solemn declaration of rights natural, inalienable and sacred, of a human being; so that the declaration, ever in view for all society, ever might remind of their rights and their duties; so that acts of the legislative and executive powers might in all cases be compared with an assertion on the ultimate purpose of political establishment, and thus be better respected; and so that citizen claims might have ground in principles simple and uncontended always to attend to the Constitution and general well-being.
1. Human beings are born and remain free and equal in rights. Civic distinction may derive only from public utility.
2. The ultimate purpose of political association is to safeguard human natural and inexpendable rights. These are the rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
3. Sovereignty for all does by principle reside in the nation. No assembly or individual person might hold civic authority that has not been granted from the nation in clear and direct words.
(Work in progress)