In referring to the secession documents, you said:
“A couple of them may not mention slavery as a primary cause of secession, but most do.”
Actually that is not factual.
None of the original 7 and eventual 11 ordinances mentioned slavery as a cause of their decision to leave the Union.
However, four states published their reasoning in individual state decrees, which of course, were not legally representative of the state actions.
Therefore, any notion that these documents were formal, legal explanations is totally false.
None of the original 7 and eventual 11 ordinances mentioned slavery as a cause of their decision to leave the Union.
Actually that is not factual.
The Virginia ordinance refers to "the oppression of the Southern slave-holding States."
The Alabama ordinance mentions, "the desire and purpose of the people of Alabama to meet the slaveholding States of the South, who may approve such purpose, in order to frame a provisional as well as permanent Government upon the principles of the Constitution of the United States." It also refers to "he election of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin to the offices of president and vice-president of the United States of America, by a sectional party, avowedly hostile to the domestic institutions and to the peace and security of the people of the State of Alabama." What were those "domestic institutions."
The Texas ordinance states, "the power of the Federal Government is sought to be made a weapon with which to strike down the interests and property of the people of Texas, and her sister slave-holding States."
However, four states published their reasoning in individual state decrees, which of course, were not legally representative of the state actions.
Therefore, any notion that these documents were formal, legal explanations is totally false.
The ordinances of secession simply stated that a bond of union had been dissolved. If you want to understand the reason for that, what better place to go than to the Declarations of the Causes of Secession approved by various "authorities"?