[Colonel Kangaroo]

In regard to 'all men are created equal', the framers meant POLITICAL equality - that the power of government was for everyone - not just for those of 'royal blood'. If they had meant racial equality then the very 1st Congress would not have made citizenship/naturalization/military service to be for whites only. Just as if Lincoln meant equality he would not have been so adamant about deportation/colonization of blacks. He even wanted to 'reward' those that fought for the union with an all expense paid trip to Panama to dig coal/canal - with no return ticket.

I think Lincoln had the right idea about the Declaration

"...I think the authors of that notable instrument intended to include all men, but they did not intend to declare all men equal in all respects. They did not mean to say all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral developments, or social capacity. They defined with tolerable distinctness, in what respects they did consider all men created equal—equal in "certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This they said, and this meant. They did not mean to assert the obvious untruth, that all were then actually enjoying that equality, nor yet, that they were about to confer it immediately upon them. In fact they had no power to confer such a boon. They meant simply to declare the right, so that the enforcement of it might follow as fast as circumstances should permit. They meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly looked to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly attained, constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence, and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all people of all colors everywhere."

[4CJ]

Lincoln: 'I think the authors of that notable instrument intended to include all men, but they did not intend to declare all men equal in all respects ...

What's that old saying, 'The road to h*** is paved with good ...'?

Lincoln again: 'They did not mean to assert the obvious untruth [LIE!], that all were then actually enjoying that equality, nor yet, that they were about to confer it immediately upon them.'

Gee. Lincoln (in his political doublegooddoublespeak) admits that it was a LIE that all men were equal. And that the DoI was NOT conferring equality.

Lincoln again: In fact they had no power to confer such a boon.

Gee. Imagine that. Lincoln admits they had no power to do so. I wonder what later document granted that power of equality? The Constitution? Where?

Lincoln continues: 'They meant simply to declare the right, so that the enforcement of it might follow as fast as circumstances should permit.'

As soon as they codify it, THEN it can be enforced. No President can craft law, he can only enforce EXISTING laws passed by Congress.

The first Congress limited citizenship/naturalization/military service to whites only. Certainly if they had intended for 'equality' they would have crafted laws that did extend equality under the law.

The DoI is an insturment of secession, a document in which Americans threw off the despotic rule of King George, and assumed the powers of government themselves - no royal bloodlines were necessary nor desired.

Jefferson wrote that the Declaration was to 'dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them'. That's the equality ascribed to the phrase 'all men are created equal'.