[fortheDeclaration]

First, the reason the colonies were fighting against the British was because they were being taxed without representation.

Second, yes, if that is true, the South should have let her slaves go, but fought a war to keep them.

[DiogenesLamp]

First, the reason the colonies were fighting against the British was because they were being taxed without representation.

Their reasons do not matter. They espoused a Natural Law right to leave if they wished, and that is exactly what the colonists did.

Second, yes, if that is true, the South should have let her slaves go, but fought a war to keep them.

In 1776, all the states were slave states. Apparently the founders didn't regard the right to leave as being contingent upon whether or not they owned slaves.

Thomas Jefferson owned 80 slaves when he wrote the declaration of independence.

So the point remains. If the 13 slave owning colonies had a right to leave, why didn't the 11 slave owning states have a right to leave? Why did the Union tolerate five slave owning states continuing to own slaves during the war?

Apparently the Union didn't have a problem with slavery. Again, they had five Union states which continued to own slaves during the war. Apparently the only thing the Union had a problem with was people trying to get away from that North Eastern Power Cabal centered in New York which seems to be more or less the same problem we are facing today.