That is an interesting comment. But is it the whole story?
No.
The preeminent historian Carl Becker in his 1922 book “The Declaration of Independence” (reprinted by the National Rifle Association) documents Jefferson's more robust account of those events. Read Jefferson's words with me on page 171:
“The clause too, reprobating the enslaving the inhabitants of Africa, was struck out in complaisance to South Carolina and Georgia, who had never attempted to restrain the importation of slaves, and who on the contrary still wished to continue it. Our Northern brethren also I believe felt a little tender under those censures; for tho’ their people have very few slaves themselves yet they had been pretty considerable carriers of them to others.”
I call to your attention a couple of items. It was not just South Carolina and Georgia that opposed Jefferson's philippic; the northern states wanted the direct reference to slavery toned down as well because of their mercenary complicity in the slave trade. Think New Jersey.
Another point: although the word slavery does not appear in the signed DOI, the grievance of the states against the King for freeing slaves remained - “He has excited domestic insurrections among us . . .”
I have read of northerners claiming this grievance was a reference to “Indian Savages” or some such but it is not.
I know history is not being taught in blue-state schools - and not much anywhere since the 1960s - but the facts are still available.
Why not get it right?
Another point: although the word slavery does not appear in the signed DOI, the grievance of the states against the King for freeing slaves remained - “He has excited domestic insurrections among us . . .”
The DoI declared, and the Paris Peace Accords established, thirteen free, sovereign and independent states dating from July 4, 1776.
Slave property existed in colonies, and their declaring independence from the king did nothing to destroy such property rights. The primary writer of the DoI drafted the document while assisted by his slave Jupiter. Washington was a colonial slave owner, continued to be a slave owner in the state of Virginia, and died a slave owner, having never freed his slaves. Thomas Jefferson was similar. Chief Justice John Marshall was a slave owner. President John Tyler had slaves work in the White House. Andrew Johnson was a slave owner up until August 1863. It is patently obvious that slave property rights were not extinguished by either the DoI, the AoC, or the Constitution.
Slavery was not mentioned by name in the Constitution until 1865 and the 13th Amendment which abolished it. One cannot abolish something that does not exist. The earlier wordsmithing, avoiding the explicit use of the word, did nothing to abolish the institution which the states inherited from the colonies.
Art. I, §9
The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.
Art. 1, §2, Cl. 3
Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.
Art. IV, §1
Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.
Art. IV, §2, Cl. 3
No person held to service or labor in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.
The property right was in the service or labor of the person. Slaves were persons under the Constitution. See Article I, §2, Cl. 3 reference to three-fifths of all other persons. In the census, slaves were counted as five-fifths of a person. The slave persons were counted as slaves and did not add to the free population, but they counted as a full person in the enumeration of the population.
As opposed to citing what is not in the DoI or the Constitution, one may better rely on what is actually in the text of those documents and the AoC.
The use of wordsmithing was employed in the AoC, informing the authors of the Constitution on how to do it.
Articles of Confederation, Art. IV, Cl. 1
The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among the people of the different States in this Union, the free inhabitants of each of these States, paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the several States; and the people of each State shall free ingress and regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any State, to any other State, of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided also that no imposition, duties or restriction shall be laid by any State, on the property of the United States, or either of them.
Free inhabitants and free citizens as opposed to the unnamed other.
Having imported their (slave) property into another state, they could not be prevented from removing said (slave) property.
In the DoI,
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us…
It did not refer to a domestic insurrection by the Amish.
Attempts to make anything of the deliberate absence of the words slave or slavery in the AoC or Constitution is fruitless. It is merely an object lesson in wordsmithing, saying all that was needed without explicit use of words which would invite international criticism.
Why not get it right yourself. Your side choose to fight a war to preserve slavery.
Own it.