[rustbucket]

or perhaps they were telling the king that rather than solving the question with civil unrest and strife they could eventually and peacefully end slavery when they could. For example, by later passing the Northwest Ordinance.

The wording in the Ordinance about slavery was Jefferson's, wasn't it? Good for him.

You make my argument for me.

Um, not exactly. You weren't citing Jefferson's draft of the DOI or what Jefferson himself might have believed, but the DOI as issued. There is contradictory language in the DOI as issued as I pointed out. The DOI as issued complained about the British freeing slaves and took out the language in Jefferson's draft that condemned the king for promoting slavery.

[ALPAPilot]

The DOI as issued complained about the British freeing slaves

The complaint was about freeing slaves for the express purpose of armed insurrection. As Lord Dunmore said "declare Freedom to the Slaves, AND reduce the City of Williamsburg to Ashes."

The DOI is far from contradictory on slavery. It could perhaps be argued that it only tacitly condemns it. This in order to secure its unanimous passage. It is pretty clear that Jefferson believed slavery violated its principles, and he would know. These are the reasons that I argue the choice of Lincoln OR Jefferson is a false choice.