Border states simply refers to geography. For purposes of this discussion the relevant point, is was the state in the Union or in the Confederacy. For that matter, any territory under union control that allowed slavery during and after the war makes the same point. To say The "North" didn't allow slavery during or after the war, only the "Border states" did suggests you believe that there were three political entities at the time. The North, the South and the Border. Of course, you'll probably fall back on the it was okay to reward loyal border states with the right to own slaves. As ridiculous as that position would be, it would also ignore the fact that the emancipation proclemation left slavery legal in large portions of the south that were under union control in 1863.
As far as Grant owning slaves. The slave that grant freed in 1859 can be named, so we know he owned them. But for you to suggests that Grant's wife in 1860 America could own and manage a number of slaves without that ownership in anyway being imputed to grant is as absurd as Kerry saying, "I don't own SUV's my family does."
I don't refer to the Union as the "North" so reject the idea that the War was between the States or North vs South.
The would-be Confederate States attacked the UNION and the war was the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs an insurrection brought about by Slaver fanatics.
Since the Union was not fighting over slavery I find it rather pathetic that you are claiming slavery should have been affected in the loyal portions of the Union where it had been legal. Lincoln had no intention to do anything unconstitutional about slavery where it was legal so why would he have done anything in the loyal states. Slavery was NOT legal in Northern states though it was in the Southern and Border states. Trying to foist off the Slaver motivation as that of Lincoln is silly.
Grant did not own the slaves his wife's family owned in a Border state were slavery was legal. There is no sophistry there. As I asked before lets see any evidence that Grant ever purchased a slave. Grant was too poor to own slaves or any other luxuries prior to the war.