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I only had to go down to the first quote you reference to find your massive editing and spinning.

Typical yankee response. If someone doesn't post the entire opinion ...

Chase wrote, 'it has been said that they [the several states] were sovereign, were completely independent, and were connected with each other only by a league. This is true'.

Lincoln claimed the states never were independent, that somehow a mythical union predated them, created them from nothingness. Perhaps Lincoln, not being a Christian, sought to ascribe some godlike power to this mystical union. Maybe he was into spiritualism, who knows. But historical fact proves otherwise, the states were independent, and declared their independence separately.

The author of the piece you posted is unaware of historical fact, several states had declared their independence prior to 4 Jul 1776, several did not even sign the Declaration until August (one of them being New York). Even Justice Chase, in Ware v Hylton, recognized that fact:

In June 1776, the Convention of Virginia formally declared, that Virginia was a free, sovereign, and independent state.

Interesting decision, as Chase continues with a statement that can be applied to conditions in 1861:

Before these solemn acts of separation from the Crown of Great Britain, the war between Great Britain and the United Colonies, jointly, and separately, was a civil war; but instantly, on that great and ever memorable event, the war changed its nature, and became a PUBLIC war between independent governments; and immediately thereupon ALL the rights of public war (and all the other rights of an independent nation) attached to the government of Virginia; and all the former political connection between Great Britain and Virginia, and also between their respective subjects, were totally dissolved; and not only the two nations, but all the subjects of each, were in a state of war.