“The signers of the DOI didn’t present their arguments in terms of counties, cities, and neighborhoods. They styled their revolution based on colonies and states.”
In and of itself that does not mean the same arguments could not be presented in terms of counties, cities, and neighborhoods.
“The signers of the DOI never indicated, that I know, that neighborhoods or villages could levy war - it was ‘Independent States may of right to do.’”
But if the people of a neighborhood or village found it necessary to “...dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them . ..”, they could establish or become an Independent State which “may of right to do”.
You left out “cities” this time. There are City States such as Singapore, Monaco, Ancient Athens and Sparta, and Ancient Rome before it became an empire.
“For your purpose you may want to stretch the concept of freedom to contend the upper torso can rebel against the lower torso. Fine. But it’s misreading the DOI to say that’s what the signers intended, or that was what the Confederates were contemplating.”
I’m not trying to stretch the concept of freedom. More like I’m exploring the concept of it becoming “necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them...” and of secession. That embracing those concepts may have unintended consequences, consequences that the DOI signers did not intend or the Confederates contemplate...well, such things happen.
As I wrote previously: “Fine.” Meaning, I agree you can make that case if you want to.
If I wanted to make that case (which I don't) I'd point out that San Bernardino County has a land area of 20,105 square miles but Rhode Island only 1,033 square miles.
Or better yet, the Alaskan borough (county-equivalent) Yukon-Koyukuk has a whopping 147,000 square miles.
You could also fiddle-around with population statistics. Alaska has a population of 736,000 people. Jacksonville,
Florida has more: 842,000 people.
That would set you up to contend the founding fathers intended for Washington D.C. to be a state with two Senators and one or more Representatives.
Again, not to put too fine a point on it, that was NOT the intent of the founders. As to your original intent- I've lost track.