Jefferson's colleagues DID NOT EDIT the "long paragraph". Jefferson's colleagues DID NOT SHORTEN “he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us” to simply “excited domestic insurrections”. In fact, the "long paragraph" and the “excited domestic insurrections” clause were completely separate and distinct freestanding clauses in the first draft. The "long paragraph" was stricken in its entirety. There was no editing. There was no shortening. The "excited domestic insurrections” remained and had absolutely no relationship to the "long passage". The "long passage", which obviously dealt with the slave trade, was jettisoned (for the benefit of certain delegates) due to its references to slavery and the slave trade. BroJoeK and DoodleDawg have been absolutely correct. The "domestic insurrections" clause absolutely does not in any way, shape or form have anything to do with slaves or slavery. Therefore, that leaves no reference to Slavery in the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.
Jeffersondem, you are wrong. You have made a mistake. I had wondered why you kept repeating that the "long passage" was "wrecked" when you know as well as any of us it wasn't wrecked, it was entirely stricken. You put forth that this, "he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us” was shortened to this “excited domestic insurrections”. That goes beyond pure rubbish.
Great expression!
I think I'll save it for future reference. ;-)
The point bears repeating, since jeffersondem himself cannot acknowledge it:
Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence expression "excited domestic insurrections" does not refer to slave revolts, since there were none, zero, nada slave revolts at that time.
It does not refer to Dunmore's 1775 proclamation, since revolt is not what Dunmore called for.
Instead Dunmore called for servants of all kinds to join the British army.
And "excited domestic insurrections" does not refer to Indian raids on colonial settlers since that subject was addressed in its own expression.
What it clearly does refer to are several domestic insurrections even then happening between American loyalists and patriots.
In post #276 above I listed several of these domestic insurrections.
Bottom line: jeffersondem cannot accurately claim the Declaration of Independence in any way justified slavery.
Rather, it came within one draft of condemning slavery as being started & maintained by the King.
So as with so much else, what jeffersondem here claims is just mythology, not history.
“The “excited domestic insurrections” remained and had absolutely no relationship to the “long passage”.”
You say “remained”? I can not find the term “excited domestic insurrections” anywhere in the original draft of the DOI.
Where do you find it in the original draft?