Keep in mind these men had already achieved varying degrees of success under British rule. Some of them became tremendously wealthy. It's certainly not like they would have been destitute if they hadn't risen up against the British. Not all of them were slave holders, and some of them only reluctantly agreed to commit what amounted to treason. One notable example is John Adams, who was on the committee to draft the Declaration. So whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, these men did risk everything, including their lives, to gain independence for the colonies from Britain. And before you lambaste people like Adams who agreed to permit slavery in the new union, there wouldn't have been one without out it. They needed votes, and the only way to get them was compromise with the hope that slavery would one day become a thing of the past, which it ultimately did only at great cost.
Yes indeed, Adams and the others did compromise. The sad reality is that your claim that they had to compromise involved nothing of their own.
They compromised with the lives of others that they claimed others had a natural right to. And in doing so betrayed their own statement of natural rights in their document the Declaration of Independence.
They compromised with the liberty of others that they claimed others had a natural right to. And in doing so betrayed their own statement of natural rights in their document the Declaration of Independence.
They compromised with the pursuit of happiness that they claimed others had a natural right to. And in doing so betrayed their own statement of natural rights in their document the Declaration of Independence.
And in the case of Jefferson and the other signers who were slave owners, they continued to engage in an activity which denied the so called natural rights they had signed a statement of day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.
So we have the words of Jefferson and the others and we have the actions and deeds of Jefferson and the others to hold up and compare.
So do we reject the time old adage that ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS and now accept the premise that ones actions for a lifetime mean precious little or even nothing compared to one statement to the contrary given to justify separating from England?
Yes, perhaps the extremely naive would accept such a ridiculous claim.
Yes, the hopelessly gullible would accept such a ridiculous claim.
Yes, perhaps the political virgin would accept such a ridiculous claim.
Yes, perhaps the blind zealot so shut out from reality would accept such a claim because to do otherwise threatens to destroy his entire self imposed belief system as reality takes a sledge hammer to its foundations.
So which of those apply here?