Question

what did Davis mean when he said they "merely asserted a right which the Declaration of Independence of 1776 had defined to be inalienable."

Answer 1

Davis was referring to the belief of the Southern states that they had the right to secede from the Union, as they felt their individual rights were being infringed upon by the federal government. By invoking the Declaration of Independence, he argued that states had the inherent right to govern themselves and that this right could not be taken away by any external authority. In essence, he was asserting that secession was justified as a means to protect their inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the Declaration of Independence.