I’m not pretending that there was anything “legal” about our declaring independence from England. We were challenging the existing government. And, we expected a fight. And, we got a fight. And, we won. We overthrew the existing government in the Colonies.
Presumably since we "won" our challenge, the new paradigm is the principles we had put forth.
The Converse is that we were still following English law in regards to Independence. No, I think we were supposed to follow American law, Specifically the first one.
"That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved;
In other words we changed the rules, and then Lincoln insisted on going back to the British rules; That Independence is not a right.