You are interpreting the words with an anachronistic view of things. Jefferson and Washington, both slave owners, did not believe the "all men are created equal" verbiage was meant to apply to slaves. If they did, they would have freed their own slaves.
The primary purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to assert the natural law right of States to be Independent of the United Kingdom. It was most certainly not intended to free any slaves. The verbiage interpreted to mean that, was just a bit of Thomas Jefferson mischief which the Founders mostly ignored at the time.
The Founders were Pro-Slavery, or at least pro-accommodate slavery. Again, it is the ugly truth, but it is the truth, none the less.
The people you mentioned, Jefferson and Washington, as well as Southern leaders and aristocrats right up to the Civil War violated the plain words agreed to by the founders.
No they didn't. They simply did not see the larger meaning that other people would twist out of the words. When they contemplated the phrase "all men are created equal" they were applying it to themselves relative to the Aristocrats and King of England, not relative to the slaves, whom they considered to not be their equals at all.
But let's see what Thomas Jefferson said about how verbiage written on governing documents should be interpreted.
"On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit of the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
Lincoln was a true follower of the Declaration of Independence
The document which asserted that people had a right, given by God to leave a Union? Lincoln was a "true follower" of that document? Surely you jest?
"Four Score and Seven Years ago..." refers to 1776, the Year the 13 slave holding states broke away from the United Kingdom. You say Lincoln was on the "Pro break-away" side?
Lincoln did believe that all men were created equal. Those who did not believe in this equality, but signed the Declaration nevertheless had a blind spot. As for sanctioning the break up of the union, remember that the Declaration did not establish the Union. That was done by way of the Constitution a number of years later. Do you find a place in that Constitution which allows for a break up, as you call it? Lincoln was obviously not a pro break- away President.
“If they did, they would have freed their own slaves.”
Well Washington at least made a half-hearted effort to do so, but only in his will so he could retain the benefits from them during his lifetime. I think his surviving widow nixed the deal after he was gone anyway.