“You were contending that an agreement existed about federal versus state citizenship — that one was a citizen of a state, rather than a citizen of the country.”
That’s not what I was contending. He was a traitor, if, and only if, one believes that the Union was the same as the United States. If they are not - then he no more took up arms against his own country than he defended it.
“That’s not what I was contending. He was a traitor, if, and only if, one believes that the Union was the same as the United States”
How exactly was the union different from the United States?
Sophistry. "The union" has to be more than one part. "The United States" has to be more than just one state or a collection of localities in rebellion against the rest of the country. Take up arms for one component against the rest of the country and you've taken up arms against your country. That's not so hard to understand.