[DiogenesLamp]

Except the lesson is you can’t. Texas v. White resolved the legal issues, holding that the 1861-1865 pretended secession was of no legal effect, and that putting down the insurrection was correct. Further, it held that money loaned to support the insurrection should not be paid back by the States.

You have a rather simplistic view of things. Both sides were hypocrites. At the beginning, the South said "We Secede." The North said "You can't secede." When the war was over, the South said, "Okay, since we can't secede, we will send our Representatives and Senators back to Congress. The North said "No. You Seceded. "

Did they secede, or didn't they? I guess when the US wanted to regard them as having seceded, they did, and when it wanted to regard them as not having seceded, they did that as well.

[rockrr]

More like:

At the beginning, the South said "We Secede." The North said "You can't secede." When the war was over, the South said, "Okay, since we can't secede, we will send our Representatives and Senators back to Congress. The North said "No. You Rebelled."

[donmeaker]

They did not secede. They committed insurrection. After the insurrection, they had to be readmitted, just like any territory.

Is this too hard for you? Too many big words?