Yes, that's far more persuasive than the fact that there was hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, and the change was going to bankrupt numerous wealthy and powerful men who backed Lincoln for the Presidency.
It was all about feelings, and not at all about huge amounts of money and power.
Both Southern plantation owners and Northen businessmen made money.
The South was going to get an instant 80 million more dollars per year flowing into their economy just by becoming independent. The Northern businessmen were going to lose that 80 million dollars per year flowing through their economy.
Of course they didn't want anyone to notice this, or to think this was why they couldn't allow the South to become economically independent. Of course Charles Dickens (an avowed anti-slavery proponent) clearly saw what was happening at the time.
I take the facts of the American quarrel to stand thus. Slavery has in reality nothing on earth to do with it, in any kind of association with any generous or chivalrous sentiment on the part of the North. But the North having gradually got to itself the making of the laws and the settlement of the tariffs, and having taxed South most abominably for its own advantage, began to see, as the country grew, that unless it advocated the laying down of a geographical line beyond which slavery should not extend, the South would necessarily to recover it's old political power, and be able to help itself a little in the adjustment of the commercial affairs.Every reasonable creature may know, if willing, that the North hates the Negro, and until it was convenient to make a pretense that sympathy with him was the cause of the War, it hated the Abolitionists and derided them up hill and down dale. For the rest, there's not a pins difference between the two parties. They will both rant and lie and fight until they come to a compromise; and the slave may be thrown into that compromise or thrown out, just as it happens."
"As to Secession being Rebellion, it is distinctly provable by State papers that Washington, considered it no such thing – that Massachusetts, now loudest against it, has itself asserted its right to secede, again and again – and that years ago, when the two Carolinas began to train their militia expressly for Secession, commissioners sent to treat with them and to represent the disastrous policy of such secession, never hinted it would be rebellion."
Charles Dickens, March 16, 1862 (From a private letter, not intended to be published.)
Leave it to a foreigner to speak the truth (same as today) while politically motivated Americans are lying to everyone for their own advantage.