[SoCal Pubbie]

What made you think that I wasn’t going to read it? I especially liked this part:

“So how, in 25 years or so, did this national conflict shift to Southern slavery — which was the same thing it had been in 1820 and ‘30 — so much so that the declarations of independence of the various Southern states in 1860 and ‘61 seem to make it their chief reason for secession?”

[DiogenesLamp]

If you read further, he answers that question. His answer is pretty much what I've been saying.

Slavery was just an excuse, and it was really about political, and consequentially economic power.

Also there were only four states (out of 11) that cited slavery as a reason for leaving, and in some of those, it wasn't even the most important reason for doing so.