Isn't taking up arms a rational response to being attacked by the Federal government?
You do know Lincoln attacked them first, don't you?
Of course they don't teach that part of history, so maybe you don't.
Lincoln had Union troops attack and take Pensacola a month before Sumter. Lincoln was dishonest in his talks with the Confederate emissaries that were in D.C. He told them he wouldn’t reinforce Sumter at the same time he was sending a fleet to reinforce Sumter. This ruse was ferreted out by the Confederacy and the reason Beauregard was ordered to fire on Maj Anderson’s garrison.