I agree that the people who thought to benefit from the rebellion were only 5 to 6 percent of the south.
You must agree that those were the people who had control of the state legislatures who rebelled, drafted the articles of secesssion, conscripted the common man into state regiments, fired on Ft. Sumpter.
The end of slavery in the south marked the end of oppression of the many by that 5 or 6 percent, at least until the end of reconstruction put many of those same people back in charge.
the FACTS are that our ancestor's war was for FREEDOM, from a faraway central & increasingly corrupt government, that the AVERAGE southerner believed (RIGHTLY in my judgment!) had ceased to serve his needs & protect his interests.
southerners simply wanted to be FREE. period.end of story.
free dixie,sw