“Yes, slavery was used as a rallying cry to get support for secession in three of the state declarations of secession. But the main issues were the tariff and the victory of the Republican party, a party that publicly declared itself to be “a party of the North pledged against the South.”
So you are seriously telling me that most of these states just got really hacked off about a tariff and the election of a guy that hadn’t even been sworn-in, and just decided to up and leave the union?
So either they were all about protecting their enslavement of black Americans...Or they were hothead reactionaries.
Either way, the CSA was a basket-case from the go.
Lincoln wasn't just "some guy". Here is a quote from Wendell Phillips, the chairman of the Republican party"
This state of things is just what we have attempted to bring about. It is the first sectional party ever organized in this country. It does not know its own face and calles itself national; but it is not national - it is sectional. The Republican party is a party of the North pledged against the South.
After 1860 the South lost control of both the presidency and congress to a party that had pledged to take the Northern side in every issue under contention (yes, including slavery). So why stay in the Union? They had only joined to begin with because they thought there would be mutual benefit. Why not just leave? It's the civil, peaceful thing to do.