Thanks for your response BroJoeK, but I wondered if you missed the point of my comment. Are you re-igniting the pointless debate on the causes of the civil war, or are you suggesting that the Northern people did not fight in response to legitimate authority, that they fought only because they felt invaded and today we would not fight unless we felt invaded.
Well, I wouldn't "reignite" anything, just respond to numerous claims about an alleged "right of secession" or "right of rebellion", etc.
Our many Lost Causers argue the Declaration of Independence guarantees a right to secede and to rebel, so all Confederates really wanted was independence and to be left alone.
Problem is, none of that is true, in this instance I pointed to numerous Confederate invasions of Union states & territories, some even before any Union force "invaded" the Confederacy.
The Confederate response to Lincoln's call up of 75,000 troops after Fort Sumter, and to his declaration of blockade of Southern ports was a declaration of war against the United States.
Congress declared Confederate States in rebellion and war was on.
So, is something wrong with my legal understanding?