[Non-Sequitur]

If the Confederacy had freed their slaves, the Union would still have been against secession.

If the south had freed their slaves, they would have had no reason to secede in the first place.

[laotzu]

"If the south had freed their slaves, they would have had no reason to secede in the first place."

Yes they would, because the war was not about slavery....as illustrated by the Union having slaves before, and keeping them after those in the Confederacy were freed.