Any discussion of secession which analogizes the Confederacy leaving the Union to the US leaving the British Empire is prima facie worthless.
“Any discussion of secession which analogizes the Confederacy leaving the Union to the US leaving the British Empire is prima facie worthless.”
You don’t see any parallels? Both were being unfairly exploited economically.
Poor analogy. Very inaccurate as well.
In 1776, every man who signed the Declaration knew they were committing an act of treason against the Crown. They, in fact, called themselves Revolutionaries, (not secessionists) and knew full well they would be hung if captured by the British.
They spelled out very clearly their justification for doing what they did. They made no pretense that their actions were legal under British law. They instead appealed to Natural Law and the Right to Revolution when faced with intolerable oppression.
The secession movement of 1860-61 had none of the characteristics of the American Revolution. The Federal Government had imposed no oppression upon the seceding states nor did those states claim they were being oppressed. All they could muster as justification were partisan political differences. The Constitution and The Republic deserve better.
Under the very narrow definition of treason enshrined in the Articles of the Constitution, they were not committing "treason" as such. But they were most defiantly guilty of insurrection and even more significantly, in the words of James Madison, "a violation of a faith solemnly pledged."
The actions of those men who drove secession are not something to be admired.