That, of course, is only your opinion. What defines a sovereign state? Could it possibly be that state's determination to be so? You seem to have found a higher power dwelling somewhere, perhaps in your imagination. You are implicit in advocating tyranny here NS. The definition of freedom is the ability to "throw off the shackles of government" - remember?
I suppose that a good indication of independence is whether or not other people agree with you. And in the case of the confederacy not a single country in the entire world considered them independent. So the state can claim it's a soverign nation, there is nothing to stop it. You can proclaim yourself Grand High Emperor of the Universe, there is nothing to stop you from doing that either. But until people start bowing and calling you 'Your Majesty' then you're nothing but just another nutcase.