And under British law, the colonies as separate and sovereign states did have a right to exist?!? What history book have you been reading from? If they had a legal right to exist, perhaps you could inform us all as to what that 6+ year battle was all about? The Southern states did the exact same thing that all of the states did a scant 80 years earlier. Secede from a union that they no longer wished to be a part of. The reason does not matter. For you to state that the South had no right to secede, denies the very right of the colonies to secede from the British Empire
Legally the colonies had no right to declare independence. That's why it was called a 'revolutionary' war and also why the founding fathers weren't surprised when they had to fight for their freedom. Unlike the confederates they didn't pretend that their actions were legal by referring to it as 'secession'. Another difference is that the founding father's won their war. They must have wanted victory more that you sothron types did, huh?