That's what every faction in a democracy believes when the majority isn't on his side. It's been happening for years, and continues to happen. But in the instant case there was a single, overriding issue that trumped all else and successfully divided the nation geographically. Without that geographical division, there could have been no war. If we could get the abortion issue similarly divided geographically we'd be in the same situation.
if one insists on a simplistic answer to this complex question (and only simpletons want/need simplistic answers to such questions), let it be this:
southerners wanted to be FREE from a government that they believed no longer was interested in their rights & best interests. i.e.,it was precisely the same cause as the American Revolution.
free dixie NOW,sw
free the southland,sw