It would have been a more orderly and likely bloodless transition yes. Likely occuring sooner. The nation as a whole would have prospered as the southern industries would have made the nations trade more secure. The south was seen by the nothern industrialist as competition. Abe was sympathetic to their cause. And Smedley Butler a man to come later was indeed right LOL.
Do you really, really believe that we'd have equal civil rights regardless of skin color to the degree that we do today in an independent Confederacy?
The nation as a whole would have prospered as the southern industries would have made the nations trade more secure. The south was seen by the nothern industrialist as competition.
A nice fantasy, but most of the secessionist leaders didn't want to develop industries. They say their new country as a vast agrarian Confederacy. Remember Wigfall?
We are a peculiar people, sir! We are an agriculture people; we are a primitive but a civilised people. We have no cities—we don't want them. We have no literature—we don't need any yet. We have no press—we are glad of it. We have no commercial marine—no navy—we don't want them. We are better without them. Your ships carry our produce and you can protect your own vessels. We want no manufactures; we desire no trading, no mechanical or manufacturing classes. As long as we have our cotton, our rice, our sugar, our tobacco, we can command wealth to purchase all we want from those nations with which we are in amity.
A clever bet to make in an industrial era!
Can you provide a single pre-rebellion quote from a single Southern leader, military or civilian, who believed slavery was destined for an early end?