On a further point, what exactly were the grievances of the Southern states? Lincoln had not even taken office, and had vowed that despite his personal views, he would take no actions to interfere with slavery in the Southern states. Whether or not this was true or not we will never know, as the Southern states, when they lost in a legitimate national election, simply walked out in a huff when the result did not go in a way they favored. They then set about seceding from the US, months before Lincoln was even sworn in.
The Southern states were not exactly bastions of state’s rights either. For years, they used the national government to try and push pro-slavery views onto other states that wanted no part of it, and the existence things such the Fugitive Slave Act bear testimony to that fact. Despite being, supposedly, founded on the idea of the right of secession, the Confederacy refused to acknowledge that concept when applied to themselves. The Confederacy had many internal revolts against the government, ones that they often used military force to deal with. West Virginia is only the most notable example - other regions, like Nickajack and Winston spring to mind. Heck, eastern Tennessee petitioned the legislature to secede from the state, and the Confederacy sent troops to occupy the region and prevent any such independence movement from occurring.
Let’s assume you are tight... The solution: War. War? And then worse, the federal supremacy paradigm. I assume you are happy with history the way it is then, and I have to further assume that you are happy with an all-powerful federal government to rule into perpetuity. 500k died, and because of federal supremacy most blacks are STILL slaves. Tell me, please, that you aren’t happy with that circumstance, which is a direct result of the Civil War’s outcome.
I simply say that no war would have been better for everyone, ultimately.
The message for the entire world was that America is now like us again, back in the might makes right box. Other countries perceive the War better than we do, because they are disinterested third-parties. The South got its ass kicked because it wanted to... I’ll let you finish the sentence.
East Tennessee was not a solid block of Union supporters. Jonesborough was heavily Confederate and sentiment often varied from hollow to hollow.