What right was it that the states wished to retain? It was slavery.
You can paint it over any which way....but slavery was bad and needed to be abolished—north and south.
Anyway, the fight is over and we have bigger fish to fry today. Lets agree to disagree about the causes. Lets agree to work against the current enemy.
The average Confederate soldier gladly took up arms against the New England puritan power structure. It had nothing to do with slavery and everything to do with wanting a separation from haughty New England Yankee stranglehold on the USA. It was a cause looking for an issue. The slavery issue would due, heck any issue would do if it meant a free rifle, free ammo and the killing of Yankees. Heck the thought of killing Yankees right now has a lot of appeal to a lot of people in the South to this day.
You and that turd in your pocket?