What states CANNOT do is unilaterally decide to leave on their own because they want to protect slavery, seize federal government property, open fire on federal military installions, create rival foreign governments in states that HAVEN'T left the union and are still part of the United States (Kentucky, Missouri), and engineer coups to overthrow duly elected state governments who don't support slavery and won't pledge alliance to the Confederate "cause" after their state secedes (Sam Houston in Texas)
If states engage in those actions (like if Hawaii decided to secede tomorrow so they could enslave all registered Republicans in their state, then began bombing Pearl Harbor and killing American military personal), the rest of the country has every right to put down their immortal and criminal actions.
People who support southern states going to war to protect their human "property", and deny the motivation was to protect slavery, are called Neo-Confederates. End of story.
Agreed on nearly all this. That’s an excellent and thorough reply, thanks.
But I’m hearing that “neo-confederate” pejorative term spoken about anyone who wants to give states the legitimate freedom to leave peacefully. Sorry, I admit I can’t give examples, but will watch.