[DiogenesLamp]

It wasn't treason, despite your side's efforts to constantly repeat and repeat that accusation over and over again like some sort of Goebbels.

Independent states had a right to be free. That was the foundation of our own country, and it should have been recognized back in 1860.

[jmacusa]

Oh Christ it’s you. You’re like a case of the hives.

[jmacusa]

Oh shove it. Those treasonous slave owning bastards chose a path of violent secession for the express purpose of maintaining an economic system based on the use of slave labor. Freedom had nothing to do with . Unless of course that freedom meant denying it to another.

[BroJoeK]

DiogenesLamp: "It wasn't treason, despite your side's efforts to constantly repeat and repeat that accusation over and over again like some sort of Goebbels.
Independent states had a right to be free. That was the foundation of our own country, and it should have been recognized back in 1860."

It's a fact that declarations of secession were not treated as "treason" by either Democrat President Buchanan or Republican President Lincoln.
Both though secession unnecessary, unconstitutional and illegal, but not itself treasonous and not by itself reason for war.
And Buchanan did nearly everything possible to prevent some event which could lead to war -- using military force to reinforce Fort Sumter, for example.

But once Confederates openly declared war on the United States then any pro-Confederates in Union states did indeed "give aid and comfort" to our enemies and so met the Constitution's definition of "treason".
As a result, many were arrested & jailed during the war -- as were Southern Unionists by the Confederacy.

As for prosecuting Confederates for treason after the war, neither Presidents Lincoln, Johnson nor Grant wanted it or thought it necessary.

DiogenesLamp: "Independent states had a right to be free.
That was the foundation of our own country, and it should have been recognized back in 1860."

Maybe, under certain conditions, but what they never, ever, ever, ever (get it, never!) have a right to do is provoke, start, declare & wage war against the United States, regardless of how they feeeeeeeeeeel about their "integrity".