That sounds possible.
The Constitutional power of the Executive Branch and Congress against a peaceful state secession is not something I have ever read about.
The Civil War began when South Carolina violently attacked federal troops.
I have often wondered what Lincoln would have done if the South had used only passive or purely defensive methods.
With their economy still functioning, the South could have maintained a low grade guerrilla conflict for decades.
The North's political resolve would have eventually crumbled against the never ending cost in Northern lives and treasure.
Does anyone know if the Constitution makes any direct reference to a state peacefully leaving the Union?
I did word searches for Secede and Secession - neither appear in the document.
I also searched for Union and State - many references, but none specifically address the issue of a state peacefully leaving the Union.
Wow. Just imagine alone the transportation and relocation costs for hundreds of thousands of US military/families from bases within the new Confederate States of America, military going back to states located in the remaining United States of America, and furthermore that those states would no longer have the Johnson Space Center,
Kennedy Space Center, and any other number of US federal facilities. Further, outside of maybe Slovenia, Brazil and Russia, oh maybe Eretria and Lesotho, I cannot see any foreign countries diplomatically recognizing such a breakaway or negotiating any trade agreements. All air traffic control towers from Orlando to Houston to Nashville would have be shut down as federal FAA authorities and DHS guarding the airports would also have to leave the new nation. Yeah. This will work out just fine.