I'm sure I can trust their press when they tried to make it about something other than slavery, as much as I can trust our press when it comes to honest reporting. Here are the declarations of secession.
The Declaration of Causes of Seceding States
If you don't believe it was about slavery, then post an affirmation that you agree with every point made in these declarations.
They were not founded to abolish slavery. Unless you can prove otherwise. Oh wait, you can't. You were simply wrong when you claimed that.
The reason the Republican Party formed was to abolish slavery.
"that, as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished Slavery in all our National Territory, ordained that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, it becomes our duty to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it for the purpose of establishing Slavery in the Territories of the United States by positive legislation, prohibiting its existence or extension therein.
Why would they have reason to lie about the economic case for secession? It was obvious the Southern states would be economically better off were they able to set their own tax and trade policies. Southerners had been talking about it for generations as the numerous quotes I cited show.
The Declaration of Causes of Seceding States
We've discussed this already. Only 4 of the 7 original seceding states issued declarations of causes. 3 of the 4 went on at length about their economic exploitation by the Northern states even though this was not unconstitutional. What was unconstitutional was what they cited - the Northern states violation of the compact by refusing to enforce the fugitive slave clause of the US Constitution.
If you don't believe it was about slavery, then post an affirmation that you agree with every point made in these declarations.
Do I believe they were being economically exploited by the Northern states? Yes, of course. The evidence is irrefutable. Do I believe the Northern states violated the Fugitive Slave Clause of the US Constitution? Yes, of course they did. That too is irrefutable.
The reason the Republican Party formed was to abolish slavery.
False. They said so themselves over and over again.
Republican Platform of 1856 "that, as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished Slavery in all our National Territory, ordained that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, it becomes our duty to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it for the purpose of establishing Slavery in the Territories of the United States by positive legislation, prohibiting its existence or extension therein."
They were against the spread of slavery to the western territories possessed by the United States. They were not for abolishing slavery. You do understand that these are two different things, right?