I feel that you can defend the south with arms all you want, but had the North allowed the country to divide, there would be no country for the southern boys to defend today. It seems to me that the south was more concerned with defending its ego, then with defending the interests of the USA. How long would you have been able to stand up to a Britsh invasion if the North was to busy standing up to France?
You pose a question that we will never know the answer to....and I do not want to argue with you since you are responding in a reasonable manner. However, it is difficult for people whose families lived here during that time to be totally objective and non-emotional about the subject. What would you have suggested we do when the Yankees rode into our town and camped at our front doors? Welcome them with open arms?
I don't remember people in CT welcoming the Redcoats when they marched into town under arms. It really is the same thing when you think about defending your home.