[Aurelius]

"On the other hand combatting a rebellion is a noble cause in and of itself."

Were the actions of the British army in 1776 noble?

[Non-Sequitur]

Yes. They were following the orders of the crown trying to quell the American rebellion. The Americans did not pretend that their actions were legal and therefore were not surprised when they had to fight for their freedom. That is one difference between the founders of the United States and the founders of the confederacy. Another difference is that the confederates lost.