Slavery was just one of SEVERAL examples cited as evidence of the Confederacys stated CAUSE: Preserving states rights. Not as a dog whistle for racism, as an actual principle the Framers considered important enough to enshrine in the Tenth Amendment. Again, the reason the feds can neither forbid nor impose ANYTHING unless it crosses a state line or violates an individual right. Slavery did BOTH, so actually VIOLATED the Tenth Amendment along with the Ninth and Fifth, so the South fought the wrong war for the right reason.

This whole "EVERYONE born South of the Mason-Dixon was, is and ALWAYS WILL BE a racist Klansman" crap has got to stop though. If memory serves, that "everyone" includes you as well as me, but I am fairly certain neither of us has a white hood in his closet. If every Southerner and all their descendants must bear Attainder of Blood in perpetuity DESPITE the Constitution and whether they are racist rebels or NOT, maybe we SHOULD all be allowed to secede; better than being second-class citizen pariahs forever. Despite punishment by his university, that BLACK Southern student hung the Confederate Battle Flag in his dorm window for many reasons, but hating his own race and supporting slavery were not among them.