Whether or not the Southern States were right to secede has been debated since the event. Many say that it was wrong, that union should have been preserved at any cost. Others believe the opposite. I, however, would put forward that not only did the South have the legal right, but they also had a moral obligation to secede. Let me explain.

What is a government? The government of the southern states was elected by the people for the enforcing of laws and protection of their welfare. A good government will do
all in their power to ensure the safety of their subjects, and the safety of the subjects themselves. Unfortunately today's government does not have the best interests of their citizens in mind. However, the antebellum Southern politicians did, as we shall see.

For years before the War, in fact since the Revolution, an enormous amount of friction had been generated by the conflicting cultures existent in the North and South. Power struggles never ceased in Congress, where senators and representatives vied for the resources that seemed to always trickle down into Northern subsidies. As the 19th century went on, it became more and more obvious that the Southern congressmen were becoming a minority. More territories were becoming states, the population was growing, and many of these new officials were siding against the South.

Before too long, the representatives of the Northern states could vote into being nearly anything they wanted, leaving their Southern coworkers standing helplessly by. Taxes were levied on trade, forcing the people of the South to purchase more expensive goods from the North. This act by the Northern legislature, although aiding the interests
of their own people, did so at the great expense of their neighbors below the Mason-Dixon line.

By the year 1860, 74% of the nation's tax revenue was collected from the Southern people. Many now began to speak of secession. Would that final step be taken? Were the circumstances so bad that a compromise could not be reached?

The 1860 presidential election settled the matter. Faced with the ruin and destruction that Lincoln as president would bring, the South Carolina state legislature met, and on December 20, 1860, crossed the Rubicon, declaring their state to be free, independent, and no longer part of the Federal Union. Other states would soon follow their example, performing what was not only the best thing to do, but also the right thing to do.

Christ Jesus said that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. In stark contrast to the thieving Yankee government, the Southern states showed true love and compassion for their citizens, and followed our Lord's command to the best of their ability.
 
 

Return to Camp Page