Martin, after a good nights sleep, I can answer this a little more thoroughly now.

In 1827 the South proposed an emancipation plan to free the slaves, train them and then position them equally throughout the States, the Northern States fought it and won, one of those,(Not in my back yard things). source Bruce Catton's Picture History of the Civil War

Beginning in about 1850 there was an onslaught to push Northern ways onto the Southerners,ie, Wage labor, Centralized banking, immediate emancipation of the slaves without any thought to what those newly freed slaves would do for a living. The Southerners fought back through the courts and congress parrying each strike and blow to their way of life. Yes the Southerners were stronger they fought off the orthern push into their lives.

Lincoln and the Radical Republican Party were the straw that broke the Camels back. If memory serves me correctly, Lincoln's first term was the first in History that both President and Vice President were from the North, and both were from the Radical party that wished to destroy their ways of life. But along with the President and Vice President several members of congress came in under that same Party.

Now, as has been in the past they fought with "ballot", Consitution, and political dickering. THey saw on the horizon a new powerhouse one they couldn't win with. They knew the resolve of Lincoln and his group, regardless of what Lincoln said.

So they fled for theie lives and livelyhood to the only recourse they had left. Secession. So they seceeded legaly and peacefully. If you have been reading on this board you read of the "under the table tactics" that Lincoln did to get Beauregard to fire on Sumpter.

Now before the War the power of Government was more so with the States, not the Federal Government. Sumpter may have been built by the U.S. Army, but it was South Carolina property, according to the way attitudes were back then. Anderson's occupation of Ft Sumpter was a violation of law in itself, trespassing. If the case is not so, why didn't the Federal Government fight for the Port installations in Texas, Mississippi,and Alabama?

Ft Sumpter was the key, that would move the powers of the States to the Federal Government. Just think of the previously controversial bills passed after the Southerners walked out of the House and Senate. If Lincoln could get P.G.T. to fire first it would justify his taking of all Eastern seaports, which hadn't been done yet and keep the Brits on the Union side. It would make the Confederacy the aggressor, not the defendor.

Ok, I quit. But I hope you find this post, not Patently Ridiculous. But if you do,,,Oh well.