"I see these as a good cause to secede now."
George,
That might be one option, but in the most recent national election, we had the chance to change things big time. We could have sent all the House home as well as one third of the senate, but we did not do it. Really missed our chance.
In regards to sectionalism during the late unpleasantness, that was "the fly in the ointment" that festered for a long time. Intense dislike of the aristocrats in the south by the folks in the north and intense dislike of the northern folk by the south. I think if we looked real close, we could find many things that rubbed each section the wrong way. BUt you are right about the sectionalism.
FC