THEY DID...under the guise of "States Rights". It's in their letters, their speeches, newspaper commentaries...The States had a lot of rights before the war, but the one loss of right they were using to wedge the "Union" away from the Southern mindset was the horrors of freeing the slaves, of them (slaves) becoming judges, jurors, marrying their Daughters...it was a scare tactic used to polarize the Southern population into action. Many who preached otherwise during the secession crisis were met with harsh punishment. After the war started, you see it not talked of so much in speeches and newspapers, because it was already decided, & beating a dead horse.
Kevin Dally