The gist of my posting to Kevin,which you saw fit to answer, was this....states rights were claimed by many North and South...though mainly the South as the 1800s progressed. The largest Federal intervention in the States, prior to the war, was the Fugitive Slave act. Some of that property you mentioned...black slaves, were in fact black freeman. Citizens of their State. I believed even at that time a citizen of any state was considered a citizen of the US with all his rights. Once again the Fugitive Slave act was the biggest intervention in States Rights up to that time. Even a cursory glance at the issue will dispel the ideal of it being a defender of liberty.