It is interesting to think about all that we see in popular history media and compare it to Mr. Ostrowski's arguments. He takes the parts of history, normally left out or glossed over in order to paint the victors view of history, and with focused clarity, expands them into full view. The anti-South has monopolized the world stage on this issue of secession; the issue of who was at fault; and the causes of the war for so long, it is very difficult to open the eyes of those who do not understand what we know as truth. Too many people are quick to believe anything someone tells them if it makes them feel better and discard uncomfortable information as false, even though evidence proves it is true.
The armed invasion of any state by another or group of states or by the Federal Government is illegal, the Constitution strictly forbids such acts unless the state or states requested help in putting down an insurrection. To argue it was legal, is an admission that said state or states being invaded were no longer within the Union of states protected by the Constitution, therefore they would be independent foreign state(s).
After the war supreme court tried to argue seceding states were in rebellion, secession illegal, and being so, reverted back to U.S. territorial status "justifying" the age of Reconstruction. Any laws or judgements created by the Supreme Court during or after the war did not exist during the period of secession and therefore are moot. These post period judgements do not justify the actions of the Federal Government or the states of the Union in waging war on the Confederacy and therefore were illegal at that time.
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David Upton