I disagree Alan. I see it as something the Confederate States were believing to be on its way to a hotter topic. They wished to make their position clear and simply put. They did not believe the then Federal Government should be in the midst of State decisions and when they drafted their version, they maintained the States right to set their own rule. The Federal government was starting to lean away from the States having a say in their laws, rules, standards, whatever term you wish to use. If ever there were a possible meeting in the middle, events were making that look to be less possible. Though the Federal Government did react and what it did may have put some of those fears to rest but the elephant in the room was still there. They believed it was in their best interest to go another route.

It's been mentioned the Confederate government was not living up to that idea by conscripting those from the states militias. The Confederate government was able to do so because to not take the state's company of soldiers would be detrimental to the 'common defense' part of the agreement when they all signed on the line.

Pam