I was taught this growing up. It took me a long time to get out of that “states rights” mindset and accept the fact that a bunch of rebels could be bad people. The Ordinances of Secession really helped with that.

The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution African slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/cornerstone-speech

Seems pretty clear, I don’t know why there’s an argument.

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