They did far more tahn just try to declare independence. Their first acts were those of insurrection against their fellows states.
From what I’ve read when the southern states rebelled they immediately began seizing anything that they desired. These were federal installations that weren’t the property of the rebelling states and they had no moral or legal right to seize them.. Buchanan, the lame-ass, lame-duck bleated that the south had no right - but beyond that said very little.
The following represents a list of federal properties which fell to the rebels outside of any negotiations:
Alabama seizures:
United States Arsenal at Mount Vernon
Fort Morgan
Fort Gaines
Arkansas seizures:
United States Arsenal at Little Rock
United States ordnance stores at Napoleon
United States subsistence stores at Pine Bluff
Fort Smith
Georgia seizures:
Fort Pulaski
United States Arsenal at Augusta
Oglethorpe Barracks
Fort Jackson
Dahlonega Mint
Louisiana seizures:
United States Arsenal at Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Barrack
Fort Jackson
Fort Saint Philip
Fort Pike
Fort Macomb
United States paymaster’s office at New Orleans
New Orleans Mint
Mississippi seizure:
Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island
Florida seizures:
United States Arsenal at Apalachicola
Fort Marion
Barrancas Barracks
Fort Barrancas
Fort McRee
Pensacola Navy Yard (Warrington Ship Yard)
Missouri seizures:
United States Arsenal at Liberty
United States ordnance stores at Kansas City
North Carolina seizures:
Fort Johnston
Fort Caswell
Fort Macon
United States Arsenal at Fayetteville
Charlotte Mint
South Carolina seizures:
Fort Sumter
Castle Pinckney
Fort Moultrie
United States Arsenal at Charleston
Fort Johnson
Texas seizures:
United States Arsenal at San Antonio
San Antonio Barracks
Camp Verde
Fort Clark
Cause everyone knows that all those forts were worth a lot of money. Why, you never know when someone is going to need a fortress for something, and they were flying off the real estate listings like hotcakes!
The people of those states paid taxes to FedGov™ for many decades. Its not like they got anything for “free”.
Besides Lincoln wouldn’t meet with Southern “agent” who want to negotiate for the dispensation of said Federal property. No, he wanted war and did not parley. He got war and 600,000 deaths. He discussed this in his second inaugural.
I just don’t have a problem with that as much as you seem to have, but that’s OK.