[DoodleDawg]

I believe secession was wrong but they did not want to overthrow the U.S. government. They resigned any commissions they had in the U.S. army and it can be argued once their states seceded they were no longer U.S. citizens. So where was the treason?

It can also be argued that since their acts of secession were unconstitutional then by waging armed rebellion against the U.S. they committed treason as defined by Article III of the Constitution.

[lastchance]

I would not concede to that argument. At the time there was no consensus that secession violated the Constitution.