The Confederacy could just as well have have declared itself a ham sandwich. It was never recognized by the U.S. OR the rest of the nations of the world as a separate country.

Sorry, String, but South Carolina attacked U.S. Government property, not 'tother way round. And the ships with Gustavus Fox carried provisions only- no way they could have been interpreted as anything else. The Sumpter episode has been explored & documented pretty thoroughly.

Lincoln was simply following his inagural pledge to hold properties belonging to the government, and that beyond that there would be no invasion of the South or use of military force.

But Confederate apologists have got some mileage out of the "Lincoln manuvered the South into starting the war" shibboleth.

McGrath: so the current flag of thre German Republic is equivalent to the Nazi flag?