You didn't have to highlight anything. I posted it in its entirety for the very purpose of clarity. Really we get all that, as far as Lee's and the Confederacies thoughts on States rights.
However, Lee makes it hard justify his ultimate conclusion, in that while he stands on the principle of States rights, he also considers secession to be treason. "What can it be now?" Odd reasoning from such an intelligent individual.
Not really. Lee may have considered it treason to leave, but he considered it the greater crime to keep it together by force. And afterwards, he realized that keeping it together by force had destroyed the original nature of the constitutional government by removing the check and balance of state power and he pretty succinctly prophesied our troubles in the future as a result.
