What argument did southern leaders often make regarding the future of slavery in their addresses?

Southern leaders frequently argued that the South would secede if necessary to protect the institution of slavery, viewing it as essential to their economic and social systems. In their speeches and writings, they emphasized that slavery was not only critical to their agricultural economy, particularly in the production of cash crops like cotton, but also intertwined with their way of life and social hierarchy. This argument reflected a deep-seated belief that the continuation of slavery was non-negotiable and that any threats to that institution would provoke drastic action, including secession from the Union. The willingness to secede as a means of safeguarding slavery illustrated the level of commitment southerners had to maintaining this system, and it was a significant factor leading up to the Civil War.

The other arguments presented by different factions at the time, such as the idea that slavery would be eliminated by changing public opinion or that compromise with the North would be possible, did not capture the steadfastness with which southern leaders viewed the future of slavery. The belief in imminent compromise or the influence of public discourse was often more characteristic of the North and abolitionist perspectives, rather than the resolute and defensive posture adopted by southern leaders.