The so-called 'Civil War' wasn't (a civil war). I was a War of Secession.
A civil war is where two or more factions vie for control of the government. The South wanted to leave the Union, not take it over. At the time the War started, the South had become it's own independent nation. Like any nation, it decided to defend itself. There is no treason in that!
Slaves were a real issue. It's a big part of the reason that Lincoln was elected President to begin with. He wanted to end slavery (a good thing!). He just went about it the wrong way (a bad thing!). You are correct in pointing out that the movement to end slavery has components that would simply leave the existing slave States alone, but there were also those within that movement (including Lincoln himself) that wanted to outlaw it every, even in the slave States.
But slaves were property, bought and paid for. This property was being seized by the federal government, with NO compensation to the owners of that property. This violates the 4th and 5th amendments. Today, it also would violate the 14th amendment (which wasn't in force at the time).
Why the slaves were used in the economy of the South is certainly factors in causing the War of Secession. You are quite right about that.
This property was being seized by the federal government, with NO compensation to the owners of that property.
A human being is it's own property. You just made the argument for reparations. Human beings being held captive in slavery should have been compensated and their decendents thereafter.