Was the South Justified in Attempting to Secede from the Union?

The question remains deeply debated. Arguments for secession include: Constitution doesn't explicitly forbid it; Southern way of life (slavery-based economy) felt threatened by Northern industrialization and abolitionism; perceived federal bias toward the North. Arguments against: the Union is perpetual; secession constitutes domestic violence the federal government must suppress; allowing secession would cause chaos and potential disintegration. Ultimately, the Civil War settled the issue militarily and legally, establishing that unilateral secession is unconstitutional.