Two ways that southerners justified keeping slavery in the 1860s

The two ways southerners justified keeping slavery in the 1860's were:

The entire south was dependent on the slave labor and if slavery were to end, the entire economy would collapse. The country would go into a turmoil if slavery was abolished.

Explanation:

To end slavery, it would mean that the economic disparity would increase. People had a concept of free labor and slave. The country would go into a chaos as the people are not used to it.

It could halt the countries progress five steps behind.