Ok, let me spell this out for you. States Rights is simply a tool if you will - a tool that can be used for any cause. During the civil war it was used for slavery, but during any part of time could be used for any issue. In our current day for instance, people are talking States Rights again, this time about the Health Care Bill. Let me guess, that has to do with Racial Supremacy and slavery, right?

I realize that, but many people buy into the fact that the Souths sovrigenty was being threatend and that was the main reason for the war.

Pardon me that I cannot provide you with a link, but it was in a college lecture that I learned about it (which means that you must take it as the gospel, as college professors can never be wrong).
I did find this on wiki though.
Note that it says that secession was often threatened.
By whom the abolishonits? You mean the crazies who wanted equal rights?