"If the Confederacy fails, there should be written on its tombstone: Died of a Theory"

This quote by Jefferson Davis is a reflection of the Confederacy's dedication to the concept of states' rights. Davis thought that the Confederacy was fighting for a noble cause, which the Confederacy's failure would be a catastrophe. He thought that the Confederacy's commitment to the idea of states' rights was so strong that it deserved defending, even if it implied the Confederacy's supreme demise. The quote implies that the Confederacy's devotion to the idea of states' rights was so strong that it was worth compromising itself for. Davis believed that the Confederacy's failure ought to be remembered as a result of its commitment to a theory, rather than a failure of its individuals. This quote functions as a pointer of the Confederacy's dedication to the idea of states' rights, and the ultimate sacrifice it made in the name of that theory.