How did the confederacy view the union and their membership in it?

the united states was a permanent union of the 34 states that made up the united states of america.
it was an alliance of states. these states had joined for a common purpose at an earlier time, and now the time had come to go their separate ways.
the constitution was the law of the land, but it was also a "flexible" document that would be able to adapt to the changing times.

It was an alliance of states. These states had joined for a common purpose at an earlier time, and now the time had come to go their separate ways.

Explanation:

This is the most accurate description of the way the Confederacy thought about the Union and their membership in it. The United States was formed by the union of several different states. From its union, the states had been interested in maintaining some level of autonomy and independence. The Confederacy believed that, although this union had been benefitial in the past, it no longer was, and they needed to go their separate ways. The states had little feeling of connection or commitment to the Union, as they still thought of themselves as individual states united for a particular purpose.

would not cooperate with each other voluntarily.