re: If secession was legal then what right did the North have to keep the South in the USA?

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The South could have won a quick war, and almost did due to such low public support in the North at the beginning.

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I agree. However, a quick and decisive campaign that would put a dagger at the throat of the US President and US Congress in Washington DC in 1861 would have required an experienced and well-trained Confederate Army led by talented, experienced and well-trained military leaders who were served by talented, experienced and well-trained military staff officers.

The CS Army never developed the ability to create fully competent and effective military staff work into the fight. That's what they would have needed to conduct a quick and decisive coordinated campaign against Washington DC in 1861 -- they needed to conduct a "blitzkrieg" in 19th century style, sort of like Napoleon did in 1805 vs Austria and Russia and especially like he crushed Prussia in 1806. Nappy's 1806 campaign to crush Prussia was a true 19th century "blitzkrieg".