who represented the South and argued with the slavery was necessary

The defense of slavery in the American South during the antebellum period and even before was represented by a variety of politicians, intellectuals, legal theorists, and apologists. Prominent figures included John C. Calhoun, who was a major proponent of the idea that slavery was a "positive good" and an essential part of Southern life, economics, and culture. Another notable figure was George Fitzhugh who argued that slavery was a natural and beneficial condition for both slave and owner. These individuals and others argued that slavery was necessary for the economy, especially for the cultivation of cotton, and was supported by their interpretation of the Constitution, states' rights, and their perception of social order.

Extra: The arguments for slavery in the South were multi-faceted and often entangled with economic, social, and pseudo-scientific reasoning. Economically, it was justified on the grounds that the agrarian economy of the South, with its reliance on labor-intensive crops like cotton and tobacco, could not survive without enslaved labor. Southern apologists also contended that slave labor was key to the agrarian lifestyle that supported Southern aristocracy and the plantation system.

Socially, proponents argued from a paternalistic viewpoint, claiming that they provided care and structure for African-Americans who, they contended, were incapable of taking care of themselves in the society of the time due to racial theories prevalent among many white Southerners. These justifications often leaned on racist ideologies and misconceptions about racial superiority and inferiority.

Intellectually, some of the South's defenders relied on interpretations of history, the Bible, and selective readings of Enlightenment philosophy. For example, they might quote the Bible to suggest that slavery had been a common practice among ancient peoples and was therefore a natural human condition. They also pointed to the fact that the U.S. Constitution did not explicitly prohibit slavery as evidence that it was a legally sanctioned institution.

These pro-slavery arguments were met with staunch opposition from Northern abolitionists and others who argued that slavery was morally reprehensible and a gross violation of human rights. The debate over the morality and necessity of slavery was one of the key conflicts leading up to the American Civil War. After the war, with the passage of the 13th Amendment, slavery was abolished in all states.