The main advantage that the South had at the beginning of the war was its large army and well-trained generals. The Confederacy, from this perspective, appeared more capable of winning the war at the beginning of the conflict. Moreover, as most of the fighting was carried out in the South, they also had the advantage of knowing the territory.
I do not think that the South failed to exploit its initial advantages. The Confederacy fought extremely well during the early stages of the war. However, the North's advantages were finally just greater. The South relied on agriculture, which was rendered unviable during the war. Moreover, it had a much smaller population, and its workforce was destroyed after emancipation. All of these put the Confederacy in a particularly difficult position.
After being passed by both houses of Congress, a constitutional amendment must still be passed by 3/4ths of the states. After it is passed by Congress and the states, it still must be approved by the US President. This is because the president has the power to veto any law passed by Congress. If the president vetoes (stops it from becoming a law) the amendment, the veto can be overrode by another vote in Congress.
A. Votes on Important decisions
