The South's reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation was one of outrage and defiance. Confederate leaders and citizens viewed it as an illegal and unconstitutional act by President Lincoln. They saw it as a direct attack on their way of life and economy, which heavily relied on slave labor. Many Southerners feared it would incite slave rebellions, leading to violence and chaos. The proclamation was denounced as a desperate war measure rather than a moral stance. Confederate President Jefferson Davis called it "the most execrable measure recorded in the history of guilty man." Southern newspapers condemned it, and some Confederate soldiers became even more determined to fight. The proclamation also led to increased concerns about the economic future of the South without slavery. However, it's important to note that the Confederacy had no intention of complying with the proclamation, as they considered themselves a separate nation. Ultimately, the South's negative reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation further deepened the divide between the Union and the Confederacy, intensifying the conflict.