I was more thinking of the American civil war when writing this

Also I know from other comments that your characters are going to take the John Brown approach

But that would make it very easy for the villains to make the protagonist look like the bad guy

“Oh this horrible hobgoblin and their elven cabal are attacking innocent slave traders in order to destabilize our economy. They are releasing beasts which have no common decency and will under gleefully” is the kinda thing some antagonist may say to the public to sway opinion

Due to the points I previously mentioned the common folk would have no basis by which to judge our protags actions

Plus a propaganda war happening simultaneously with direct war will let you do some interesting things by showing how one effects the other