Except for the fact that Lincoln had no such option. He had to preserve the Union at all costs and when it became apparent that the Southern states were bent on secession, war was inevitable.
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Could you elaborate on why the Union had to be preserved at all costs by Lincoln? Curious as to what you think the reasons are.
If the States did not really have a right to secede, then I guess we are not really a union of States![/quote]
DR: Lincoln’s First Inaugural Speech lays out his case that secession was unconstitutional and would lead to anarchy or dictatorship. He cites the constitutional requirement that the”Laws of the Union faithfully be executed in all the States”.
NSR is correct that the Confederacy thus saw the war as state’s rights versus Federalism. The majority of the Confederate rank-and-file were not landed gentry, nor Southern aristocracy, nor were they fighting to preserve slavery, anymore than Lincoln was fighting to abolish it. He favored gradual emancipation using federal monies. However, when the initial group of Southern states seceded, he believed disunion would be the death knell of the United States and moved for a diplomatic solution. The Confederate shelling of Fort Sumter put paid to that.
This is the simplified explanation. Lincoln’s speeches on the Kansas-Nebraska Act and a “House Divided” offer a lot more background.
