the civil war was not fought based upon specific statement made or not made by Lincoln. Even your tagline is overly simplistic and so what. The history of the years prior to the civil war was specifically slave or no slave states and entry into the union. much was stated on the states rights issue but the underlying issue was slavery. Bonners Ferry.
Lincoln wanted to preserve the union but the south wanted to leave for a number of reasons but most especially over the issue of slavery.
I am not familiar with that.