You mean where Fuller is allegedly quoted as quoting Lincoln who allegedly quoted...
Sorry, I’m not persuaded by third-hand anecdotes.
Sorry, I’m not persuaded by third-hand anecdotes.
The meeting with Dr. Fuller was not the only occasion when Lincoln was reported to have said similar words. See: Link. The second "episode" in the link quotes a different man who met with Lincoln at about that time who reported similar revenue concerns expressed by Lincoln.
Why is it so hard for you to accept those reports? The government had greatly increased the debt of the country in the years right before the Civil War. (Sound familiar?) How were they going to pay for all that with the South gone? That is the situation Lincoln faced. Import businesses in Northern ports started failing almost immediately. As the New York Day Book put it, "All New York is failing."
Anyway, before the war Lincoln was willing to not interfere with slavery in the South, but he was more concerned that the South leaving would have a negative effect on Northern tariff revenue and economy.