Jeff Davis didn't seem to have any hesitation in accommodating him. Obviously he wanted one just as bad as you say Lincoln did.
There were the tariff disputes, the arguments over the expansion of slavery into the western territories, the argument over a strong central government and weaker state governments versus strong state governments and a weaker central government, and the fact that the North was slowly gaining an unbeatable majority in Congress.
Both sides were itching for an excuse to go after the other. If it wasn't Fort Sumter, it would have been something else.
It’s been argued for 150 years now and opinions still vary. No sense in arguing here about it.