No doubt. I don't know of any human who could be totally categorized in a single sentence. However, I was not addressing the totality of these men, only their respective attitudes towards the institution of slavery. Would you mind pointing out where I was inaccurate in either sentence?
The South was extremely clear that it seceded because Lincoln was elected. Since he had not been inaugurated when the CSA was formed, it obviously wasn't any action he had taken as President, but more because of what southerners thought his attitudes towards slavery would be.
Do you disagree?
As I said, neither could be used for generalizations such as found in your sentence 3 since they represented only themselves, which was subject to change. Therefore, no absolute truth with which to contrive your next statement.
"If there was no difference between these two positions, why did the southern states feel compelled to secede to protect their peculiar institution when Lincoln was elected?"
Three problems. 1. "If there was no difference". That cannot be used as absolute truth.
2. "...why did the southern states feel compelled to secede to protect....".
That statement has not been proved, nor can it be used with the first two. It forms a non-sequitur.
And 3. "...to protect their peculiar institution...".
Also an unproven premise leading to a false conclusion.
"The South was extremely clear that it seceded because Lincoln was elected."
You are thinking that is what happened in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee?
Now, this may seem to be laborious, but you deal in a great number of careless assumptions and false conclusions.
Just trying to help there.