[DiogenesLamp]

You go in circles with that argument. The occurrence of war was always in the hands of Lincoln. If he wanted a war, there was going to be a war. He almost started it in Pensacola, but for the intervention of the captain that intercepted Porter in his effort to violate the armistice they had worked out with the governor of Florida.

[OIFVeteran]

Actually who really started the war were the southern fire-eaters that would not compromise at the democratic convention in Charleston in 1860. This splintered the democratic party and allowed the Republicans to win the election.

Also you lost causers seem so stuck on blaming Lincoln for this. None of the possible candidates from the Republican party (Chase, Seward, etc.) if they would have won the party’s presidential nomination, would have let the fire-eaters just set up their own government. It would have destroyed this country by setting the precedent that if you don’t like the outcome of an election you can just take your toys and go home. Much like the democrats today would like to do.