[BroJoeK]

quoting BJK: "Lincoln's (alleged) offer to Virginians might have prevented war from starting at Fort Sumter, but that's all.
It would not stop war from breaking out somewhere else, Fort Pickens, for example."

DiogenesLamp: "This theory only works if you postulate that Lincoln is a back stabbing liar and had no intention of giving Virginia what they thought they were getting.
(Which was to leave the seceded states alone.) "

That's just total nonsense.
The deal Lincoln (allegedly) offered Virginians was his surrender of Fort Sumter to Confederates in exchange for Virginians permanently dissolving their secession convention.
"A fort for a state" Lincoln supposedly said.
But it covered nothing else and could no-way guarantee that Jefferson Davis would not start war elsewhere, Fort Pickens, for example.

So no historian has ever suggested that Lincoln offered Virginians, or anybody else, a comprehensive peace deal which would allow Confederates, in Gen. Scott's words, to "depart in peace, wayward sisters".
Indeed, claims that Lincoln made any offer whatever seem reasonable, but are only inferred based on later accounts.

DiogenesLamp: "Yes, if Lincoln fully expected to start the war somewhere else, and only told Virginia what they wanted to hear until he could pull another trick to start a war, then you are correct. "

And that's just your own insanity talking, not reality.
In reality Lincoln had no intention of starting war, if he could avoid it, but Jefferson Davis absolutely did as he explained to Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg:

• At Fort Sumter: "There would be to us an advantage in so placing them that an attack by them would be a necessity, but when we are ready to relieve our territory and jurisdiction of the presence of a foreign garrison that advantage is overbalanced by other considerations."

• At Fort Pickens: "The case of Pensacola then is reduced [to] the more palpable elements of a military problem and your measures may without disturbing views be directed to the capture of Fort Pickens and the defence of the harbor.
  You will soon have I hope a force sufficient to occupy all the points necessary for that end.
  As many additional troops as may be required can be promptly furnished."
  Davis to Bragg April 3, 1861

DiogenesLamp: "So yes, Lincoln fully intended to start the war somewhere else and was only conning Virginia to get them to do what he wanted long enough to keep them in line."

Lincoln's mission at Fort Pickens was the same as at Fort Sumter, to prevent Confederates from seizing Union troops & property.
If that could be accomplished without war (as with the 1858 Paraguay expedition) then so much the better.

But Jefferson Davis had different ideas.

[DiogenesLamp]

Lincoln's mission at Fort Pickens was the same as at Fort Sumter, to prevent Confederates from seizing Union troops & property.

This has been explained to you before. Lieutenant Porter immediately tried to engage the confederate shore batteries as soon as he arrived. If you think he was doing this contrary to the President's orders, you are greatly mistaken.

One can only conclude that his orders were to start a d@mn fight as soon as he got there. Nothing else is reasonable.

Ergo, Lincoln intended to start the war there if his trick to start it in Charleston failed.