Indeed. The South suffered dearly for Lincoln’s untimely demise.
The South suffered dearly because of Lincoln's untimely ascension to the throne.
Seward would have likely been more acceptable to all parties, but Lincoln manipulated the nominating process to steal the nomination from Seward.
Astroturf and brownshirts at the WigWam is how Lincoln became President. Crooked Illinois has been crooked for a long time.