And how do we know exactly what Mr. Lincoln was referring to?
I've never actually spoken to Abraham Lincoln, but since it appears you have, maybe you can enlighten us as to the "shrugging" mechanism(s) we might be permitted to use, provided that was one of the subjects you discussed in your conversation.
We've got two interpretations of the same speech on this thread. You prefer one, I prefer the truthful one.
Because we have the context. The line is from Lincoln's 1848 speech decrying US aggression against Mexico, and specifically saying that the border of Texas was where they established it to be militarily. Here's the immediate context:
"If, as is probably true, Texas was exercising jurisdiction along the western bank of the Nueces, and Mexico was exercising it along the eastern bank of the Rio Grande, then neither river was the boundary; but the uninhabited country between the two, was. The extent of our teritory in that region depended, not on any treaty-fixed boundary (for no treaty had attempted it) but on revolution.
Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable,-- most sacred right--a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government, may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can, may revolutionize, and make their own, of so much of the teritory as they inhabit.
More than this, a majority of any portion of such people may revolutionize, putting down a minority, intermingled with, or near about them, who may oppose their movement. Such minority, was precisely the case, of the tories of our own revolution. It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines, or old laws; but to break up both, and make new ones.
As to the country now in question, we [allegedly] bought it of France in 1803 [France did not own it, could not sell it!!], and sold it to Spain in 1819, according to the President's statements.
After this, all Mexico, including Texas, revolutionized against Spain; and still later, Texas revolutionized against Mexico. In my view, just so far as she carried her revolution, by obtaining the actual, willing or unwilling, submission of the people, so far, the country was hers, and no farther.
http://medicolegal.tripod.com/lincolnvmexwar.htm
So, Lincoln is talking about the Texas revolution, and he uses the word "revolution"or some form of it eight times in that passage. He isn't remotely speaking of the constitutionality of secession.