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This duplicity, proved to the South that the Lincoln administration could not be trusted. The Letter to Gov. Pickens telling him that a fleet was en route to resupply Sumter was taken as an "Declaration of War" by the South.

Lamon was accompanied by Stephen Hurlbut. He sent a report to Lincoln on his findings in Charleston. Hurlbut had been born in South Carolina and knew the people very well. His report to Lincoln noted that there was nothing he could do regarding Sumter, short of abandoning it to the rebel forces, that would satisfy the rebellion leaders. He also noted that if Lincoln gave in on that then there would certainly be similar demands made to turn over Pickens and Fort Jefferson. Doing so would cost the government all credibility and most likely would be futile because Hurlbut pointed out, "Nor do I believe that any policy which may be adopted by this Government will prevent the possibility of armed collision." It's pretty clear that Hurlbut was convinced that the South wanted war sooner rather than later, either in Charleston or some other point.

Hurlbut was convinced that the South wanted war sooner rather than later, either in Charleston or some other point.

The Provisional Constitution itself, in the second section of its sixth article, had ordained as follows:
"The Government hereby instituted shall take immediate steps for the settlement of all matters between the States forming it and their other late confederates of the United States, in relation to the public property and public debt at the time of their withdrawal from them; these States hereby declaring it to be their wish and earnest desire to adjust everything pertaining to the common property, common liabilities, and common obligations of that Union, upon the principles of right, justice, equity, and good faith."126
In accordance with this requirement of the Constitution, the Congress, on the 15th of February—before my arrival at Montgomery—passed a resolution declaring "that it is the sense of this Congress that a commission of three persons be appointed by the President-elect, as early as may be convenient after his inauguration, and sent to the Government of the United States of America, for the purpose of negotiating friendly relations between that Government and the Confederate States of America, and for the settlement of all questions of disagreement between the two Governments, upon principles of right, justice, equity, and good faith."127

I would suggest that Hurlbut was wrong, otherwise why go to this extent. The effort was made to adjust differences and the Commissioners was sent.