[Non-Sequitur]

You trust a president that had just flip-flopped about evacuating the fort and tried to sucker South Carolina by sending an unsigned letter claiming he would only send in supplies?

A gross overstatement of the circumstances, but on the other hand why should Lincoln had trusted the peaceful intentions of the confederates when every action they had made to date had been desinged to only escalate the tensions? If there was no reason for trust on either side then Lincoln was leaving the matter of war up to them. Just as he said he would in his inaugural address.

[smug]

on the other hand why should Lincoln had trusted the peaceful intentions of the confederates when every action they had made to date had been desinged to only escalate the tensions?

Perhaps as an effort to deescalate those tensions? And then maybe an open letter for all to read such as this.

To my dissatisfied fellow countrymen,
In an effort to keep our country from the brink of war. Although, like my predecessor, I do not believe there is a Constitutional right to secession, propose to meet with the commissioner that you have sent to Washington, and ask that if this be agreed that you in a humanitarian gesture supply the troops at Fort Sumter with rations. Arbitration is far better than war. let us both back away from this brinkmanship and see if our Mystic Chords of Memory can bring about peace and kinsman ship.

[rustbucket]

A gross overstatement of the circumstances, but on the other hand why should Lincoln had trusted the peaceful intentions of the confederates when every action they had made to date had been desinged to only escalate the tensions?

With apologies to Nixon's critics, would you buy a used car from Lincoln?