There was nothing arbitary about his power.
Again, point to that section in Article II where the Executive was given ANY and I mean ANY authority to preserve the Union? Crickets. So, your assertion that he was “defending his oath to uphold the Constitution” again, what part, please cite if for me, what part of Article II to We the People, operating through our STATES delegate to him that Authority to shoot 400,000 fellow citizens to “preserve the Union? Where is it? Crickets again. In your Lincolnian thinking, would you shoot the people of Texas, or Nebraska if they wanted to withdraw from the Union. Would you honestly be ok with that? I implore you to reconsider the myth of Lincoln, he was willing to kill 400,000 people to accomplish something he was NEVER told to do.
This was a textbook case of arbitrary power and that you’re ok with it relegates you to the serf status you deserve and everything the national government throws at you (including Obamacare if the SC upholds it). Not me, I took the blinders off years ago...thank you Dr. Walter Williams.