Wrong. The southern commissioners were sent "for the purpose of negotiating friendly relations between that government and the Confederate States of America" and only as a secondary task was the "settlement of all questions of disagreement between the two governments upon principles of right, justice, equity, and good faith." First and foremost was the recognition of the legitimacy of the southern rebellion and that was a non-starter from the beginning.
Now, had the commissioners been sent for the settlement of all questions of disagreement between the states upon principles of right, justice, equity, and good faith, then there is no doubt that Lincoln would had talked with them as long as it took to reach an amicable settlement.
...which would mean that I was right in my previous description. They came to settle the disputes between the two, which, among other things, meant negotiating the forts issue.
First and foremost was the recognition of the legitimacy of the southern rebellion and that was a non-starter from the beginning.
Non-starter or not, the simple fact is that they were at least willing to go to the negotiating table. Lincoln was not.
Now, had the commissioners been sent for the settlement of all questions of disagreement between the states upon principles of right, justice, equity, and good faith, then there is no doubt that Lincoln would had talked with them as long as it took to reach an amicable settlement.
What evidence do you have of that? That's right. Nothing. Lincoln did not meet with any commissioner sent by any state. Heck, he would not even meet with the governments of the border states or the border state senators during the crisis. He rejected meetings with the Virginia government and senators before that state seceded even though they were at least making overatures towards a compromise plan that would keep them and others in the union. The fact is Lincoln wanted war and he pursued the course of war from December 26, 1860 forward. His shallow pretensions otherwise were about as believable as Saddam Hussein's or Hitler's.