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You, too, are missing the point.

What happened after April, 1861 does not matter to my point.

It was the impending loss of revenue to the Treasury and the severe reduction in imports through US Customs houses that led Lincoln and his people to start war.

You can grouse on about that topic as you wish. I am only concerned with the decision facing Lincoln about the loss of his tariff revenue.

In 1860, the South imported $346 million dollars worth of products. Of this list of goods, $240 million came from the Northern manufacturers and suppliers, and European originated imported goods sold to the South was $106 million.

The entire country imported $336 million dollars in goods for that same year.

Grasping the significance and the magnitude of difference between the new Confederate tariff and the recently passed Morrill tariff in March of 1861, and the likelihood that the South would now transfer this demand to European goods and trade directly with Europe, Northern businessmen, politicians, and newspapermen knew that the demand for goods from the South was immense and would have a far reaching impact on their economy.

Practically every New England citizen would be affected by the loss of Southern goods traveling through the North.

Any artisan engaged in building in the shipping trade would be hurt. Any carman engaged in carrying, any agent who sold manufacturers, any merchant who sold to consumers in the South, any shipper, ship builder, lumberman, or laborer would be hurt.

Any brokers, exchange dealers, bankers, insurers, warehousemen, or suppliers of goods to these people would be hurt.

The profits to Northern coffers that were about to be lost were:

Bounties to fisheries, per annum………………………………$1,500,000.
Customs, per annum, disbursed at the North…………………$40,000,000.
Profits of northern manufacturers…………………………….$30,000,000.
Profits of importers…………………………………………...$16,000,000.
Profits of shipping, imports, exports………………………….$40,000,000.
Profits of Travelers……………………………………………$60,000,000.
Profits of agents, brokers, commissions……………………….$10,000,000
Profits from capital drawn from the South…………………….$30,000,000.
Total Annual Revenue Lost………………………………… $226,500,000.

From the census data and the business-press community, it was apparent that the North knew it was approaching permanent injury. Its economy depended on manufacturing and shipping. But it neither raised its own food nor its own raw materials, nor did it furnish freights for its own shipping

Suddenly, in late March and early April, Lincoln's office was filled with governors, businessmen, and politicians calling for war. (From Kettell and Klein, and the Treasury Department, and the 1861 State of the Union report.)

PeaRidge: "It was the impending loss of revenue to the Treasury and the severe reduction in imports through US Customs houses that led Lincoln and his people to start war."

False in every sense.
First, as rusty points out in post #407, as of April 1861, there was no great loss of imports, just normal fluctuations of business -- up one month, down the next, etc.

Second, Republican policy was to reduce imports and encourage domestic production through use of higher protective Morrill Tariff rates.
So Lincoln could not "start war" just because Republican policy succeeded!

Third, Lincoln did not "start war", period.
In March 1861, only the Confederacy threatened war, if its demands (i.e., surrender of US Fort Sumter) were not met.
In April 1861, only the Confederacy started war by assaulting and seizing US Fort Sumter.
In May 1861, only the Confederacy formally declared war on the United States.

What Lincoln did in early April 1861 was decide to resupply but not reinforce Sumter, and so officially notified South Carolina Governor Pickens.
The Confederacy chose to use Lincoln's lawful actions as excuse to start war on the United States.