I think you are mistaken, particularly regarding Lincoln. I do not fault him for taking action during a war to win that war. But lets not forget Lincoln was railroad lawyer before going into politics. I think he would have made peace with a seceding south but his northern commercial and industrial patrons wouldn’t have it.
I also think if Lincoln had lived, we would never have seen that shameful period in American history called Reconstruction. I do believe he was sincere about reuniting the nation while most Republicans saw the south as a conquered territory to be plundered and politically manipulated for own gain.
Lincoln was a lawyer lawyer before becoming president. He handled some cases for railroads, yes. But they were not the major source of his practice. Not that that has anything to do with his positions to begin with.
And when Lincoln was inaugurated, seven states had seceded and had already seized all the federal forts, mints, and other facilities they could. They had two federal garrisons surrounded and at least one, Sumter, on the verge of being starved into surrender. The Confederacy were building their army and their intent was clear. There were no peaceful intent in any of that, and short of surrendering completely to every Confederate demand then there was nothing Lincoln could have done to perserve peace. Though he certainly tried.
I also think if Lincoln had lived, we would never have seen that shameful period in American history called Reconstruction. I do believe he was sincere about reuniting the nation while most Republicans saw the south as a conquered territory to be plundered and politically manipulated for own gain.
There is a lot of merit in that claim, but like everything else we'll never know. The Radical Republicans were very powerful and were out for vengeance. Regardless of how easy Lincoln might have wanted to be on the South they may well have had the numbers to force through most of their agenda.