But John Brown was captured (by Col. Lee), tried and lawfully hanged for his crimes, on December 2, 1859, well more than a year before Lincoln took office.
So that issue was long settled.
But unlike John Brown, no Confederate was ever punished for provoking war against the United States in the months from December 1860 to April 1861.
During that period Confederates forcefully seized dozens of major Federal properties, including forts, ships, arsenals and mints, Confederates threatened Union officials and fired on Union ships -- all this before the Confederacy's military assault on Fort Sumter.
The Confederacy started war by its military assault on Union troops in Union Fort Sumter, on April 12, 1861.
Then on May 6, 1861 the Confederate Congress formally declared war on the United States.
At the same time, the Confederacy sent military aid to Confederate forces fighting in Union states such as Missouri.
That's what I meant.
A:)John Brown was never punished for his murders in Kansas (or Missouri) he was hung only for his transgression(5 murders, etc) at Harper Ferry. Therefore those murders are not “long settled” often they are hardly mentioned.
B:) Secession was an open question during December 1860- April 1861, and had been for scores or years of before Lincoln took office.. He enforced his and the abolitionists view of UNION.... nothing in the constitution explicitly forbade secession;
C:)Provoking? like provoking a response when you do something that you think you have a right to do: Like Czechoslovakia provoked Hitler when he would not remove his troops from their country.?