As I said before, you don't listen, so I don't know why I bother. Back in the 1930s, the United States Federal government located a lot of former slaves from the era and asked them a whole slew of questions. The book was published, and to the chagrine of the interviewers, it came back about 70/30 split from former slaves reminiscing about their days of slavery. You see, contrary to your public education 4th grade mantra of 'slavery bad, lincoln good', there weren't that many huge plantations like we see so eloquently displayed in movies like Roots. Perhaps you might want to read a bit of Tocqueville, an observer of both northern and Southern cultures. Read Charles Dickens observations, who was a reporter during the war on this continent.
I'm not saying slavery was a good thing, it was bad. However, ask yourself how much lincoln did for slaves before the war. Did he teach them to read and write as Stonewall Jackson did? I know, perhaps he wanted to educate them before release so they would be prepared for the world as free men. No, that was Davis and Lee. lincoln's 'root,pig, or perish' story told us as much as that.
As for your silly 'secession was a made up right by the South', I suggest you look to Thomas Pickering, George Cabot, and the Essex Junto of the early 19th century. Those northern boys cared so much about the United States that they wanted to secede right in the middle of a war if they didn't get their way.
I suspected that you and I were on the same side all along.
Lincoln did not teach slaves to read and write. If he is to be condemned for it then you must condemn Lee and Davis and also Stonewall Jackson because contrary to your claim none of those men taught slaves to read and write, either.
I would refer you the Byron Farwell's biography on Jackson, "Stonewall: A Biography of General Thomas J. Jackson". He makes it clear that this particular Sunday school existed at the church before Jackson arrived, so Jackson didn't found anything. It was a Bible lecture once per week for exactly 45 minutes. The students did not read the lesson because they were not taught to read in the class. It consisted of an opening him, the reading of a passage from the Bible, additional lectures in small groups, and the whole class reconviened for a closing prayer and hymn. Falwell notes that the opening hymn was always 'Amazing Grace' because Jackson, like Ulysses Grant, was tone deaf and that was the only hymn he could recognize. The reason why we know these things is that Jackson was an organized man and a detailed keeper of records. He documented everything to do with the school.
So if you want to condemn Lincoln for doing nothing to prepare slaves for freedom then I suggest you add the other three men to your list, too, because they did nothing to prepare them for freedom either.
Then look at Chief Justice Jay, Chief Justice Marshall and even Chief Justice Taney, who took the opposite position.
Walt