[GOPcapitalist]

On the contrary, Lincoln was forced to accept the war that Davis wanted and which Davis began at Charleston.

Nonsense. Lincoln's provocation caused them to fire on Sumter. There's no way around it.

Linclon's actions in reinforcing Sumter were consistent with his position outlined in the Indianapolis speech.

Consistent or not, they still instigated a war.

After that Lincoln pursued the war that was forced on him.

The invasion of Virginia was never forced on him. He did it on his own.

His only other choice was to give in to the confederate actions he saw as illegal.

Why couldn't he have tried negotiating peacefully? Why couldn't he have let them go on their own peaceful way?

The south brought death and destruction on itself through it's own reckless actions.

In other words, you are back to that same silly old argument - "the south made us do it"

[GOPcapitalist]

Check out Non-seq's post above at 278. He's practically admitted the sillyness of his entire position. When pressured for the reason of Lincoln's invasion his response boils down to the following "the south made him do it"

Why did Lincoln go to war? The south made him do it.
Why did Lincoln invade Virginia? The south made him do it.
Why did Sherman burn Atlanta? The south made him do it.
Why did did the yankees rape civilians? The south made them do it.
Why did Butler order that New Orleans' women be used as prostitutes? The south made him do it.
Why did the yankees starve thousands at Point Lookout? The south made them do it.

It appears that the yankees have found themselves an argument to avoid RESPONSIBILITY of anything bad, immoral, unjust, or inhuman about their conduct during the war! If it's something that makes them look bad, just blame their own actions on the south!

[Non-Sequitur]

Why should Lincoln's 'provocation' initiate a war unless Davis wanted one? They knew exactly what he was going to do, he had made it clear in speech after speech, it should have been no surprise. It was no surprise, Davis knew exactly what firing on Sumter meant. Robert Toombs had made that clear. Yet you seem to believe that Davis, knowing all that, fell right into Lincoln's trap. "The North made us do it." So why Sumter? Are you suggesting that the confederacy would have collapsed and died without it? Davis couldn't have waited Lincoln out?