[WhiskeyPapa]

Lincoln was, I believe, most concerned with preserving the Union; slavery was a secondary issue.

It goes without saying that without preservation of the Union, no inroads into the institution of slavery could be made.

Lincoln was absolutely unwilling to see slavery expanded into the national territories. That was his bedrock position. It was unsatisfactory to the slave states, and the war came.

Walt

[GOPcapitalist]

Lincoln was absolutely unwilling to see slavery expanded into the national territories. That was his bedrock position.

If that was, as you say, his bedrock position, then no better way of achieving it existed than to let the south permanently exclude itself from those same territories by the voluntarily act of seceding.