It's great when people take the time to look a little deeper with such important historical events. I remember those quotes from Lincoln as well. Newspapers from all over were writing about how Lincoln was only playing his "last card" in order to secure reelection and hopefully more workers for his factories and housekeeping. After all, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't free slaves in the northern or border states. And they wonder why the Underground Railroad ended in Canada.

But it was his tax policy that really got things moving. There were many meetings to try and convince Lincoln not to attack Fort Sumter, but he insisted due to the possibility of him losing the tax profits that came from there. Here's one of my favorite quotes from Lincoln, after being asked to leave Fort Sumter alone:

"If I do that, what would become of my revenue? I might as well shut up housekeeping at once!"

Preserving the Union, or preserving the wealth?