The South not only did not trust Lincoln, they hated him.
Real hatred. He was not new to the political scene, having been a vocal free soiler in
the House of Representatives. While he was pragmatic about abolition, and had other
priorities in the short term, the election of 1860 was a litmus test for the country on
slavery and states rights.
Remember, it was impossible for
people to vote for Lincoln in ten southern states, because his name didn't even appear
on the ballot. When he was elected anyway, southerners pointed to the results as final
proof that the North could dominate the South, and would eventually get rid of slavery
altogether, if not now, then soon. From their perspective, how could they remain part
of a union where one segment of the country could dictate a way of life to the
other?
Their fears had been building for decades, and
Lincoln's ascendancy to the Presidency was just the last straw for
them.
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