Hi George,

I think Lincoln clearly spells out his position in the First Inaugural. He undertands that his "dissatisfied fellow countrymen" have a decision to make. They can work within the political system and amend the constitution or they can wage revolution to overthrow the government. Clearly, Lincoln wants them to chose the former.

The speech was reprinted in every newspaper across the country, both North and South. Lincoln hoped they would read his words and take him seriously. "You can have no conflict, without being yourselves the aggressors," Lincoln told them. "You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to ``preserve, protect and defend'' it." If they chose to wage revolution, he promised them he would oppose them.

Fort Sumter was an issue long before March or April 1861. Buchanan had a decision to make, General Winfield Scott had advice to give, and Lincoln continued to monitor the situtation while still in Springfield.

After Lincoln delivered his inaugural address, he consulted his cabinet, and reexamined his own conscience in light of the oath he took on March 4th and decided to reinforce his soldiers in the fort.

Though I'm not sure which letter you're referring to, it could be the April 6th letter Lincoln's Secretary of War sent to Governor Pickens. It can be viewed here:

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;cc=lincoln;type=simple;rgn=div1;q1=fort%20sumter;singlegenre=All;view=text;subview=detail;sort=occur;idno=lincoln4;node=lincoln4:505;start=1;size=25;hi=0

We know what happened next. The Confederacy opened fire, "and so the war came." Jefferson Davis revisited the episode in his memoir. Instead of taking responsibility for Fort Sumter, he simply pointed to Lincoln, in essence arguimg, "Look what you made me do."

Best,
Sam.