After further study I came to another conclusion. It seems that after winning the Republican nomination they cocooned Lincoln away in Springfield, making little contact with the public, then after he won, he was cut-off completely from all public contact until his inauguration. This was obviously a calculated ploy but never explained why completely in history. The only logical answer Lincoln's people did this was to play to the fears of the fire-eaters and secessionist in the South, and convencing otherwise pro-union Southerners to look at disunion as a logical reaction to this mysterious Black Republican who shunned Southern support. He neither sought Southern votes, advice, council or cabinet expertise, and made himself totally a Northern product- lock, stock and barrel. Lincoln and his people wanted the South to attempt to secede and then use the force to conquer the South and slavery.

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David Upton