George,
That is still not a declaration of war. Besides the man you mentioned had noting to do with starting the war.
Lincoln himself said he had no power to abolish slavery. Just to cite a couple of instances.
"Abraham Lincoln to John L. Scripps, June 23, 1858,"
I have declared a thousand times, and now repeat that, in my opinion, neither the General Government, nor any other power outside of the slave states, can constitutionally or rightfully interfere with slaves or slavery where it already exists.
Seventh Debate with Stephen Douglas, Alton, Illinois, October 15, 1858
The Judge alludes very often in the course of his remarks to the exclusive right which the States have to decide the whole thing for themselves. I agree with him very readily that the different States have that right. He is but fighting a man of straw when he assumes that I am contending against the right of the States to do as they please about it. Our controversy with him is in regard to the new Territories. We agree that when the States come in as States they have the right and the power to do as they please. We have no power as citizens of the free States or in our federal capacity as members of the Federal Union through the General Government, to disturb slavery in the States where it exists. We profess constantly that we have no more inclination than belief in the power of the Government to disturb it; yet we are driven constantly to defend ourselves from the assumption that we are warring upon the rights of the States.
The US Congress passed this resolution---
On the 22nd of July, 1861, both Houses of Congress with but a few dissenting votes adopted a joint resolution which declared:
"This war is not waged, on our part, in any spirit of oppression, not for any purpose of conquest or subjugation, nor purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the rights or established institutions of those States; but to defend and maintain the supremacy of the constitution, and to preserve the Union, with all the dignity, equality and rights of the several States unimpaired; that, as soon as these objects are accomplished, the war ought to cease."
Such were the attitude of the Republican party, the avowals and pledges of President Lincoln and the enactments of Congress, with respect to slavery, at the time of Virginia's secession."
(Virginia's Attitude Toward Slavery and Secession," Beverley Mumford, L.H. Jenkins, 1909, page 197)
Here I also have the proclamations of Buchanan and Lincoln. Neither mentions slavery as a cause---
http://southernheritageadvancementpreservationeducation.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?2011264
http://southernheritageadvancementpreservationeducation.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?2011192
GP