[Non-Sequitur]

Actually, the trap Lincoln set was for the Northern people. He needed public approval for his war and succeeded in pulling a "head fake" on the Northern populace with Fort Sumter.

It takes two to make a war. Are you suggesting that the rebel leadership was so dumb that they couldn't see through his 'provocation'?

[southernsunshine]

Are you suggesting that the rebel leadership was so dumb that they couldn't see through his 'provocation'?

Not at all. I'm saying the northern populace had no way of knowing that Lincoln was the provocateur. All they knew was Fort Sumter had been fired upon. That was Lincoln's intent all along.