[rockrr]

No one, including the author from what I can tell, is asserting that the Union "do nothing to stop independence" after the illegal secession. It was Lincoln's hope that cooler heads would prevail and the errant states return to the fold.

The fire-eaters however had only war on their minds.

Why wouldn't the Union defend those forts, etc? After all they were the property of the federal US government.

[Teacher317]

No one, including the author from what I can tell, is asserting that the Union "do nothing to stop independence"

Do you not read? I copied the quote from the article above. I'll post it again, just to help you out...

In fact, neither out-going President Buchanan nor incoming President Lincoln did anything to stop secessionists from declaring independence and forming a new Confederacy

Look up above. It's Reason #5 up there, and incorporated into 2 other Reasons.