The “North” never wanted to abolish slavery. The Pre-War issue was expanding slavery to any new states. The textile barons supported expansion. Cotton depletes soil so growing cotton year after year wasn’t possible so the cotton industry needed fresh ground. Again, the textile industry was all for it. Political parties weren’t as clear cut as today. IN the 1850s there was a “Free Soil Party”. They wanted “free soil” for new European immigrants not “free” from slavery. IF abolition was popular in the North Congress could have abolished it after the South left. That never happened; funny isn’t it?