In Lincoln's inauguration speech, he said that secession was anarchic and illegal. He told The Union that while he would not interfere with slavery, he would hold or repossess all Federal property. Civil war broke out soon after.
It was a difficult time for Lincoln, but his tactics began to prevail. In his Gettysburg address, after a great victory for the North, Lincoln proclaimed that the end of the civil war stood for freedom and equality for all.
However, the war dragged on, and critics began to question Lincoln's strategy and his chances for re-election.