Lincoln did not cause the war. the south saw his election as an attack on the institution of slavery. Remember that the confederates attacked fort sumter, their victory encouraged other states to seccede. Lincoln's goal as president was not to abolish slavery. however, the war it self gave him enough opportuniy to do so.
Wrong on many accounts.
I know it's wikipedia, but it offers a quick reference to what we're talking about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter#BackgroundSouth Carolina demanded their own lands back, and asked for the peaceful removal of US federal troops stationed at Ft. Sumter. Lincoln refused to recognize the Confederacy thus refusing any peace negotiations. South Carolina determined the resupplying of Ft. Sumter to be an agression against them, and after hours of negotiation with the federal forces, opened fire first.
In the eyes of many, it's Lincoln's refusal to negotiate with an otherwise peaceful Confederacy that drove the two sides to war. The last thing the south wanted was war, but they were willing to defend what was rightfully there.
Just because the south fired the first shot, doesn't mean they are responsible for the war.
We can think about the idea in modern-day terms:
We have troops stationed all over the world. Let's say that the Japanese government decided it no longer wants US troops stationed there, and tells the US to leave.
If the US said, 'screw you, we're not leaving' and proceeded to fortify it's bases there, that would be an obvious act of aggression against the Japanese.
The war could have easily been avoided if Lincoln wasn't a power-hungry dictator that ruled by force.