The main point I would like to make is that war was not the answer. As a nation we (yes, We) had lost our ability to compromise. The republic gave way to democracy and majority rule. One side sought to impose themselves on the other. Rather than finding a peaceful solution, Lincoln chose war. His blunder, which was much bigger than Lee's at Seminary Ridge, was that he assumed it would be a very short affair. Which it clearly was not. It's not about who would've or should've won, it's that the war was completely unnecessary in the first place and the most destructive event in our history.
It was not about slavery, as we have been brainwashed into believing. If it were, it was the silliest plan to bring about its end in world history. If you want to know what Lincoln really thought about slavery, read his own words. He did not care about slavery as an institution. He did not care about their individual freedom. He did not care about their rights. He wanted them shipped off to Africa or Haiti. Abolishing slavery was a strategic move and the freed slaves were used as political pawns.
The scariest thing about it is how easy it was to erode our rights and expand the powers of government and we let it happen. All in the name of the greater good. Kind of like, well, I don't know, the Patriot Act. As a people we must remain vigilant and remember that "trading a little liberty for a little temporary safety" is never a good thing. We must also remember Thomas Paine when he said that government, in its very best form, is a necessary evil. Ours has become a monster and we let it happen. The 2nd Amendment is all that stands between what little freedom we have left and absolute tyranny and socialism.