Abraham Lincoln was very ingdiant about the war and the slaves and the southern states.
He says that "one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive." Lincoln accused the southern states of starting the Civil War. He is saying the southern states would rather go to war then let the slaves go, even if it meant killing the country. Then he says the other side "would accept war rather than let it perish." Lincoln is saying the union would rather die then wacth our nation be torn apart.