Fascinating analysis.
With all due respect.......Just exactly what "idealism" did Mr. Lincoln suffer from?
Can you point out to me where it says succession by a member of the Union is allowable, and thus legal in our founding documents?
If memory serves, we announced our independence as "the 13 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", it wasn't temporary, a commitment had been made.
What the South fought for was their ill perceived belief in their "right" to profit off of the sweat of another mans brow, as well as the other ill perceived belief that they could "own" another human being and treat them like chattel.
As for the proclamation, he sat on it for months, awaiting a decisive Union victory, which he got at Antietam. Up til then, the war wasn't going well, which is why he sat on it. Too bad McClellan didn't go after Lee, he blew it, letting him escape.
You call it desperation, I call it smart. Timing is everything ya know...