Final answer:
In his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln explains that the country went to war because compromise was impossible due to extreme differences in opposing positions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In his "Second Inaugural Address," Lincoln explains that the country went to war because compromise was impossible due to the extreme differences in opposing positions. He suggests that the rebellious actions of certain individuals who sought to dissolve the union led to the conflict. Slavery and the punishment of slaveholders through war are not explicitly stated as the reasons for the war in his address. Lincoln instead emphasizes the inability to find a middle ground as the main cause.
Learn more about Reasons for the American Civil War