rather than ignore or accept the situation, lincoln had to mend a broken nation or see it torn apart. between the presidential election and his inauguration, the seven states that seceded formed the confederate states of america. their constitution was patterned after the united states constitution with four differences. it supported states' sovereignty. it guaranteed slavery would always exist in the confederate states. it did not allow the southern congress to establish protective tariffs. it also limited the term of president of the confederate states to 6 years. jefferson davis was elected as president of the csa. he was a mississippi slave owner, a u.s. senator and had also been secretary of war under president franklin pierce. the csa assumed several philosophical positions that differed from those of the united states. it assumed the united states was merely an association of sovereign states as they had been under the articles of confederation before the acceptance of the u.s. constitution. they maintained that as such, each state was free to leave the association of states. the north saw the union as a permanent country. lincoln pointed out that each state had given up its own sovereignty when it ratified and accepted the constitution. he also argued that no state had the right to revolt against their country, the united states of america. but lincoln remained silent about the csa from their formation until his inauguration. he repeated his campaign promise, that as president he would take no steps to stop or limit slavery in those states where it already existed. however, he did not accept the proposals made by the peace commission. demonstrating his peaceful intentions, his inaugural address was aimed at preventing other southern states from joining the csa. they were not enemies. he would not attack the csa but would keep and maintain all property of the united states government that existed in the southern states.