At the time, the South depended on slavery to support their way of life. Indeed, “to protect slavery the Confederate States of America would question the peaceful, lawful, and orderly means of changing governments in the United States, even by resorting to war.” (635) Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong and realized that it bitterly divided the country. Not only did slavery divide the nation, it also endangered the Union, hurting both whites and blacks and threatening the processes of government. Initially, Lincoln's goal was to save the Union in which he would "free none, some, or all of the slaves to save that Union." (634) However, Lincoln realized that “freeing the slaves and saving the Union were linked as one goal, not as two optional goals.” (634) Therefore, Lincoln's main goal was to save the Union and to save the Union, Lincoln had to free the slaves. However, Paludan states that “slave states understood this; that is why they separated and why the Union needed saving.” (634) Lincoln's presidential victory was for many Southerners the final sign of their standing in the Union