Why didn't the North let the South secede?

[dawg]

1. I think Lincoln realized it would eventually unravel the whole country.

Once you set a precedent that a state can just secede when it loses an election or something happens that it doesn't like, pretty soon you don't have a country anymore. Before you know it, Maine will be seceding because of the tax rate on lobsters or New York will be seceding because they don't think they are being fairly represented due to having the same amount of Senators as Rhode Island.

Certainly Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri were doubtful to stick around through another Presidential election.

As a collection of smaller nations, we would never have become the world power that we are today. I think Lincoln showed great foresight in doing what he did.