I'm curious as to Lincoln's agenda. Presidents make promises all the time- it's how they get elected. Keeping and implementing those promises, that's something else. Clinton campaigned on lifting the military ban on gays; post inauguration, after meeting with the Pentagon and CJCS, we had DADT...
What could Lincoln and/or the RRs do in the face of Constitutional allowances for slavery, a Supreme Court which had recently upheld slave owners' rights to move where they wanted without losing their slaves, and numerous other legal mechanisms designed to permit slavery? An ammendment banning slavery wasn't going to be possible, new laws regarding the territories were doubtful to pass the Senate; even if they did, there was Dred Scott staring them in the face...