Our present condition, achieved in a manner unprecedented in the history of nations, illustrates the American idea that governments rest upon the consent of the governed, and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish governments whenever they become destructive of the ends for which they were established." - Jefferson Davis' "Inaugural Address" as President of the Confederate States of America, February 18, 1861 How do Jefferson Davis' words contrast with the philosophy of U. S. President Abraham Lincoln? A) Lincoln's goal at the start of the Civil War was to preserve the Union. B) Lincoln believed the South had a right to secede but not without a popular vote. C) Lincoln's goal was to carry on without the Southern states and forge a new Union. D) Lincoln wanted to destroy the South so they could not compete economically with the United States.