Which of the following describes abraham lincoln's attitude towards states' rights at the beginning of his first term? . a. he was indifferent on the issue of states' rights and avoided the issue.. b. he believed that the union would benefit from weakening the states and transferring power to the federal government.. c. he believed it was essential for the union that states maintain strong, autonomous state governments.. d. he wanted to transfer as much power as possible from the states in the south to the states in the north..