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Slavery, Secession, and Spinelessness

Part 15 of My Presidential Review Series

April 16, 2005 1:49:22 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums


Continuing from Pierce, we reach James Buchanan. Buchanan was the first president to run against the Republican party. During his election, former president Fillmore also ran under the Know-Nothing party. In an ironic twist of fate, the defunct Whig party that refused to nominate Fillmore in 1852 backed him in 1856. Buchanan was one of the few presidents to lose territory during his term. Taking into consideration his unpopularity and the fact he could not solve the sectional crisis, Buchanan declined to seek a second term. He served March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1861.

Shortly after Buchanan was sworn in, the Supreme Court handed down the Dred Scott decision. It maintained that slavery was rooted in the Constitution and could not be legislated out of existence, even in the territories. In Kansas, the debate over slavery had grown violent by that time. Feeling constitutionally bound to uphold slavery, Buchanan appointed the proslavery Robert J. Walker as territorial governor. With him in control, the Lecompton constitution was written, which, if approved, would make Kansas a slave state. Supported by Buchanan, it was defeated in Congress by forces led by Senator Stephen Douglas, on the grounds that the people of Kansas did not get to vote on it. A referendum was held in 1858, and the Lecompton constitution was overwhelmingly rejected. A second referendum was held at Buchanan's insistence, and once again it was defeated by a large margin. Antislavery forces then gained the initiative, and Kansas was admitted as a free state in 1861.

In 1857 a panic started. Its proximate cause was the collapse of the Ohio Life Insurance Company of Cincinatti. Underlying causes were: overexpansion of the railroads; rapid growth of state banks operating under flimsy state banking laws; end of the Crimean War in Europe, which prompted nations to buy less foodstuffs; drop in the price of gold after the California Gold Rush. The North and West were hit the hardest, while the South managed well, since European demand for cotton was undeterred. Buchanan followed conventional wisdom of the day in taking no action.

With Abraham Lincoln's election, the South prepared to secede. By the time Buchanan stepped down, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas had formed the Confederate States of America under President Jefferson Davis. Buchanan maintained that secession was illegal but the federal government could not force a state to stay in the Union. He was perfectly content to just stand by as the Union fell apart, taking only enough action to protect federal property. He adopted a concilliatory attitude to the secesionists, fearing that confrontation would lead to civil war. In 1861 he sent an unarmed merchant ship to Fort Sumter to reinforce the garrison there. Confederate shore batteries shot at it, forcing it to abandon its mission. Buchanan overlooked this blatant aggression and took no more action to help Fort Sumter, which fell to the South, marking the beginning of the Civil War. Buchanan blamed Northern abolitionists for the war, claiming they needlessly pushed the nation towards it in their attempts to eradicate slavery. However, he also warned the South that secession was unconstitutional, though he also said that the states could resist federal oppression.

Buchanan died on June 1, 1868.

It is a cruel twist of fate that we sought to replace the awful Pierce and ended up with Buchanan. The Buchanan administration was the worst scandal-free administration ever. In the months before the Lincoln presidency, he did absolutely nothing to deter the Confederacy. If he had taken a strong stand, if he denounced them further, if he had attacked, if he had done ANYTHING, the Civil War would not have been so bloody and so bitter. Buchanan's spinelessness and cowardice is the only legacy he left, and the only one he will be remembered for.

Overall Ranking: 38

To Abraham Lincoln: "Dear sir, if you are as happy on entering the White House as I on leaving, you are a very happy man indeed."
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Reply #1 April 16, 2005 2:59:50 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
To Abraham Lincoln: "Dear sir, if you are as happy on entering the White House as I on leaving, you are a very happy man indeed."


Only an abysmal leader would say that, and it shows he really enjoyed serving his country.
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Reply #2 April 16, 2005 3:00:56 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Only an abysmal leader would say that, and it shows he really enjoyed serving his country.


Well, Buchanan was an abysmal leader. I only wish that there wasn't the 2 scandal-addled administrations so I could rate him last.
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Reply #3 April 17, 2005 11:23:12 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

I would still rate Pierce last.  There was nothing that Buchanan could do to stop the secession.  No one could.  By that time it was inevitable.  But I would say that pierce filled the pit with quicksand, and Buchanan did nothing to avert it.

Regardless, I agree with it over all.  Good thing you are stopping at Truman.  As there were 3 scandal plagued administrations, but only 2 that are the pits.

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Reply #4 April 17, 2005 1:42:55 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I would still rate Pierce last. There was nothing that Buchanan could do to stop the secession. No one could. By that time it was inevitable. But I would say that pierce filled the pit with quicksand, and Buchanan did nothing to avert it.


I agree the secession is not his fault. But even when they seceded, he appeased the Confederacy to the point of blatant Southern favoritism. Had he taken a harder stand and been a Unionist, the Civil War would not have been the drawn-out, bloody conflict it was. For that, he cannot be forgiven. Also, he tried to force Kansas to be slave despite overwhelming support for it to be free. And that, as others before I have called it, is treason.
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Reply #5 April 17, 2005 1:56:22 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Had he taken a harder stand and been a Unionist, the Civil War would not have been the drawn-out, bloody conflict it was.

This is one of those 'what ifs'  I see it as weakening the south as they did not do what was needed to gear up for it due to the incompetancy of Pierce and Buchanan.  if there had been a stronger leader, we could have had one of 2 scenarios:

1: A dictatorship (of the federals), and so today we would be even more enslaved

2: 2 countries as the South would have started earlier preparations.  And held the north to a stand still.

You see, where you see the 2 dead beats as being bad for the union, I see them as a necessary evil.  For with stronger presidents, we would have had one of the 2 above abominations.

that does not make either good, just necessary for the Union to Survive.  Look at it as the Judas for the US.  You cant have a Jesus without a Judas.  you cant have a Union without a Pierce (or Buchanan).

Hope that helps to explain my Judas vs Your Judas.

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Reply #6 April 17, 2005 2:05:53 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Hm. I can certainly see your point. The South probably wasn't ready for the strong leader Lincoln was after Pierce and Buchanan. But you leave one scenario out:

Buchanan immediately denounces the South and sends troops to put down this rebellion. The Confederacy, without as many states and after the jello leadership of Pierce and what Buchanan had been before, is unprepared, and is defeated quickly. Lincoln takes the presidency either before the South falls or shortly afterward, either way leaving him to decide Reconstruction.

This might have also happened. I will concede that this means slavery would not have happened, but it would have saved many me's lives. Buchanan even got a concrete reason for attacking, if seceding wasn't enough; the attack on Fort Sumter. But we will never really know what would have happened.
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Reply #7 April 17, 2005 3:14:50 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

This might have also happened. I will concede that this means slavery would not have happened, but it would have saved many me's lives. Buchanan even got a concrete reason for attacking, if seceding wasn't enough; the attack on Fort Sumter. But we will never really know what would have happened.

Yea, kind of like the Avalon hill games I love to play (or played as I dont have time now).  I see your scenerio, but given the condition of the Union back then, I see a much longer drawn out war.  One of guerilla and sniping.  What would have been best?

let the simulations decide.

But not to lessen your article, you still have an excellant one.  We just disagree on who is the Judas.

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Reply #8 April 17, 2005 3:33:00 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Yea, kind of like the Avalon hill games I love to play (or played as I dont have time now). I see your scenerio, but given the condition of the Union back then, I see a much longer drawn out war. One of guerilla and sniping. What would have been best?let the simulations decide.


Hm. Guerilla warfare was always a looming possibilty. In fact, it was almost a reality. Only Robert E. Lee, realizing the impracticality of it and knowing it would make Reconstruction all the more bitter, stopped it from happening. But again, we will never really know. The simulations will have to decide, in the end.

But not to lessen your article, you still have an excellant one. We just disagree on who is the Judas


Thank you. Well, there's always room for disagreement. If no one disagreed with me on anything, I'd be kind of scared, actually.
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Reply #9 April 17, 2005 3:58:58 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Only Robert E. Lee, realizing the impracticality of it and knowing it would make Reconstruction all the more bitter, stopped it from happening

Thank you for being one of the Yankees that realize the true contribution of Gen Lee.

If no one disagreed with me on anything, I'd be kind of scared, actually.

Dont worry, as you are a Yankee, I wont let that happen, even if I agree with you, I willl disagree just on principal!

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Reply #10 April 17, 2005 4:09:09 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Thank you for being one of the Yankees that realize the true contribution of Gen Lee.


Lee may have been one of the generals in a country my state was against, but he was still a great man, and knew when he was beat, and when to accept changes.

Dont worry, as you are a Yankee, I wont let that happen, even if I agree with you, I willl disagree just on principal!


Heh, well with the next one regional differences may cause a bigger disagreement.
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Reply #11 April 17, 2005 4:35:59 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Heh, well with the next one regional differences may cause a bigger disagreement.

Nah, I know we are from other sides of the Mason Dixon, but I suspect, we will only disagree in nuance, not in theory.

But I did not say that!  damn the Yankees!  Full Dixie ahead!

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Reply #12 April 17, 2005 4:39:54 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
But I did not say that! damn the Yankees! Full Dixie ahead!


Haha! If it's war you want, have at thee! Take this: I Wish I Was in Dixie was written by a Yankee!
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Reply #13 April 17, 2005 4:56:40 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

I Wish I Was in Dixie was written by a Yankee!

Yea!  yea!  Yea!

And your mother was descended from Southerners!

So there!

Seriously, Lee was top of his class at West Point!  I will trade you Dixie for West point!

hehehehe

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Reply #14 April 17, 2005 6:00:26 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Seriously, Lee was top of his class at West Point! I will trade you Dixie for West point!


Only a fool would agree to that! Threaten a country, then ask Chamberlain.
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