By 1860 the feud between President James Buchanan and Stephen Douglas had cancelled out the political aspirations of both men. The strain the slavery issue had resulted in the Democratic Party being split into two and severely weakening its political control.
This created the opening for the newly reformed Republican Party, mainly Abraham Lincoln, to win the White House.
The election of Lincoln, who was clearly opposed to slavery spreading to the outside of the existing states, was the last step as far as the South was concerned in proceeding with secession and eventually war.
In the six weeks following the election of Lincoln South Carolina seceded from the Union and over the next month five more states would follow.
James Buchanan, a now lame duck president, took no action against the South which only straighten the confidence of the already seceding states allowing them to set up a government and establish a military. Buchanan, a southern sympathizer, wanted to stay at arms length and do the minimum towards the treasonous South. He apparently wanted to up hold what he thought was the minimum standard under his presidential oath till he could vacate the White House.
When he finally did leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue he vanished from public life and retreated to his home where he died in 1868. .
Maybe Buchanan knew there may have been more he could have done in his remaining days or at least before his constitutional lame-duck status took hold. Maybe the former president looking back realized he could have used the power of the Oval Office to stop the southern fire-eaters from spreading their illogical rhetoric and creating a clear and present danger to their country . Maybe.
In the last few years before the attack on Fort Sumter in April of 1861 America's politicians consisted of a number of very vocal and impressionable politicians. Though there were some of northern heritage, the most vocal towards secession were mainly southern born and wealthy.
