DBWI: How would Buchanan have reacted if the South had seceded during the end of his term?

As we all know, Lincoln was barely defeated in the House of Representatives in the election of 1860. As we know 4 years later Seward won the presidency and the War of Secession began in 1865. I've been wondering lately, how would Buchanan have reacted if say Lincoln or maybe even Douglas had won and the South had seceded? We all know lame-duck President Joseph Lane was useless, but would Buchanan have been any better? Historians seem to be in two different camps, those who he wouldve been just as useless, and those who look at his conduct in the Utah War as evidence that we would have used military force to stop secession. What do you guys think?
 
Historians too are split on this question. Without going into these wrangles- which have been res-
ponsible for the felling of many a forest acre- let it just be said that the fact that Bell's strong
showing pushed the 1860 election into the House & kept the secessionist pot from boiling over in
1860. Thus attempts by South Carolina then- unlike four years later- to lead a general movement
by southern states out of the Union got nowhere. Southerners were willing to adopt a "wait & see"
attitude in November 1860, & Douglas' subsequent election by the House in January 1861 kept
the Union together for another four years.
 
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samcster94

Banned
As we all know, Lincoln was barely defeated in the House of Representatives in the election of 1860. As we know 4 years later Seward won the presidency and the War of Secession began in 1865. I've been wondering lately, how would Buchanan have reacted if say Lincoln or maybe even Douglas had won and the South had seceded? We all know lame-duck President Joseph Lane was useless, but would Buchanan have been any better? Historians seem to be in two different camps, those who he wouldve been just as useless, and those who look at his conduct in the Utah War as evidence that we would have used military force to stop secession. What do you guys think?
Lincoln was nothing like Seward. Although Seward won the war, he is remembered less than fondly even in places like Michigan and Ohio.
 
I think you would have had a longer civil war to. When Seward was elected ultimately 8 states left the union.

Many historians point to deals made in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia during the early 1860's as reasons why they remained in the union.

What Seward gets flack for is panicking and ordering Federal bases evacuated. General Grant even nicknamed him president retreat.
 
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