Bump, no one?
I really don't have much to say about this, other than if it happened, Sam Houston would have been President of two entirely separate nations, which would be awesome. I hope you go somewhere with this.
What if, in 1856, the Democrats were as deadlocked as they were 4 years ago, and Sam Houston emerges as a compromise candidate. How would his term in office go, what would he do differently than James Buchanan, earlier or later Civil War? Or no Civil War at all?