Though "everyone knew that a heavy majority of the Kansas settlers were antislavery", the proslavery crowd made a tough fight. The reason for the struggle mainly rested on Buchanan's shoulders. The Kansas-Nebraska Act resolved for popular sovereignty, and its author, Stephen A. Douglas, wanted to take all measures to ensure this. He convinced Buchanan to appoint Robert J. Walker as governor of Kansas, with orders that "the constitution be laid before the people". When the people of Kansas rejected the Lecompton Constitution, a proslavery constitution, Buchanan still tried to ram it down the congress's throat. He upheld it as long as possible, giving the southern proslaveryites time to gain "fresh strength".
Nevin's subtitle states, "If Buchanan had met the Kansas Problem firmly we might avoided the civil war". The reasoning for this is that he could have halted the quarrels before anything really intensified. The proslavery forces were weak and if Buchanan would have put his fist down early than America could have evaded the Civil War. It is for this role that Buchanan can be "counted one of the signal failures of American statesmanship".
James Buchanan's indecisiveness brought forth other "aftereffects" as well. It paved the way for the Republic party, "which preceded and facilitated the disruption of the nation". It also brought forth civil war in Kansas, which eventually would spread to the entire country. The nation made its "greatest mistake" when it elected "a man so pliable" that would "palter with a clean-cut and momentous issue".
Just as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" had inspired abolitionists and Northerners, Buchanan's indecisiveness had excited the Southerners and the proslaveryites. Had Buchanan acted sooner he could have "grappled with disunion when it was yet weak and unprepared". Though the south lost the fight for slavery in Kansas, they gained strength and boldness, thanks in large part to the indecisive procrastinator, President James Buchanan
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