How could Buchanan have prevented civil war?

Question

When Lincoln was elected, South Carolina and eventually six other states seceded from the Union before Lincoln took office and four more after that. But Buchanan is often harshly criticized for not doing anything to prevent the war. (It was cited as the worst presidential mistake in all of US History, see http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-18-presidential-goofs_x.htm) He sat and waited for some hope of reconciliation. But what could he do? For one much of the standing army was out west controlling Indians, there was nothing in the Constitution tha said he could attack another state for secession (though Jackson did establish a precedent earlier, and got a hell of a lot of slack for it), and if he did attack, it would only start the Civil War earlier and it would make the North the aggressor. Still, people say he could have done better. What could he have done?

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant the period between the election and the inauguration, not during his entire term.

Answer 1

I'm not sure anyone could have prevented that war. The seeds of that war were sown when the constitutional congress allowed slavery to continue again and again.

In many ways, the civil war was the price our country had to pay in order to become the incredible place it is now.