Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Buchanan, James
BUCHANAN, JAMES, an American
statesman, 15th President of the United
States, born near Mercersburg, Fa.,
April 23, 1791; graduated at Dickinson
College in 1809, admitted to the bar in
1812. He supported the War of 1812,
although affiliated with the Federalist
party. In 1820 he was elected to
Congress, serving successive terms by
re-election for 10 years, where he made
some reputation in the advocacy of bills
for reorganizing the courts and judiciary.
In 1828 he supported Andrew Jackson

for the Presidency, who, in turn,
appointed him Minister to Russia, where
he distinguished himself by arranging
an important commercial treaty. In
1834, he entered the United States Senate,
serving there 12 years, where he
defended the spoils system instituted by
Jackson, and declared against the right
or power of the Government to interfere
with slavery in the States. He was
appointed Secretary of State by President
Polk, after which service he was in
retirement for four years. Under
President Pierce he was sent in 1853 as
Minister to England, where his advocacy of
the annexation of Cuba by the United
States led to his nomination to the
Presidency in 1856. His cabinet contained
men who supported the secession of
South Carolina, and eventually joined
the Confederacy. While holding that the
States had no right to secede, he
announced in 1860 that the President had
neither the right nor the constitutional
power to prevent a State from seceding.
This unwillingness to take decisive
action enabled the seceding States to arm
and prepare for war before the Government
did anything to prevent. After he
retired, however, he supported the Union
cause. He died in Lancaster, Pa., June
1, 1868.