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382 BUCHANAN in the constitution, which, after the year 1864, required a two-thirds vote for that purpose. A rebellion in Utah broke out shortly after Mr. Buchanan's accession to the presidency. The Mormons resisted the authority of the national government, treated loyal citizens as enemies, and formed alliances with the Indians. A strong military expedition was sent to Utah ; but in order to avoid a prolonged guerilla war- fare, the president consented in January, 1858, that Col. Thomas L. Kane, who had in former years greatly befriended the Mormons in a time of famine, should go out to their country to en- deavor to bring them to peaceful submission to the laws ; and two citizens were appointed in April as peace commissioners to accompany the army. These efforts proved successful ; and on June 7 Mr. Buchanan informed congress that the rebellion was ended by the submission of the Mormons, and that the reinforcements ordered for the army would not be required. The 35th congress met Dec. 5, 1859. In the senate there waa a strong democratic major- ity; in the house the republicans had a plural- ity, but the balance of power between the two parties was held by a small body calling them- selves Americans. In June, 1860, a homestead bill was passed, allowing actual settlers to pre- empt 160 acres of public land, paying 25 cents an acre, at the end of five years ; the bill was vetoed by the president, and failed to receive in the senate the majority of two thirds requi- site for its passage over the veto. As the term of Mr. Buchanan's administration drew to a close, it became clear that a sectional conflict was impending. The election of Mr. Lincoln precipitated the outbreak. In his annual mes- sage in December, 1860, Mr. Buchanan ex- pressed a hope that the issue of disunion would be averted. He laid the blame of the troubles upon the unwarrantable agitation at the north of the slavery question, which had "produced its malign influence on the slaves, and inspired them with a vague idea of freedom." He ar- gued that the people of any state who felt themselves aggrieved by the federal power had only the revolutionary right of resistance ; that it was the duty of the executive to take care that the laws be faithfully executed ; yet circumstances had put it out of the power of the president to do this in South Carolina. He could not order out the army except upon the demand of the judicial authority, and this au- thority did not then exist in that state. He argued that the constitution had given to con- gress " no power to coerce into submission any state which is attempting to withdraw, or has actually withdrawn, from the confederacy." South Carolina formally seceded on Dec. 20, and sent commissioners to treat with the presi- dent for the delivery of all the public property in that state, and to negotiate for "the contin- nance of peace and amity between that com- monwealth and the government at Washing- ton." The president replied that he had no power to enter upon such negotiations, and could only submit the whole question to con- gress. He could therefore meet the commis- sioners only as " private gentlemen of the highest character," and transmit to congress any propositions which they might have to make. He also refused to order the with- drawal of the troops from Charleston harbor. The cabinet broke up. Mr. Cobb, secretary of the treasury, had before resigned ; and Mr. Thompson, secretary of the interior, aban- doned his post without resigning. Mr. Cass, secretary of state, resigned because the presi- dent would not send reinforcements to Charles- ton harbor ; and Mr. Floyd, secretary of war, because he would not withdraw the force al- ready there. Early in January the steamer Star of the West was despatched from New York with supplies and reenforcements for Fort Sumter, but was unable to introduce them. On Jan. 15, 1861, Mr. Holt, then sec- retary of war, wrote to the governor of North Carolina by order of the president, that the forts in that state, " in common with the other forts, arsenals, and other property of the United States, are in charge of the president, and that if assailed, no matter from what quarter, or under what pretext, it is his duty to protect them by all the means which the law has placed at his disposal ; " adding, however, that it was not his purpose at present to garrison the forts, as he "considered them entirely safe under the protection of the law-abiding senti- ment for which the people of North Carolina had ever been distinguished ; but should they be attacked or menaced with danger of being seized or taken from the possession of the United States, he could not escape from his constitutional obligation to defend and pre- serve them." This was his last important pub- lic act. Immediately after the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, March 4, 1861, Mr. Buchanan re- tired to his home at Lancaster, Penn., where he passed the remainder of his life, taking no part in public affairs. In 1866 he wrote a book, "Mr. Buchanan's Administration," ex- plaining and defending the measures which he had sanctioned and adopted. BUCHANAN, Robert, a Scottish poet, born Aug. 18, 1841. He was educated at the high school and the university of Glasgow, and in his 20th year published a volume of poems en- titled " Undertones," followed by " Idyls and Legends of Inverburn " (1865), and "London Poems" (1866). He also wrote a tragedy, "The Witch-finder," which was produced at Sadler's Wells theatre in London, and in 1869 gave readings from his poems in that city. His subsequent works are : " The Land of Lome," in prose (2 vols., 1871); "Napoleon Fallen, a Lyrical Drama " (1871) ; and " Drama of Kings" (1871). In October, 1871, he pub- lished in the " Contemporary Eeview " of Lon- don, under the nom de plume of Thomas Mait- land, an article " On the Fleshly School of Poetry," in which many of the prominent liv- ing poets of England were criticised in severe