中文导读：詹姆斯·布坎南总统在1857年宣誓就职，他那时已经将近66岁，他也是被选为总统中年龄最大的，也是唯一一个终身未婚的总统。在当选为总统前，他有一个成功的政治生涯，他所带领的政权一直致力于结束该国对奴隶制的争论。他只任了一届总统，并未试图连任。在其任期的最后几周，一些南方的州脱离联邦政府。不久之后，这个国家爆发内战。From VOA Learning English, this is The Making of a Nation. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.
And I’m Christopher Cruise.
James Buchanan was sworn in as president in 1857. He was almost 66 years old. At the time, Buchananwas the oldest person ever elected president. He wasalso the only president who never married.
Buchanan had a successful political career before he became president. Buthis administration struggled – and failed – to stop the country’s long disputeover slavery. Many consider him one of the country’s worst presidents.
Jean Harvey Baker is a historian. She calls James Buchanan one of the country’s most interesting presidents.
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Buchanan was from Pennsylvania in the northern United States. But many ofhis friends were from the South. Ms. Baker says Buchanan admired the southern way of life.
“The most important thing to remember about him during his presidency is that he was pro-Southern. Not necessarily rabidly pro-slavery, but pro-Southern. And this colored all kinds of issues that he had to take a position on.”
President Buchanan faced important issues that involved slavery. One was aSupreme Court case brought by a man named Dred Scott.
Dred Scott was a black man who had been born a slave. But he had lived insome areas where slavery was banned. So he claimed he was a free man.
President Buchanan thought the case could end the country’s long disputeover slavery. He decided to intervene.
Buchanan asked a Supreme Court justice from the north to support thesouthern justices’ decision. The northern judge agreed.
They determined Dred Scott was still a slave. And, the judges said Congresscould not ban slavery anywhere in the country.
Historian Jean Baker says President Buchanan expected all Americans toaccept the Court’s decision as the final word on slavery.
“Of course, he was totally wrong. And that’s one of the reasons he isconsidered to be one of our worst presidents.”
Ms. Baker says Buchanan also violated the U.S. Constitution by intervening in the case. The Constitution says the powers of the president, legislature andcourts must remain separate.
Later in his term, Buchanan insisted that Congress support a pro-slaverygovernment in Kansas territory. He even offered Congress a bribe to acceptthe territory’s pro-slavery constitution.
But most Kansans did not accept the territory’s government or want a pro-slavery constitution. And many in Buchanan’s own political party disagreedwith his efforts.
In the end, Buchanan divided his party and failed to win support for slavery inKansas.
Buchanan served only one term as president. He did not try to be re-elected. Historian Jean Baker says President Buchanan did not defend the country’sinterest well.
“He violated his constitutional pledge to support and protect the Constitution of the United States.”
In Buchanan’s final weeks in office, several southern states separated from the Union. Shortly after, the country burst into civil war.
I’m Christopher Cruise.
And I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.
