“Of course if it was avoided we may have had slavery in the US until the early 1900s, so it’s a good thing it wasn’t.”
If Lincoln had said sayonara to the first seven seceding States he could have ended US slavery in 1861 by voting it out of existence. Because without those seven States in Congress the balance of power in Congress had shifted dramatically.
“I’ve always wondered if Buchanan had listened to Scott and responded forcibly to South Carolina’s secession, as Andrew Jackson did, could the civil war been avoided?”
Had Lincoln not called for 75,000 troops to put down secession then Virginia would not have left the Union. It was that decision to use force that reversed the vote in Virginia. And Virginia’s decision prompted North Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee to follow.
Then instead of a 7 state rump CSA that would have had difficulty remaining independent, Lincoln had an 11 state CSA with a formidable military that was going to fight against invasion for the next four years.
Did you ever notice how it is always the "genius" presidents that make an utter mess of everything?
Lincoln in 1861.
Wilson in 1914.
Kennedy in 1960.
Carter in 1976.
Clinton in 1992.
Obama in 2008.
All of these men were hailed as "Geniuses", and yet they presided over some of the very worst mistakes in American history.
Funny thing was, Lincoln offered to let those original states go if Virginia would simply pledge to remain. Additionally, delegates from Virginia did indeed go to Lincoln (after the War Fleet had already launched) and told him that they believed they had the votes to issue such a statement, to which Lincoln replied "Too Late! You sir, are too late!", or words to that effect.
Lincoln knew he had started a war. A very bad war.
If Lincoln has said sayonara to those seven states the most likely result is he would have been impeached and removed by the Republican Congress and his VP would have then suppress the rebellion.
What all of you bro-confederates keep forgetting is that the Republicans in Congress believed secesssion was illegal and approved of and passed laws supporting Lincoln’s suppression of it.