if you’re talking about Brooks and Sumner, that was years before and the dispute was more do the fact that Sumner was a total A-hole who had personally attacked Brooks’ relative in Congress who had just had a stroke mocking the slur with which he spoke due to his stroke as well as making all sorts of other nasty allegations.
Nobody fired on Sumter until Lincoln sent a heavily armed flotilla to invade South Carolina’s territorial waters.
Sumter was a federal fort granted the Union 30 or 40 years before by South Carolina. Unless you believe Indian Givers act appropriately.
It had no authority over Sumter.
Citadel cadets fired on the re-supply ship ‘Star of the West’ in January 1861 while Buchanan was still President.
Buchanan opposed secession but he also believed that the Constitution didn’t grant Presidents the right to force States to remain in the union.
His view on force was entirely different when it came to Territories. In 1857 Buchanan sent the army to put down a Mormon rebellion against the Territorial Government.
Very cleverly goading the firebrands to fire first. Always thought there were clearer heads who pleaded with them to just blockade the fort, and they would leave. That is “surrender” the property to them. Because then the Union would have to invade to enforce something that would be difficult to justify. Nevermind the “reasons” for secesh. There was significant economic reasons to need the South staying in... and paying. But, let’s not go down that trail.