Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion by Buchanan, James - 1866

New York: D. Appleton and Co, 1866. Hardcover. Good. x, [1], 10-296, 3-8 p.; 24 cm. Publisher's dark green pebble-grain cloth with gilt-stamped spine title "Buchanan's Administration." Blind-ruled border on each board. Pale yellow endpapers. Publisher's advertisements on 6 pages following text. In pencil on front free endpaper: Patterson. Bookplate on back fixed endpaper indicates that the book was given to the Washington County Historical Society in 1911 by D.F. Patterson. Although this book was published without the author's name on the title page, the Preface is dated Wheatland, Buchanan's home in Pennsylvania. James Buchanan (1791-1868), the 15th President of the United States, was considered a "doughface" during his presidency, meaning that he was a Northerner with Southern sympathies. Today he is considered to be one of the worst presidents because of his failure to address the secession of seven Southern states. This failure led to the beginning of the Civil War shortly after the end of his term in office. At the time he was widely blamed for the war, which was sometimes called "Buchanan's War." In this work, he sought to defend his actions (and inactions). In Good Condition: ends of spine and corners fraying; cloth separating from from head along back joint; discoloration on lower spine; cloth slightly soiled; back hinge split; occasional soiling and pencil notations on pages.