Chapter 95: Douglas turns against Buchanan for trying to force the Lecompton document.

Arrival of the Constitution is accompanied by southern threats to secede if it is not immediately accepted in DC. These resonate with Buchanan whose presidency rests on winning 14 of the 15 states in the South. In his first Annual Address on December 8, 1857 he attempts to bully Congress into admitting Kansas under Lecompton, even without a PopSov vote.

This pushes Stephen Douglas over the edge and, in a mocking tone, he says that Buchanan’s rush is because he knows that it:

“Would have been voted down by an overwhelming majority.”

The relationship ends badly for both men. Buchanan forfeits Douglas’ power in the Senate after labeling him a “traitor.” Douglas likely loses his chance for the presidency by alienating his southern colleagues.