So, after being sworn in by Justice Taney, who has a long face and large bushy eyebrows, Buchanan surprises the crowd. He is usually an energetic public speaker, but today he bores the audience, talking about the economy and need to expand the navy. Slavery in the new territories, the president tells the crowd, is “happily a matter of but little practical importance.” More than a few in the audience are stunned. On the matter of Dred Scott vs. Sanford, Buchanan cryptically notes he will “cheerfully accept” the Supreme Court’s ruling.
