Buchanan's Mormon Judge: Delana R. Eckels and the Democratic Party in the Utah War.

The article focuses on President James Buchanan's nominated chief justice of Utah Territory Delana R. Eckels, focusing particularly on his views regarding polygamy, Mormonism, Mormon leader Brigham Young, and the party platform of the Democratic Party regarding the Mormons. Topics explored include his role in the Utah War, public sentiment regarding the Mormon Church and its founder Joseph Smith, issues of freedom of religion and "local sovereignty," and issues of state and federal oversight related to slavery and the domestic sphere.