Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Secure the Home Front
This Mighty Scourge of War: A Reconstruction-Era Quest
- Thread starter Kirook
- Start date
- Alt. History
[X] Plan Decisive Action
bookwyrm
Doom of Public Libraries
- Location
- Wichita, Kansas
[X] Plan No Butternut Scare Please
-[X] Direct the Union Army to immediately march on the last remnant of the Confederate States.
-[X] Issue an executive order authorizing a new run of United States Notes.
-[X] Agree to hold an emergency Presidential election at the earliest possible convenience.
-[X] Promise to open the floor of Congress for debate on new Constitutional amendments.
-[X] Direct the Union Army to immediately march on the last remnant of the Confederate States.
-[X] Issue an executive order authorizing a new run of United States Notes.
-[X] Agree to hold an emergency Presidential election at the earliest possible convenience.
-[X] Promise to open the floor of Congress for debate on new Constitutional amendments.
Vote closed
Chapter 6: War and Peace
- Location
- SF Bay Area
October 7, 1865
The Fourth of July came and went without much fanfare amidst the mood of grim determination gripping the Union. It would be a long time before America was ready to celebrate again.
In the halls of Congress, the scant few remaining Peace Democrats found themselves under investigation for collusion with the enemy—a move that raised many eyebrows, and would have done far more than that if the slavers had not attempted to decapitate the Union (and if the Copperheads had not been despised by nearly all of their peers). Between that action and the promise of an election in the near future that might see one of their own seated in the White House, the Radical Republicans proved willing—after a great deal of cajoling—to work with the President.
However, they remained steadfast in their belief that the former Confederacy must be treated not as American states returning to the fold but as conquered provinces of a foreign nation. They would accept no solution that would allow for even the slightest possibility of "the South rising again"; and if President Foster refused to enforce loyalty oaths and make summary examples of the leaders of the Confederacy, he would have to make up for it by utterly extirpating the slaveowning class for good. Benjamin Wade, who had originated the idea of the Ironclad Oath, suggested a policy to implement in its place—Reconstruction should begin by dissolving the plantations and redistributing their land to freedmen. However, the commitment of military and government resources would be significant, and Reconstruction was not the only thing that demanded the Union's attention.
Among those other points of interest were the representatives of the Camp Napoleon Council, who arrived in Washington to treat with the federal government. The negotiations served the dual purpose of determining the tribes' relationship to the post-war Union and putting an end to the ongoing Colorado War, which had been raging for almost a year. The provisional agreement that was reached leaned strongly in favor of the Native Americans; among other provisions, it set a high bar for indigenous consent to land cession treaties, added tribal representatives to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and returned the borders in the Mountain West to the situation that had existed after the Fort Laramie Treaty. If the President so wished it, he could accept their offer as it stood and immediately relieve a great deal of pressure from the West; or he could explore other options to turn the situation to his advantage, such as trying to push for concessions or submit the treaty to Senatorial approval in order to make it less controversial. But with the election looming and the campaign against the rump Confederacy ongoing, time was of the essence.
It was especially essential because the Union's advance into Texas had slowed to a crawl. There was no serious danger of actually losing the army that had been dispatched there—the "Kirby Smithdom" was a rump state for a reason—but the ongoing conflict in the frontier and especially the presence of the Confederate bushwhackers made logistics an arduous chore. Worse, reports trickled in that the remnant might be receiving under-the-table assistance from the Mexican Empire, which had a vested interest in keeping the United States as busy as possible while it attempted to put down a republican rebellion. If left unmanaged, the campaign could easily turn into a painful quagmire when the Union was in serious need of a decisive victory.
With only a month left until the election, President Foster had one last opportunity left to take action…
THE STATE OF THE NATION:
National stability is shaky.
The government's legitimacy is declining.
The capital is on edge.
The mood of the War Democrats is angry.
The mood of the Liberal Republicans is angry.
The mood of the Radical Republicans is angry.
There is one major Confederate army remaining in the field.
The status of Reconstruction is pending a policy decision.
The intensity of conflict on the frontier is high.
Of the assassins of Lincoln and his trusted subordinates, one has been killed, four have been captured, one has escaped to Confederate territory, and the rest have gone to ground.
Negotiating Terms:
Ratifying the Treaty:
Military Actions:
This is a plan vote. Choose one option from each row.
The Fourth of July came and went without much fanfare amidst the mood of grim determination gripping the Union. It would be a long time before America was ready to celebrate again.
In the halls of Congress, the scant few remaining Peace Democrats found themselves under investigation for collusion with the enemy—a move that raised many eyebrows, and would have done far more than that if the slavers had not attempted to decapitate the Union (and if the Copperheads had not been despised by nearly all of their peers). Between that action and the promise of an election in the near future that might see one of their own seated in the White House, the Radical Republicans proved willing—after a great deal of cajoling—to work with the President.
However, they remained steadfast in their belief that the former Confederacy must be treated not as American states returning to the fold but as conquered provinces of a foreign nation. They would accept no solution that would allow for even the slightest possibility of "the South rising again"; and if President Foster refused to enforce loyalty oaths and make summary examples of the leaders of the Confederacy, he would have to make up for it by utterly extirpating the slaveowning class for good. Benjamin Wade, who had originated the idea of the Ironclad Oath, suggested a policy to implement in its place—Reconstruction should begin by dissolving the plantations and redistributing their land to freedmen. However, the commitment of military and government resources would be significant, and Reconstruction was not the only thing that demanded the Union's attention.
Among those other points of interest were the representatives of the Camp Napoleon Council, who arrived in Washington to treat with the federal government. The negotiations served the dual purpose of determining the tribes' relationship to the post-war Union and putting an end to the ongoing Colorado War, which had been raging for almost a year. The provisional agreement that was reached leaned strongly in favor of the Native Americans; among other provisions, it set a high bar for indigenous consent to land cession treaties, added tribal representatives to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and returned the borders in the Mountain West to the situation that had existed after the Fort Laramie Treaty. If the President so wished it, he could accept their offer as it stood and immediately relieve a great deal of pressure from the West; or he could explore other options to turn the situation to his advantage, such as trying to push for concessions or submit the treaty to Senatorial approval in order to make it less controversial. But with the election looming and the campaign against the rump Confederacy ongoing, time was of the essence.
It was especially essential because the Union's advance into Texas had slowed to a crawl. There was no serious danger of actually losing the army that had been dispatched there—the "Kirby Smithdom" was a rump state for a reason—but the ongoing conflict in the frontier and especially the presence of the Confederate bushwhackers made logistics an arduous chore. Worse, reports trickled in that the remnant might be receiving under-the-table assistance from the Mexican Empire, which had a vested interest in keeping the United States as busy as possible while it attempted to put down a republican rebellion. If left unmanaged, the campaign could easily turn into a painful quagmire when the Union was in serious need of a decisive victory.
With only a month left until the election, President Foster had one last opportunity left to take action…
THE STATE OF THE NATION:
National stability is shaky.
The government's legitimacy is declining.
The capital is on edge.
The mood of the War Democrats is angry.
The mood of the Liberal Republicans is angry.
The mood of the Radical Republicans is angry.
There is one major Confederate army remaining in the field.
The status of Reconstruction is pending a policy decision.
The intensity of conflict on the frontier is high.
Of the assassins of Lincoln and his trusted subordinates, one has been killed, four have been captured, one has escaped to Confederate territory, and the rest have gone to ground.
Negotiating Terms:
| Accept the terms of the Camp Napoleon Council… | Attempt to negotiate further… |
| This will dramatically reduce the likelihood of conflict with Native Americans for the foreseeable future, but the significant concessions may drive Western settlers into the arms of the bushwhackers. | This may decrease controversy over the treaty in Congress and the Western territories, but fighting will continue until the negotiations have concluded. |
Ratifying the Treaty:
| …and confirm the agreement unilaterally. | …and submit the agreement for Senatorial approval. |
| The Bureau of Indian Affairs is part of the executive branch, and Native Americans are not considered a foreign power, so this is within the President's remit. It will ensure that the treaty is implemented swiftly and exactly as agreed but may leave it vulnerable to future abrogation, depending on who holds the Presidency. | This may legitimize indigenous sovereignty and make the treaty more enduring if the Senate approves it, but it may also allow the agreement to be watered down or even rejected outright. |
Military Actions:
| Order the military to prioritize Reconstruction. | Order the military to prioritize the final defeat of the Confederate remnant. | Take action against the Mexican Empire. |
| This will immediately begin land redistribution in the South at the cost of potentially stalling out the Texas campaign even further, depending partly on the outcome of the Camp Napoleon negotiations. | This will set aside any necessary resources and personnel to recapture Confederate Texas as soon as possible, but the delay in beginning Reconstruction will allow white supremacist opposition time to organize. | This has highly unpredictable consequences which are outlined below. |
Reports suggest that Emperor Maximilian has been supplying Confederate Texas via blockade-running shipments originating from the port of Veracruz. The government's first recourse against this is to simply demand that the shipments stop, trusting that the threat of American intervention on its own would be enough to intimidate the Mexican royalists. If that failed, the President would have the option to send a detachment of the Union Navy to enforce a tighter blockade of the port, with the objective of stopping the shipments from the source or, failing that, presenting a show of force to make the royalists back down.
This latter course would effectively be taking sides in the ongoing civil war in Mexico. It would earn the friendship of the republican forces, which would be highly useful for the Texan campaign, as they control the actual border with Texas and would certainly be willing to assist if America took such decisive action against their enemies. On the other hand, Veracruz is also the primary port through which the Mexican Empire receives supplies from its French patrons, so blockading it risks conflict not just with the Empire but with France as well.
Overall, there are a wide range of possible outcomes to pursuing the Mexican connection. The best-case scenario is that Maximilian simply accedes to American demands, taking enough pressure off of the Texas front that it and Reconstruction can proceed simultaneously. The worst-case scenario is a French counter-demand to back down or face war. It is up to the President and his advisors whether the risk is worth the reward.
This latter course would effectively be taking sides in the ongoing civil war in Mexico. It would earn the friendship of the republican forces, which would be highly useful for the Texan campaign, as they control the actual border with Texas and would certainly be willing to assist if America took such decisive action against their enemies. On the other hand, Veracruz is also the primary port through which the Mexican Empire receives supplies from its French patrons, so blockading it risks conflict not just with the Empire but with France as well.
Overall, there are a wide range of possible outcomes to pursuing the Mexican connection. The best-case scenario is that Maximilian simply accedes to American demands, taking enough pressure off of the Texas front that it and Reconstruction can proceed simultaneously. The worst-case scenario is a French counter-demand to back down or face war. It is up to the President and his advisors whether the risk is worth the reward.
This is a plan vote. Choose one option from each row.
- Location
- an unseen void
- Pronouns
- Any
[X] Plan: Go Big, Do Not Go Home
-[X] Attempt to negotiate further…
-[X] …and confirm the agreement unilaterally.
-[X] Take action against the Mexican Empire.
I want to confirm a decent agreement unilaterally now to be a foundation for making a more lasting agreement in the future, instead of letting Congress hamstring or kill the whole thing.
The other problem needs a sharp cut not at the root so much as the gardener. We need to take risks to get good wins.
-[X] Attempt to negotiate further…
-[X] …and confirm the agreement unilaterally.
-[X] Take action against the Mexican Empire.
I want to confirm a decent agreement unilaterally now to be a foundation for making a more lasting agreement in the future, instead of letting Congress hamstring or kill the whole thing.
The other problem needs a sharp cut not at the root so much as the gardener. We need to take risks to get good wins.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan: Legitimacy first, First Nations a close second
-[X] Accept the terms of the Camp Napoleon Council…
-[X] …and submit the agreement for Senatorial approval.
-[X] Order the military to prioritize Reconstruction.
Obvious risks with this plan are that the Senate turns down the treaty, but although the lack of prioritization of stomping down Texas is damaging to the Union as a whole, starting Reconstruction might appease the Radical Republicans enough to pass the treaty.
-[X] Accept the terms of the Camp Napoleon Council…
-[X] …and submit the agreement for Senatorial approval.
-[X] Order the military to prioritize Reconstruction.
Obvious risks with this plan are that the Senate turns down the treaty, but although the lack of prioritization of stomping down Texas is damaging to the Union as a whole, starting Reconstruction might appease the Radical Republicans enough to pass the treaty.
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan: Legitimacy first, First Nations a close second
Astra Myst
Do you want a wish?
- Location
- Milky Way Galaxy
[X] Plan: Barreling Forward
-[X] Accept the terms of the Camp Napoleon Council
-[X]…and confirm the agreement unilaterally.
-[X] Order the military to prioritize Reconstruction.
Here is the plan that puts reconstruction above all else, with the most surety, albeit with the caveat that a part of the treaty has to be watered down at some point. I think
-[X] Accept the terms of the Camp Napoleon Council
-[X]…and confirm the agreement unilaterally.
-[X] Order the military to prioritize Reconstruction.
Here is the plan that puts reconstruction above all else, with the most surety, albeit with the caveat that a part of the treaty has to be watered down at some point. I think
[X] Plan: Legitimacy first, First Nations a close second
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Barreling Forward
Last edited:
- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] Plan: Legitimacy, First Nations, Booth
Last edited:
Spylobster
Centrist-Malenyevist
[X] Plan: Barreling Forward
It's worth mentioning: The United States Constitution explicitly names the Senate as the ratifier of treaties that bind the US government, and that any treaty the Senate does ratify is the law of the land, period. It's a very particular and strong clause.
While it does not preclude a future Senate from messing with the treaty, it does implicitly recognize the nationhood of the native parties to the treaty and is a very sticky item to get rid of. No future President or SCOTUS is likely to be able to magic it away as they sometimes did with non-Senatorial treaties, and even if they succeed in doing so it will create a legal timebomb that may have positive effects in future generations.
While it does not preclude a future Senate from messing with the treaty, it does implicitly recognize the nationhood of the native parties to the treaty and is a very sticky item to get rid of. No future President or SCOTUS is likely to be able to magic it away as they sometimes did with non-Senatorial treaties, and even if they succeed in doing so it will create a legal timebomb that may have positive effects in future generations.
- Location
- an unseen void
- Pronouns
- Any
I really think that not negotiating further and submitting the treaty to the Senate is shooting ourselves in the foot - it leaves the treaty in a form the Senate is less likely to approve while asking them for approval, while also giving a big recruitment buff to our domestic enemies. It doesn't end up helping us or the Indian tribes. I understand the argument for going to the Senate, but if you want to do that you should bring them something they might support.
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
[X] Plan: Legitimacy first, First Nations a close second
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Like I said, it's definitely a risk, hopefully counterbalanced by offering Radical Reconstruction. But I feel like they'll hopefully only modify it a bit.
- Location
- SF Bay Area
Just as a general comment, because I haven't seen this aspect of things discussed very much in a while (although it's partly my fault for not really bringing it up in the last couple chapters): remember that John Wilkes Booth is still at large in Texas and literally everyone in the National Unity Coalition wants his head on a pike.
[X] Plan: Legitimacy, First Nations, Booth
-[X] Attempt to negotiate further…
-[X] …and submit the agreement for Senatorial approval.
-[X] Order the military to prioritize the final defeat of the Confederate remnant.
-[X] Attempt to negotiate further…
-[X] …and submit the agreement for Senatorial approval.
-[X] Order the military to prioritize the final defeat of the Confederate remnant.
- Location
- an unseen void
- Pronouns
- Any
[X] Plan: Legitimacy, First Nations, Booth
Yeah, I will add an approval vote for this. I think settling the conflict in the west is important, and a shorter term solve than the long fight for reconstruction.
[X] Plan: Go Big, Do Not Go Home
Yeah, I will add an approval vote for this. I think settling the conflict in the west is important, and a shorter term solve than the long fight for reconstruction.
[X] Plan: Go Big, Do Not Go Home
Last edited:
Given that we took this action last turn/chapter, I think we need to take some kind of action to support the army now.
[X] Plan: Legitimacy, First Nations, Booth
[X] Plan: Go Big, Do Not Go Home
Last edited: