Chapter 212
November, 1885
Washington
President Thomas Hendricks would state that he was feeling ill on the evening of November, 24th and go to bed early. He would never wake up, passing sometime in his sleep the following night.
Hendricks' death would America in a terrible political crisis as Vice-President-elect Samuel Randall had died prior to taking office. Per Federal law, the Vice-President would have assumed the office of President. Next in succession was.... the President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Republican George F. Edmunds of Vermont.
The law was somewhat unclear on the definition of Edmunds' powers. He was to be "Acting President". That meant, to some, that he would not bear the full powers of the office including the right to alter the cabinet. Others assumed that a new election would be called to fulfill the remainder of the term.
Edmunds would not see any difference between "Acting President" and "President". Indeed, he also flatly asked the Democrats to point out where, in any law passed in American history, which mandated or even suggested calling for a new election. As far as the Vermont man was concerned, HE was President...."Acting" or not.
In truth, Edmunds had actually liked Hendricks and had supported most of the compromises the late President had approved. What was more, Edmunds realized that "stealing the election" as the Democrats were already charging amid more ridiculous claims of assassination would only lead to decades of strife. The 1824 Election of John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson was decided not by voters but by Congressional backroom politicking. This left Jackson's faction paranoid and vengeful for years afterwards and a generation of politics was poisoned (even more than usual) much to the detriment of the nation.
"Acting President" Edmunds would spend his first months quietly referring challenges to his authority to his attorneys. Oddly, his own Attorney General, Allen Thurman, was considered among the best legal minds in the Senate and openly admitted that the "Acting President" was not required to call another election. He may continued as "Acting President" until the next scheduled election in 1888.
Indeed, Edmunds would not even request immediate resignation of his Cabinet. Hoping to stay the political rancor, the "Acting President" only called for the resignation of a few higher officials, including Hoady, the only Cabinet Secretary for whom Edmunds had serious policy differences. Hoady refused and Edmunds ordered all the Secretary of Interior's papers confiscated by the career bureaucrats. This naturally provoked rounds of protest....which Edmunds largely ignored with good humor.
Venezuela
Commodore Dewey would look against at the smoke billowing from La Guaira, the port to the inland city of Caracas, five miles inland. Looking further across the horizon, he saw large black clouds above the city. By nightfall, he would see the eerie glow of the city aflame against the sky.
The Junta of Valencia had stolen a march on their capital equivalent and the raid would burn much of they city. By the end of 1885, the caudillos of Barcelona and Barquisimeto would appeal to the Americans (both Dewey at sea and Rosecrans on land) to recognize them as independent republics. As there two "republics" happened to be the ones which bordered the new American claims in the southeast and Zulia in the west, a recommendation was forwarded to Washington for President Hendricks (they would not know until the end of December than Hendricks was dead) to approve the proposal. If nothing else, dividing Venezuela into smaller states would make the consolidation of the Orinoco and Venezuelan hinterland regions far easier.
Washington
President Thomas Hendricks would state that he was feeling ill on the evening of November, 24th and go to bed early. He would never wake up, passing sometime in his sleep the following night.
Hendricks' death would America in a terrible political crisis as Vice-President-elect Samuel Randall had died prior to taking office. Per Federal law, the Vice-President would have assumed the office of President. Next in succession was.... the President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Republican George F. Edmunds of Vermont.
The law was somewhat unclear on the definition of Edmunds' powers. He was to be "Acting President". That meant, to some, that he would not bear the full powers of the office including the right to alter the cabinet. Others assumed that a new election would be called to fulfill the remainder of the term.
Edmunds would not see any difference between "Acting President" and "President". Indeed, he also flatly asked the Democrats to point out where, in any law passed in American history, which mandated or even suggested calling for a new election. As far as the Vermont man was concerned, HE was President...."Acting" or not.
In truth, Edmunds had actually liked Hendricks and had supported most of the compromises the late President had approved. What was more, Edmunds realized that "stealing the election" as the Democrats were already charging amid more ridiculous claims of assassination would only lead to decades of strife. The 1824 Election of John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson was decided not by voters but by Congressional backroom politicking. This left Jackson's faction paranoid and vengeful for years afterwards and a generation of politics was poisoned (even more than usual) much to the detriment of the nation.
"Acting President" Edmunds would spend his first months quietly referring challenges to his authority to his attorneys. Oddly, his own Attorney General, Allen Thurman, was considered among the best legal minds in the Senate and openly admitted that the "Acting President" was not required to call another election. He may continued as "Acting President" until the next scheduled election in 1888.
Indeed, Edmunds would not even request immediate resignation of his Cabinet. Hoping to stay the political rancor, the "Acting President" only called for the resignation of a few higher officials, including Hoady, the only Cabinet Secretary for whom Edmunds had serious policy differences. Hoady refused and Edmunds ordered all the Secretary of Interior's papers confiscated by the career bureaucrats. This naturally provoked rounds of protest....which Edmunds largely ignored with good humor.
Venezuela
Commodore Dewey would look against at the smoke billowing from La Guaira, the port to the inland city of Caracas, five miles inland. Looking further across the horizon, he saw large black clouds above the city. By nightfall, he would see the eerie glow of the city aflame against the sky.
The Junta of Valencia had stolen a march on their capital equivalent and the raid would burn much of they city. By the end of 1885, the caudillos of Barcelona and Barquisimeto would appeal to the Americans (both Dewey at sea and Rosecrans on land) to recognize them as independent republics. As there two "republics" happened to be the ones which bordered the new American claims in the southeast and Zulia in the west, a recommendation was forwarded to Washington for President Hendricks (they would not know until the end of December than Hendricks was dead) to approve the proposal. If nothing else, dividing Venezuela into smaller states would make the consolidation of the Orinoco and Venezuelan hinterland regions far easier.