CSA: the Second president

Ive allwasy liked forrest for pres, rich, popular, did probably organize the clan otl. If they csa won, he would not be broke and the skills he used otl for the clan could be used to form a party. populist maby, constutonalist, torys...
 
Seeing as how everybody mentioned in this thread so far has been dead by the election (except Longstreet, but who cares about him?), why not pick some really cool dead guys?

Washington versus Madison for the Presidency of the Confederacy!

Robert E. Lee wouldn't be dead by the nest election. 1867/68. Then when the next Confederate Election took place and Lee died in 1870.

John C. Breckenridge lived till 1875 so he wouldn't be dead either.

Wade Hampton III lived until 1902.

James Longstreet lived until 1904.
 
Seeing as how everybody mentioned in this thread so far has been dead by the election (except Longstreet, but who cares about him?), why not pick some really cool dead guys?

Washington versus Madison for the Presidency of the Confederacy!

Actually none of the candidates that I mentioned would have been dead before the election and only Lee and Wigfall died before their term would have ended. (Wigfall would've died about a month before his term was up.) That doesn't take into account though the effects that winning a war might have on these men's health. They may have lived longer.
 
For whatever they are worth, here are my thoughts:
1. I think that Lee could have been persuaded to run for President if he thought it was an issue of duty to the new country and if he did not have to personally campaign for the office.
2. If the POD is a Southern victory tin 1862, 1863 or even early 1864, I think Lee's helath might be much better than in OTL since he would not have had to deal with the rigors of the 1864-1865 canpaign against Grant.
3. If elected President, I think that Lee's experiences in the war might push him towards more National type of policies for the new nation such as a military academy (VMI?) a naval academy (The Citadel in Charleston?), a true national army, an expansion of the Navy, support for railroads and modest industrialization.
4. I think the supporters of Lee might take the name "National Democrats", later shortened to just "Nationalists". The supporters of Davis and his friends such as Bragg might become the "Consitutional Democrats", later shortened to "Constitutionalists". They would consider Lee's poicies of railroads, industrialization and a Navy as abhorent to the original ideas of the CSA.
5. At least for the Lee Presidency (and that of his successor) the two parties would agree not to raise the issue of slavery and its future in the CSA but some discussion of this issue might take place on the state level.
 
Some further, random, thoughts about the Lee Adminstration (January 1868 to January 1874):
1. Vice President: Stephen Mallory of Florida.
2. Cabinet: Alexander Stephens of Georgia-Secretary of State; John Reagan of Texas- Secretary of the Treasury; Raphael Semmes of Alabama -Secretary of the Navy; John Breckenridge of Kentucky-Secretary of War; Attorney General- (I am open for suggestions).
3. First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the CSA- Judah Benjamin.
4. Greatest domestic achievement: mediation of the dispute between Texas and the Indian Territory leading to the "panhandle" being ceded to Texas and the remainder of the Territory being admitted to the CSA as the State of Sequoyah.
5. The election of 1873. Lee's preferred successor was his friend and colleague James Longstreet, Commanding General of the CS Army, but Longstreet declined citing his lack of political expeience (a defect which would be dealt with in the next adminstration). Lee and the National Democrats then turned to Secretary of War John Breckenridge. The Breckenridge/Reagan ticket narrowly defeated the Constitutional Democrat ticket of Bragg and Wigfall showing that even after the successful Lee Adminstration there remained a large number of Southerners who were unhappy with the centralizing and industrializing tendencies of the National Democratic party.
 
Benjamin had already served as Attorney General, Secretary of War (briefly) and Secretary of State under Davis. My thinking was that as part of the political compromise necessary to finally organize the CSA Supreme Court, Benjamin would be acceptable to both the "Constitutional Democrats" beginning to organize around Davis and the "National Democrats" who had persuaded Lee to be the unifying figure they believed the new and fragile nation needed.
I freely admit that I am analogizing a successful CSA to the infant USA and the "National Democrats" to the veterans of the Continental Army who believed that the war had shown the need for more than just a loose confederation of states. Could the veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia such as Lee, Longstreet and Alexander have come to the same conclusions? Even if they had, they would have had to move much more slowly and carefully than Washington, Hamilton and Knox because the entire CSA experience was less sympathetic to unifying actions.
 
It would have been Alexander H. Stephens. The democrats would have been unchallanged in the Confederacy, and Stephens had been Davis's Vice president. He was proslavery and wanted to expand slavery.
 
The trend of the Vice President being the President's successor didn't begin until the later 20th century.
 
As to Alexander Stephens, I would point out:
1. He was a former Whig.
2. He fought bitterly with Davis and was basically ignored by Davis for most of the war.
3. I have therefore put him in the "National Democrat" camp which is organizing after the war and which basically drafts Lee to be their candidate.
4. As a reward for this work in helping to organizing the Lee campaign and in recognition of his long service in both the USA and CSA governments he is given the position of Secretary of State.
5. His major acievement as Secretary of State is to obtain recognition of the CSA and limited but still usefull trade agreements with several European powers despite their distaste for the CSA's policy of slavery.
6. Although Stephens and other major National Democrats were pro-expansion, Lee was cautious and believed any move to acquire new territories from Mexico or Spain would have to wait until the CSA's industry developed further and its Army and Navy were made more modern and efficient. Therefore any move against Mexico or Spanish possessionns will have to wait until the Breckenridge or Longstreet Adminstrations.
 
I do not know very much about General Cooper. What I do know indicates that he was not very well known and was more of a behind the scenes sort of fellow. I think if the "Constitutional Democrats" decided to contest Lee's election they would need a candidate who was more well known. With a POD based on, or including, more success for the Army of the Tennessee, Braxton Bragg might be that person. He was ambitious, had a high opinion of his abilities and was a friend of Davis. Forrest might be another alternative. I am open to other suggestions.
 
I do not know very much about General Cooper. What I do know indicates that he was not very well known and was more of a behind the scenes sort of fellow. I think if the "Constitutional Democrats" decided to contest Lee's election they would need a candidate who was more well known. With a POD based on, or including, more success for the Army of the Tennessee, Braxton Bragg might be that person. He was ambitious, had a high opinion of his abilities and was a friend of Davis. Forrest might be another alternative. I am open to other suggestions.

Breckinridge should be Davis' successor, assuming they get Kentucky. Most of Lee's cabinet would be Davis supporters and Lee himself, I don't think would be running in opposition. My guess is if Lee is drafted he runs unopposed. It won't be until after his presidency that party lines become clear.
 
Last edited:
Top