President McClellan bumbles into victory?

Okay, I know this is a bit of a stretch but bear with me. Think of it as a Counter-factual version of more than a few Civil War Alternate Histories.

Now, many AH scenarios involving a late Confederate victory center around a Democratic victory in 1864 putting the incompetent George McClellan into the Oval Office and securing a negotiated peace for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, many of these scenarios ignore the fact that there was a substantial "War Democrat" faction within the party and that McClellan was one of them.

So let's say that the CSA scores a victory somewhere, Sherman's defeated, public opinion in the north swings towards the Democrats and McClellan manages to win the narrowest of victories over Lincoln and the National Union Party. As per his word, Lincoln resigns allowing McClellan to take over in late 1864.

However unlike most scenarios in which Lil' Mac kowtows to the CSA immediately, let's say that in TTL he manages to fend off the Copperhead faction of his party. In the end, he persuades them to give him 6 months to secure "an honorable peace" for the Union. They reluctantly agree and McClellan manages not to screw the whole thing up too too badly (I know it's a stretch but by late 1864 the CSA's goose was effectively cooked). Richmond is taken and Lee surrenders roughly around the same time as OTL (maybe later as by the time his 6 months are up, the war's going to be effectively won no matter how crushing the initial Confederate victory, or how badly he bungles the last part of the war).

So it's mid 1865 and you've got Lil' Mac in the Oval Office. How does he handle the end of the war? What about Reconstruction? My guess is regardless, he'll get politically screwed. He won't go nearly far enough for the majority of the Northern people, and he'll go too far for the Peace Democrats.

Barring a major "dethronement" in which the GOP impeaches both him and his VP. I'd wager they make him effectively a lame duck waiting until 1868 to elect their own guy (Grant?) who faces a divided Democrat party.

The real question is: How would Lil' Mac handle Reconstruction?
 
The big questions becomes McClellan's view on the Rebellion, & on the 14th Amendment.

OTL Lincoln declared the rebellion in the various southern states ended, at which time the Senators from the Class of 1860 returned to Washington and retook their seats.
Following this the Southern States appointed Senators for the Class of '62 & '64, and representatives to serve till the '66 elections.

However when all 11 of the Confederate states voted to reject to 14th Amendment, the Northern Congress members meet in a Night session without a single Southern Congressman present. [Raising Quorum questions]

The voted to Outlaw the pre 1860 Southern Constitutions [thereby disenfranchising the appointed Congressmen] and imposing Military Governments in those States.

Despite the Military Governments moving to ratify the 14th, Ohio & Illinois voted to rescind their ratification, and it was only Johnson's [Lincoln's] Secretary of States refusal to accept the letters from Ohio & Illinois that prevented the Amendment from failing by one state.

?So does McClellan do the same -Rebellion is over, let the state return - that Lincoln & then Johnson did.?
?Does Congress do the Same Illegal Disenfranchising ?
Does McClellan accept that Congress has a Constitutional Right to declare States Constitutions -- Null & Void?
?Does McClellan and His Secretary of State accept Ohio's and illinois' Rescission Letters?
 
So let's say that the CSA scores a victory somewhere, Sherman's defeated, public opinion in the north swings towards the Democrats and McClellan manages to win the narrowest of victories over Lincoln and the National Union Party. As per his word, Lincoln resigns allowing McClellan to take over in late 1864.


Just for the record, Lincoln did not promise to resign if defeated, only to "so co-operate with the President-elect as to save the union between the election and the inauguration".

Indeed. there was no way that he could have resigned in favour of McClellan. Had he tried, Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin would have served out his remaining time. Next in line after him was Daniel Clark of NH, the President of the Senate, followed by Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, Speaker of the HoR. All were Republicans.

So Mac still has to wait untlil March 4. By then, of course, it is entirely possible that victory will be in sight.
 
Oh God. McClellan and incompetent used in the same sentence. The wrath of the tiger shall fall upon you.
 
The big questions becomes McClellan's view on the Rebellion, & on the 14th Amendment.

Does McClellan and His Secretary of State accept Ohio's and illinois' Rescission Letters?

Probably doesn't matter.

If Mac has a Democratic House of Representatives elected with him (or they even come close to controlling it) there is little or no chance of a two-thirds vote for the Amendment, hence it never goes to the states.
 

pnyckqx

Banned
Okay, I know this is a bit of a stretch but bear with me. Think of it as a Counter-factual version of more than a few Civil War Alternate Histories.

Now, many AH scenarios involving a late Confederate victory center around a Democratic victory in 1864 putting the incompetent George McClellan into the Oval Office and securing a negotiated peace for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, many of these scenarios ignore the fact that there was a substantial "War Democrat" faction within the party and that McClellan was one of them.
Have to say that there is one thing wrong with your premise. Actually, a Democratic Party Victory in the 1864 election depends on the failure of US field armies to create a backlash against Lincoln from a war weary electorate.

Specifically, the Confederacy has to do better in the West. Probably the best chance of that happening would be if Jefferson Davis doesn't relieve Joseph E. Johnston on the outskirts of Atlanta. Johnston would have run a much better defense of Atlanta than did John B. Hood.

Joe Johnston's success depends on other factors involving Davis. Those factors were unlikely to happen as long as Johnston was in command and Davis was CS President.

End Davis' Presidency in favor of Alexander Stephens and there is a shot, since the rivalry between Johnston and Davis is no longer a factor. Stephens was not a former military man, and would have been more likely to defer to the judgment of his two major Army commanders.

With the blood cost that the AotP was already paying, the increased costs in the West turns the US Population against the war, and McClellan wins.
 
Just for the record, Lincoln did not promise to resign if defeated, only to "so co-operate with the President-elect as to save the union between the election and the inauguration".

Indeed. there was no way that he could have resigned in favour of McClellan. Had he tried, Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin would have served out his remaining time. Next in line after him was Daniel Clark of NH, the President of the Senate, followed by Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, Speaker of the HoR. All were Republicans.

So Mac still has to wait untlil March 4. By then, of course, it is entirely possible that victory will be in sight.
OK, I'll grant you don't know American Constitutional Law. Here goes: After the 1947 Succession Act, the Line of Succession is President, VP, House Speaker, Senate President Pro Tempore, then the President's Cabinet Officers in line of the time of the creation of their office. Today that would mean Secretary of State down to Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.

Before 1947, it's President, VP, and then the Cabinet Officers. Meaning Hamlin, then Seward.
 
OK, I'll grant you don't know American Constitutional Law. Here goes: After the 1947 Succession Act, the Line of Succession is President, VP, House Speaker, Senate President Pro Tempore, then the President's Cabinet Officers in line of the time of the creation of their office. Today that would mean Secretary of State down to Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.

Before 1947, it's President, VP, and then the Cabinet Officers. Meaning Hamlin, then Seward.


Actually, I do know American Constitutional law on this point. The Constitution makes no provision for Presidential succession beyond the Vice-President, merely empowering Congress to provide for it.

Cabinet officers were not brought into the line of succession until 1886. In 1864/5, the relevant law was the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, which laid down the succession as I stated it, ie (after the VP) President of the Senate then Speaker of the House. That was as far as it went, a serious omission given that in those days there were often long periods when both offices were vacant. Thus in March 1865 the Senate met in special session in order to choose a President Pro-Tempore (Lafayette S Foster of Connecticut) in case anything happened to both Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.
 
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