If Jefferson Davis had not become president of the CSA, who else could have lead the country?
Judah Benjamin ? In a slightly earlier secessionist Confederation maybe Henry Clay ?If Jefferson Davis had not become president of the CSA, who else could have lead the country?
Judah Benjamin ?
In a slightly earlier secessionist Confederation maybe Henry Clay?
I have read that one of the reasons Davis trusted Benjamin so much was because he was the ONLY one in his cabinet who could never be President, and thus wouldn't try to undermine him at every step. Plus he resigned as Secretary of War, taking responsibility for defeats beyond his power, rather than let it be known the Confederacy had no money to buy weapons and such. Looking it over, he was also born in the Danish Virgin Islands, though I don't know if there was anything about that in the Confederate Constitution. It was pretty slavery focused.Judah Benjamin?
The CSA Constitution does have "homeborn" clauses.I have read that one of the reasons Davis trusted Benjamin so much was because he was the ONLY one in his cabinet who could never be President [...] he was also born in the Danish Virgin Islands, though I don't know if there was anything about that in the Confederate Constitution.
Three lines or so, actualy.It was pretty slavery focused.
Yes, Clay is unlikely. Calhoun and Rhett was, what I had in mind originally.A Jew? It was weird enough for him to be a Senator, but then Louisiana was weird. (After the Woah, Louisiana elected another Jew to the Senate, Benjamin Franklin Jonas, who unlike Benjamin, was a practicing Jew. But that was Louisiana.) The rest of the CSA wasn't so broad-minded.
I cannot imagine any scenario where Clay would participate in a secession movement. He was very much a nationalist, and advocate of a strong Federal government.
I am afraid not. Papabile meansmeans kikely to be president, while the link only says that the terms about people who were not born in the USA or CSA being able to be considered natural born citizens, so long as they were citizens of the country before the constitution came into force. Benjamin was despised by much of the public, as he acted as scapegoat for military failures, and people thought he didn't care about them at all. He agreed to be scapegoat, and certainly would have reinforced Davis's opinions of his loyalty to both Davis and the Confederacy, but it isn't going to get him too many votes. Then again, this is for if the first president, so I suppose that stuff wouldn't have happened here. Still, I don't see him being the front runner in this sort of thing, which would be decided by a much of governors, planters, etc.Edited - FWIW the comments explicitly name Benjamin as papabile for CSA President ...
Yes, Clay is unlikely. Calhoun and Rhett was, what I had in mind originally.
William Walker as Nicaragua and CSA head of goverment and a potential Golden Circle ideology advocat would be terrifying. Wonder, what other powers and nations in the region would think about a Walker lead CSA. Civil War Mexicos northern states could be a potential target for Walker aswll.Spain would be fearing for Cuba. Wonder what slavery Brazil would think regarding Walker. Either a threat or a fellowship advocat for slavery.War of the Triple-Alliance was at the same time.Calhoun's been dead for a decade. Even if he lived longer in an ATL, he'd be 78 in 1860. I don't think he'd be a very realistic candidate at that point.
Rhett is just about the worst candidate imaginable. If you want the stupidest strategies ("Attack now! Our manly courage is worth more than their numerical and material superiority!"), the worst possible foreign policy ("You foreigners are dependent on King Cotton! The right to recognise the CSA is a privilege for which you should be thankful!") and the most self-hindering style of management ("Everyone who disagrees with me in any way is my mortal enemy FOR LIFE!")... yeah, then you want Rhett for President.
Besides the realistic options, the interesting candidates that can pop up in an ATL are Breckinridge and the inevitable William Walker.
-- The former was from Kentucky, so that demands a scenario where the whole South secedes, and in one fell swoop. If that happens, Breckinridge is pretty much the candidate for President. Another option would be to have Breckinridge move to the Deep South a few years before the Civil War breaks out.
-- The other candidate, Walker, is famous as a filibuster, and was at one point pretty much the "national hero" of the South. They called him the "grey-eyed man of destiny", even. of course, he was executed in 1860, after attempting to conquer the Bay Islands off Honduras. At this point, his famous filibuster in Nicaragua had already failed, which has sort of tarnished his previous reputation as a hero destined for glory. The filibuster failed purely due to his breaking ties with his financier (Cornelius Vanderbilt), so that's your POD. If a Walker-led Nicaragua exists as the CSA comes into being, you may assume it will join at once. Walker will be seen as the man who is actually realising the Southern ambition of the "Golden Circle" (a slaving empire extending into Mesoamerica and the Caribbean). This will solidify his status as the big Southern hero, and therefefore a realistic candidate for President.