The Man Who.....

 

General George Armstrong Custer walked into the hotel room in Washington and the notables gathered therein jumped up as though Jesus himself had entered. They looked at his as Jesus since he would have to save them. Because he was the only hope the Democratic Party had of winning the Presidency in the upcoming election in the centennial year of 1876.

The only potentate who did not rise was the nominal canid ate Governor Samuel J. Tilden of New York who had been selected by the convention to carry the banner of the Democratic party. A handsome individual in expensive clothing with a diamond stickpin in his cravat he looked at the strutting gamecock with a jaundiced eye. He had been designated as the candidate by the convention but the party bosses wanted to what you should never do. Change horses in midstream. They wanted to replace him with the Hero of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Bayard and Thurman who had been among the bitter rivals that had contested the nomination were leading the charge. Even Hendricks who Tilden had taken on as his Vice-Presidential nominee was in on the attempt to steal the nomination. The only one who refrained was General Winfield Scott Hancock who thought if a general was to be the nominee it could only be him.

The problem was that the “soft money” contingent led by John Kelly from his own state of New York wanted to abrogate his victory and turn to a successful general to combat the dominance of the Republican Party ever since the War Between the State. They wanted to flood the nation with greenbacks instead of going back to the gold standard that Tilden embraced. This strutting peacock would be their puppet in this since he knew about as much about economics as a dog did about Latin. It is the rest of the duties of a President that would be the rub.

“Gentlemen thank you for inviting me to meet with you today. I have just arrived from the Dakota’s where we put paid to the savages as you well know.” Custer stood tall in his fringed buckskin jacket and battered felt hat like he had just ridden in from the battlefield. He was a theatrical presence of that there could be no doubt. He couldn’t even appear in his correct dress uniform. If these idiots thought they would control this vainglorious lout they had another thing coming. There was no doubt that he would take them into another war.

“Please sit down General and we can put our proposal to you.” John Kelly motioned to a seat in the middle of a circle of chairs that had been set up for the group to discuss their plans. It seemed that the New York Tammany Hall ward heeler had been chosen to be the spokesman for the group. Which was bad news for the Governor since his bitter break with Tammany Hall had poisoned the well. Now the Sachem would have his revenge by stealing the nomination.

Senator Bayard of Delaware took up the torch. “General we are faced with a conundrum. You know the efforts the party has made to break through the prejudice that the nation feels towards our great party because of the late unpleasantness. General Grant has run his course and is not the candidate. We need a general of our own to compete and we need someone of your demonstrated bravery and competence to once more lead the charge.”

General Custer sat back in his chair and asked the obvious question. “I am sorry but I thought the convention is over and Governor Tilden has accepted the nomination? Or have I been misinformed?” Tilden leaned forward and said “Yes there is that Bayard.” “Now Samuel you know that we have discussed this. A unanimous vote of the committee can allow us to change the nominee. We have the votes. I had hoped you would acquiesce. For the good of the party. For the good of the Nation. A General especially a hero of both the War and the ongoing conflict with the Indians would be a far easier matter than a mere governor. Sorry to be so blunt but there it is.”

Governor Tilden was incensed at the caviler treatment of his candidacy by this cabal of fat cats and corrupt politicians. A reformer who fought the good fight, he was not going to surrender without a fight. “I was fairly elected as the Democratic Candidate for President and I have no intention of stepping down.”

General Custer turned to look at the group and did not say anything. He was here at their invitation and knew enough to be discreet. Finally, a voice in the corner spoke up.

“You have to realize Samuel. They have the votes, and they are determined. If you try to fight it you will lose and maybe sink any chance we have of finally defeating the Republicans,” said Horatio Seymour which was a stab in the back. Tilden had managed his campaigns including his losing” campaign for President. For Seymour to tell him there was no chance meant that it was true.

“Et tu Horatio,” Tilden sighed. “I will not stand in the way of the party. We need to defeat the Republicans at all cost. We cannot let their continual subjugation of the South to continue. If we do, we are in danger of the hostilities breaking out once again. But I learned long ago not to buy a pig in a poke. We need to ask the General what his plans are since I am not aware of him ever announcing them to the public at large.”

“That is a very astute observation,” Senator Bayard said quickly. “General if you are to be our candidate can you share you views with us.”

One Man ......Twelve Stories

 

I am currently reading this anthology called "Spear Havoc." It is twelve different stories about William the Conqueror the Norman Bastard who conquered England in 1066.

Each story imagines a different outcome if this or that changed in the history of this notable historical figure. You know the "Great Man" theory of history. I thought this was a great concept. The stories themselves are very well written and interesting. Short enough to hold your interest but long enough to make you think. I highly recommend the book which is free if you have Kindle Unlimited.

It got me thinking of what would happen if you did the same thing to other historical figures. Abe Lincoln. JFK. Nixon. Trump. Biden?

I do find it interesting that in almost every alternative history where JFK doesn't get assassinated, we end up in a nuclear war with Russia and America is destroyed. Every single one! That tells you something.

I do concede it will be very difficult do one about Biden as America is being destroyed piecemeal and we aren't even in a war. How can you improve on history?

Still maybe I might try my hand at this. I just have to come up with the right figure. I was thinking either George Armstrong Custer or Alexander Hamilton.

Who would you pick?

Grasshopper Lies Heavy, caperberry

Sometimes Tweets are nearly incomprehensible. I don't think that it's so much people enjoying talking over the heads of dummkopfs, rather, I think they give credit and assume the people who follow understand what they're on about.

This would be the book within a book. He's asking for the book that tells history the right way, our post WWII history. The Man In the High Castle is the name of the book by Philip K Dick. It's alternate history fiction where the Axis wins WWII. Now the book is a new historical series on Amazon. In the plot of that book, the novel Grasshopper Lies Heavy tells the story of the Axis losing WWII and is illegal in Germany while legal other places.

The phrase grasshopper lies heavy is a portion of Ecclesiastes starting at 12:1 where followers are instructed to remember their creator in highly poetic and labored terms. Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come. Then 12:2 before the sun and light and moon and stars grow dark and the clouds return after rain. Then 12:3 when keepers of the house tremble, when strong men stoop, before your eyesight goes dim. Then 12:4 When the doors to the streets are closed, and grinding stops and people are startled by birds without enjoying their song, Then finally, and this is where the ancient writer really lets himself go 12:5 when you're so old you're afraid of heights and too scared to go outside and your hair turns white (the almond tree blossoms) and the grasshopper drags himself along instead of springing and even caperberry can't get you hard anymore and you go to your rest and your mourners are all moping around, remember your creator.