Washington opened his first Cabinet Meeting. "Gentlemen, Vice President John Adams sends his regards. He won't be joining us. He had to be home in Massachusetts for family reasons."
"Tell him to stay home!" Madison yelled.
"He can do the same amount from there!" Alexander delightfully added.
Washington rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, settle down! Now, The issue on the table Secretary Hamilton's plan to assume state debt and establish a national bank
Secretary Jefferson, you have the floor, sir."
Jefferson, with a smile, went to the center of the room and said his speech: "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; We fought for these ideals we shouldn't settle for less. These are wise words, enterprising men quote 'em, don't act surprised, you guys, 'cause I wrote 'em!" The room cheered him on. Then he side covered his mouth and said, "Ow." Then he continued on as normal, "But Hamilton forgets, his plan would have the government assume state's debts. Now, place your bets as to who that benefits? The very seat of government where Hamilton sits."
"Not true!" Alexander yelled.
"Oh, if the shoe fits, wear it." Jefferson retorted, "If New York's in debt why should Virginia bear it? Uh, our debts are paid, I'm afraid, don't tax the South 'cause we got it made in the shade. In Virginia, we plant seeds in the ground. We create, you just wanna move our money around." Then he grabbed the plan, and showed it to the others, "This financial plan is an outrageous demand, and it's too many damn pages for any man to understand!" Jefferson then dropped it on the table. He did understand it, at least in part, but he was trying to vilify Alexander. Then he turned to his fellow Cabinet members, "Stand with me in the land of the free and pray to God we never see Hamilton's candidacy." Then he stared Alexander dead in the eyes, "Look, when Britain taxed our tea, we got frisky. Imagine what gon' happen when you try to tax our whisky."
The others talked among themselves. The government needed money sure, and being drunk isn't good, but no one liked having to pay more for things that seemed like a natural drink. Although, whisky should never be a part of one's daily diet. No matter how contaminated the drinking water is. Unless you add a little to distill the water, but only a little. Anyway, since whiskey is fairly easy to make, all you do is distill grain, but you better not make it yourselves, the farmers had turned their surplus grain into the popular drink. In fact, they had even started using it as currency, and a way to get out of paying taxes. There was also the fact that whiskey is lighter than grain, and thus, is easier to transport. And my dears, when loopholes are removed, the people who exploit them get really angry. And I expect that you all, especially the co-ed and girl twins, take this to heart. As when you four get older, you'll have to deal with these things. Well, they've already taken it to heart, right? I thought so, now back to the story.
"Thank you, Secretary Jefferson." Washington stated, trying to restore order, "Secretary Hamilton, your response."
Hamilton got up to the center of the room. "Thomas, that was a real nice declaration. Welcome to the present, we're running a real nation. Would you like to join us," Then Alexander pranced around the room while he spoke to mock the man, "or stay mellow, doin' whatever the hell it is you do in Monticello?" He then went back to normal, "If we assume the debts, the union gets new line of credit, a financial diuretic. How do you not get it, if we're aggressive and competitive, the union gets a boost, you'd rather give it a sedative? A civics lesson from a slaver, hey neighbor, Your debts are paid 'cause you don't pay for labor!" Then he mocked Jefferson, "'We plant seeds in the South. We create.' Yeah, keep ranting. We know who's really doing the planting."
"Oh!" The other secretaries gasp. They couldn't believe that this young man was standing up to the powerful and respected Jefferson like that. He was calling him out, and they kinda liked it.
Hamilton continued, "And another thing, Mr. Age of Enlightenment, don't lecture me about the war, you didn't fight in it! You think I'm frightened of you, man? We almost died in a trench! While you were off getting high with the French!" Then he turned to the others, "Thomas Jefferson, always hesitant with the President. Reticent there isn't a plan he doesn't jettison!" Then he turned to his former close friend, who was suffering from some sort of illness, probably a form of anxiety (Yes like Grandma), "Madison, you're mad as a hatter, son, take your medicine! Damn, you're in worse shape than the national debt is in!" Then he turned his attention to both Madison and Jefferson, "Sittin' there useless as two shits! Hey, turn around, bend over, I'll show you where my shoe fits!"
Washington immediately stepped in to calm Alexander down. "Excuse me." He turned to Madison and Jefferson, "Madison, Jefferson, take a walk." He turned to Alexander, "Hamilton, take a walk." He said to the men in the room, "We'll reconvene after a brief recess." He turned back to former aide-de-camp, "Hamilton?"
"Sir?" Alexander answered.
"A word." Washington glared, like a reprimanding father. He then lead them to a side room.
As Alexander and Washington were leaving, Jefferson and Madison stopped him. "You don't have the votes!" Madison rubbed in.
"You don't have the votes!" Madison repeated, this time with Jefferson joining in. Then Jefferson laughed in Alexander's face. Then the two men teased in unison again, "You're gonna need congressional approval and you don't have the votes."
With a smug smirk, Jefferson added, "Such a blunder sometimes it makes me wonder why I even bring the thunder."
"Why he even brings the thunder…" Madison added as they walked away.
Alexander finally joined Washington.
"You wanna pull yourself together?" Washington reprimanded.
"I'm sorry, these Virginians are birds of a feather." Alexander answered.
"Young man, I'm from Virginia, so watch your mouth." Washington reprimanded. He had stopped calling Alexander "son", but he still acted as a father to the younger man.
Angry, Alexander retorted, "So we let Congress get held hostage by the South."
"You need the votes." Washington told him.
"No, we need bold strokes." Alexander replied, "We need this plan." He was convinced that his plan was what the country needed, and if an Excitative order was needed, then so be it.
Washington, being wiser, shot back, "No, you need to convince more folks."
"James Madison won't talk to me," Alexander replied, "that's a nonstarter." The two had been very close friends, but after they completed the Federalist Papers, they started to fall out due to a mix of not enough chemistry and Jefferson.
Washington sternly looked him in the eye, "Winning was easy, young man. Governing's harder."
Alexander remembering him using similar words during the war, shot back, "They're being intransigent." There was no way Jefferson was changing his views, and it was highly unlikely Madison would change them again.
"You have to find a compromise." Washington ordered.
"But they don't have a plan, they just hate mine!" Alexander childishly complained.
"Convince them otherwise!" Washington ordered. He knew that compromise was the only way to get things done, life had taught him well.
"And what happens if I don't get congressional approval?" Alexander asked as he crossed his arms.
"I imagine they'll call for your removal." Washington said all too seriously.
This got Alexander truly scared. He could handle insults and scolds, but losing his job, the thing he worked so hard for, "Sir—" He got out.
"Figure it out, Alexander." Washington interjected, he was tired of the man being obnoxious and belligerent and his certainty that being right is all that matters. But he knew, given enough time, Hamilton would figure it out. "That's an order from your commander." Then he left.
Hamilton remembered his time in service. And of the fight the two had before Alexander left to be home with his wife and in-laws. He needed help, and a bigger wake-up call.
Alexander walked into Robinson's tavern. He had become a frequent customer there, but he didn't drink much. He didn't really like alcohol, but at the time, it was usually safer than water. He only really went there to talk to Caroline and Mulligan, so a drink or two was all he needed to spend hours there.
He greeted the servers and other customers as he sat at his usual spot. He remembered fondly the day he met Laurens, Lafayette and Mulligan there all those years ago. Oh how he missed those days, and Laurens and Lafayette. But he had their portraits, and he did write Lafayette as often as he could. And, there were times he could feel Lauren's ghost.
When he sat down, Artie greeted him. "Afternoon, Hamilton."
"Afternoon, Hoodson." Alexander greeted with a smile, "Any news today?"
"I met my brother-in-law." Artie answered.
"Really?" Alexander knew how hard Artie's wife, Gwendolyn as you might recall, had had it. She was a former slave who's master's daughter had allowed her to escape.
"Yeah, he finally made it here." Artie answered, "Came in this morning looking for Gwendy. He looks a lot like her."
"Where's he staying?"
"With us." Artie answered, "We have room."
Then Caroline neared them. "Afternoon Zander."
"Afternoon Carol." Alexander greeted, "Did you hear the news about Hoodson's brother-in-law?"
"Of course. Artie tells me nearly everything." Then she turned to him and cheekily asked, "Right?"
"Right."
"So, are you at liberty to discuss your day?" Caroline asked Alexander.
"I can say this." Alexander answered, "Jefferson's a jerk."
"Because he broke up your friendship with Madison?" Carol asked.
"I'm over that." Alexander answered.
"You sure?" Carol knew her friends well.
"Yes!" Alexander cried. Carol gave him a look. "I don't hold on to grudges. Anymore."
"So you've forgiven Lee?" Carol asked.
"Not completely." Alexander answered, then wanting to change the subject he asked, "Can I get a drink?"
"Usual?" Artie asked.
"Yes." Then Alexander placed the money on the counter as Artie got his drink.
"So what else happened?" Caroline asked.
"I tried pushing my financial plan."
"Let me guess, it didn't go well."
"Yes. Jefferson's fault." Artie gave Alexander his drink. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Then he went to serve the other customers.
"What happened?" Carol asked, she was very intrigued.
"Well, at the dinner party, Jefferson seemed to perfectly understand the plan. He even seemed to be in favor of it." He took a sip, "But today, he was all, 'This is terrible. No one can understand this, and it'll make the government too big.' Jerk."
"That's people for ya." Carol replied as she shook her head. "Remember the war?"
"Don't get me started." Alexander groaned.
Carol chuckled, then she asked, "Have you tried changing their minds?"
"Yes. But nothing's working."
"You were being obnoxious, weren't you?"
"I'm not obnoxious!"
"Zander, I know you. You can be like that."
"So? I might appear to be like that, but, what's one to do if they're the only one with the solution?"
"Try compromising."
"There's only so much I can give up. Our country needs this!"
"Then try a different angle." Carol suggested. She put her hand on his shoulder in support, "I know you can do it."
"Yeah but it's hard."
Carol raised her eyebrow, "For you?"
"I thought you knew me." Alexander teased.
"I do." Caroline replied, "That's why I know you can do this. Just take your time, and don't act like you know everything."
"That's going to be hard."
"I know."
Alexander groaned. No matter what he did, he couldn't get his financial plan through. He tried everything, but nothing seemed to work. He even tried the advice Burr gave him all those years ago. "Talk less, smile more."
Finally, there came the closed door dinner with Madison and Jefferson. It was held in Jefferson's rented house, that way it could be privet, and so Jefferson could have more evidence to support his claims that he pulled the strings to get the plan through.
There were a lot of people, especially Burr, as you're well aware, who weren't very pleased with this. Although the economic capital would remain in the abolitionist friendly New York City, the Nation's Capital would be in the slave-friendly South. Burr was both angered and in awe of his friend's cunning and manipulation. It was inspiring, and a wake up call. Burr wanted more, he wanted to be in charge.
