Then I think Hamilton and Monroe, these two young men, are very suitable for the position of Secretary of State. With an experienced and steady person to lead the Department of State, it can effectively carry out its diplomatic functions!
Madison continued to put forward his recommendations.
Whether intentionally or not, he only mentioned candidates for Vice Secretary of State and did not specify who would be Secretary of State.
Such a statement made Franklin nod in approval.
He was indeed very happy. Although he didn't care about Madison's performance in this regard, any leader would like a subordinate who knows his place and understands when to advance and retreat.
Even Morris, who had been listening intently to this matter, quietly breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Madison's suggestion. He had originally thought Madison would recommend Hamilton for Secretary of State. Since it was for Vice Secretary of State, there was no need to worry too much. Even if he exercised the powers of Secretary of State during his tenure as Vice Secretary of State, as long as his public status did not exceed his own, he wouldn't mind.
However, Hamilton and Monroe, the parties involved, had completely different reactions after hearing Madison's recommendation.
Monroe was naturally excited and immediately smiled, saying:
Thank you, Mr. Madison, for your recommendation. I am very willing to serve both Presidents in the new cabinet!
Hamilton, however, frowned slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
Of course, he was dissatisfied that he could only be a Vice Secretary of State, but he frowned because he found it strange to be assigned to the Department of State, as that was not a field he was familiar with.
Fortunately, Hamilton was not the only one with the same thought.
Although Franklin appreciated Madison's humble attitude, after a brief moment of contemplation, he still chose to oppose Morris' opinion:
Mr. Madison, Mr. Hamilton is a rare talent in our Finance Department. To have him serve as Vice Secretary of State, while he might be capable, would undoubtedly be a great loss to our Finance Department.
In fact, he still believed that Hamilton's temperament was not suitable for work in the Department of State. However, being someone who always cherished young people, he was unwilling to point out the shortcomings of this talented young man directly.
That's right! Hamilton is most suitable for work in finance and related departments; his professional talents lie there. And I can say with certainty that his temperament and habits are probably not suitable for working in the Department of State.
Charles also came out to object with a smile. Based on his friendship with Hamilton, he spoke more directly.
Mr. President, I also believe I am more suitable to remain in the financial department!
Hamilton himself also came out to express his stance. He didn't show any anger about Charles mentioning his temperament and habits in his speech.
Seeing that Hamilton, the person involved, and Franklin were all against it, Madison immediately shook his head with a smile.
sirs, I am not very familiar with the personnel of the original cabinet departments, please forgive my presumptuous suggestion. This matter should naturally be based on the President's opinion. Of course, Mr. Hamilton's own opinion should also be respected; I do not wish to insist on anything here.
Haha! That's good!
Franklin smiled and nodded.
He then turned to Robert Morris and asked:
Robert, do you have any opinions on your current position?
Me?
Morris was surprised. He didn't know why Franklin suddenly brought the question to him.
But the President was asking, so he couldn't not answer, and he responded directly:
I am currently able to fulfill my responsibilities. There should be no problem in doing a good job in the Finance Department.
Hahahaha! Your talent is not just about doing a good job in the Finance Department, but you have more than enough!
Franklin laughed as he commented on Morris, then turned to others and suggested:
Gentlemen, actually, I think we can let Robert Morris serve as Secretary of State, and also oversee a portion of internal affairs. Mr. Hamilton will replace Robert Morris as Finance Minister, in charge of financial affairs. As for Mr. Monroe, he can serve as Vice Secretary of State, as recommended by Mr. Madison. I believe with his intelligence and talent, he will definitely be able to do his job well under Robert Morris' leadership!
Franklin said this proposal with a smile, immediately causing Charles and others to whisper among themselves.
Whether it was the nominated individuals or observers like Charles and Madison, everyone was a bit surprised by this arrangement.
The one who thought the most about it, of course, was Charles, who already had his own plans.
He hadn't actually considered the position of Secretary of State before. He still favored Jefferson for the role, intending to wait until Jefferson couldn't continue due to political party conflicts, and then choose Arthur, the current United States Ambassador to France and a Republican. What Charles truly planned for had always been about Hamilton and the Finance Department.
Hamilton's talent was undoubtedly in financial work. Charles' original intention was to change the Central Bank to the Federal Reserve Board, or to elevate the Internal Revenue Service to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, allowing Hamilton to serve as a ministerial-level official, thereby maximizing his role. Even if Hamilton had other good talents, Charles did not intend to let him work in other departments for a full ministerial title. As for Morris' position as Finance Minister, Charles had never even thought of moving him.
However, after hearing Franklin's opinion, Charles thought about it and felt that it was actually not bad. If Hamilton could serve as Finance Minister, he would be able to utilize his talents even more. Moreover, it would not go against his original intention of not wanting to easily increase ministerial agencies, which was a relatively perfect solution.
However, having Morris, a famous Banker, serve as Secretary of State was a very amusing arrangement.
Me, Secretary of State?
The slow-to-react Morris had a very complex expression at this moment.
He was certainly not averse to the position of Secretary of State, but he was still hesitant about whether he could handle it. As an old politician, he also saw very clearly that since Franklin said the Department of State would concurrently manage a part of internal affairs, he would probably only manage that part of internal affairs. As for the Department of State's primary diplomatic functions, they would certainly be entrusted to the 'experienced diplomat' old President to lead personally, with Monroe, the young Vice Secretary of State, being specifically responsible.
What's wrong, Robert? Are you?
Franklin asked with concern.
He and Robert Morris have been old friends for decades, so they naturally wouldn't be formal.
Mr. Morris, the Secretary of State is now the most important position in the cabinet. Its power and functions are not much lower than that of the Vice President, so you must consider it carefully!
Madison encouraged him from the side.
Speaking of which, he was initially lured into the Republican Party by Charles using the position of Secretary of State as bait.
Haha! I believe Morris will certainly be willing. During his time as a Banker, he was very good at dealing with Bankers and big merchants from other countries. And he made a very wide range of acquaintances. He is definitely a suitable candidate for Secretary of State!
Wilson, the official, commented with a smile.
If the official's tenure was not theoretically for life, he would probably actively participate in the division of cabinet positions.
Haha! This is the President's regard for me, how could I be unwilling!
Morris ultimately found it hard to resist the temptation of the title of the first minister of the cabinet and chose to agree to serve as Secretary of State.
That's good, does anyone else have any opinions?
Franklin smiled and looked at Charles and the others.
This is a wise arrangement, and I highly approve of your arrangement!
Charles knew that Franklin was mainly asking for his opinion, so he immediately nodded in agreement.
This differed from his original arrangement, but it was still within the scope of satisfaction.
Mr. President, if I can serve as Finance Minister, it would be my honor, and I will wholeheartedly serve you and the Federal Government!
Hamilton replied humbly and politely.
Mr. President, I am very willing to serve in your cabinet. This is my honor.
Monroe also carefully expressed his agreement.
The candidates for Secretary of State, the first department of the cabinet, and the most important Finance Minister, were thus decided.
Actually, who served as Secretary of State wasn't the most important thing; the key was the distribution of power. Speaking of which, everyone present today was a comrade of Charles' party, and it was impossible for anyone to casually oppose him. Charles also believed that as long as his proposals aligned with everyone's interests and were within the scope of 'justice,' they would definitely win the support of everyone present. As for situations where these people couldn't agree with his arrangements, that would certainly mean there was some oversight in his arrangements.
Once the two most important ministerial positions were settled, the remaining appointments became much simpler.
The Minister of war was still General Sullivan. This old general actually wanted to move up, to be Secretary of State, or even Vice President or President. But with the end of the war, the atmosphere of civilian rule in the upper echelons of the United States grew stronger and stronger. As a military man who had chosen to be Minister of war, he became increasingly marginalized. It was now almost impossible for him to regain a leading position in civilian politics. This time, even the high-level meeting of the Republican Party did not specifically wait for him to attend because he had a mission to inspect the South.
However, to take care of this old general and old partner, Charles still suggested that he continue to serve as Minister of war. Franklin knew that the current United States army, which was also the Continental army, had significantly less power and influence after most of the old veterans retired. Its role in domestic politics was even less than that of the garrison commander in Philadelphia, so he happily agreed to Charles' proposal.
The remaining positions, such as Central Bank governor and Internal Revenue Service Commissioner, were not as important at this time, given the general situation where financial power primarily belonged to the Finance Department. Charles did not make any special proposals, simply allowing those who could retire to retire, and filling vacant positions with new people. Quietly inserting some officials from the New United States was naturally within everyone's acceptable range.
Finally, the positions of Internal Revenue Service Commissioner and head of the Industry and Commerce Bureau both fell into the hands of former New United States officials.
In just one short night, the draft plan for the cabinet's composition was finalized. As long as no special circumstances arose, Franklin would ultimately nominate the candidates for each department to Congress according to the discussions of that night, and Congress would then appoint these heads of departments and special agencies.
However, not long after this cabinet list, which was kept secret from the Federalist Party and the Democratic Party, was released, while Charles was still contemplating whether to deliver a more severe blow to the Democratic Party and the Federalist Party, defeating them before the election, one member of the cabinet list, General Sullivan, the Minister of war, made quite a move.
When inspecting the Virginia militia, the old general, disgusted by the undisciplined behavior of the militiamen, ordered the dismissal of an officer who had not trained according to Continental army regulations. However, General Green, the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Southern States militia, refused.
General Sullivan, in a fit of rage, announced the dismissal of General Green from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Three States Militia, in the name of the Minister of war. But the proud General Green still smiled and refused to accept the dismissal order. He claimed that his appointment came from the Three States Assembly, and that Sullivan, as Minister of war appointed by the Federal Assembly, had no authority to dismiss him from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Three States Militia.
The atmosphere at the scene became very tense, almost making the junior officers present think that the two old generals would personally fight. The Virginia militiamen were all eager to help their commander teach General Sullivan, this high-ranking federal official, a good lesson.
General Sullivan was not a particularly reckless person. He did not lose his temper on the spot, but angrily ended his pre-election inspection of the Four Southern States early and quickly returned to Philadelphia.
Upon arriving in Philadelphia, the old general, without greeting Charles or Franklin, prematurely publicized his encounter in Richmond to the Philadelphia journalists. He claimed that this was an insult by General Green and the Three States Militia to him and the entire Federal Government. He would petition the Federal Assembly and the Federal Government to formally dismiss General Green and would also file a lawsuit with the Federal Court to hold General Green accountable for disobeying military orders and defying the Federal Government.
This matter, in the hands of the media, naturally immediately changed. The next day's newspapers, many with headlines such as "South brewing anti-federal military coup, Minister of war flees in panic," published sensational reports.