Whether it was the French Revolution or the American Westward Expansion, Charles didn't need to spend much thought on these matters; he just needed to pay a bit more attention and offer suggestions when necessary.
Having been in this country for so many years, he had accumulated a group of capable and devoted subordinates, and many tasks only needed to be delegated to them.
Although Charles knew that without his personal supervision and guidance, it would be difficult to ensure everything was resolved to his satisfaction, he still preferred to entrust tasks to his subordinates rather than handle them all himself.
Time quickly entered 1786.
On the battlefields of Europe, the French, after arduous fighting, had driven the first Anti-French Alliance Forces out of their territory, achieving a temporary victory.
Meanwhile, countries like Britain and Spain had experienced their first defeat; they were forced to adjust their stance and take the 'mob regime' they had disdained seriously.
In truth, this first defeat wasn't because the French Revolutionary army was stronger than the Anti-French Alliance Forces; in fact, it was well-known that the Revolutionary army's strength was significantly inferior to the Anti-French Alliance Forces.
This defeat occurred because the various nations underestimated the peasant militias, were inadequately prepared, and with the interference of forces like America behind the scenes, what was supposed to be a leisurely outing of a war turned into a fierce struggle, leading to a hasty retreat after defeat.
However, the leaders of the Anti-French Alliance nations, those royal families, whether they recognized this point or not, unanimously refused to admit the aforementioned reasons.
They all declared that the failure of this first war was due to the incompetence of the Alliance commander, and did not involve strategic errors.
Therefore, the next step was to select a new Alliance commander to eliminate the French 'mob authorities' according to the original established strategy.
As for the country where the original commander came from, it naturally could not propose a candidate for commander this time.
Spain, which had commanded this first Anti-French war, immediately lost its command.
After more than half a year of debate among the other nations, a new commander had yet to emerge, but the Prussians from the Germany region had very high support this time, having already secured the backing of their British in-laws.
As long as Spain gave its consent, obtaining command would essentially be a certainty.
With the pause in the European war, trade between America and Europe resumed normalcy.
Charles had intended to find a way to maintain his high profits, but at this very moment, a major event occurred in America that forced Charles to focus his attention on the Philadelphia political circles.
This was because America's first President, and current Mr. President, Franklin, had fallen seriously ill.
A luxurious four-wheeled carriage, with a shout from the coachman, "Whoa…", and a neigh from the horses, stopped in front of the newly built Presidential Residence.
This residence, overlooking the Delaware River, had been in use for some time, fully staffed with various servants, maids, gatekeepers, and security.
As soon as the carriage stopped, someone from the gatehouse came to greet it.
But before the servant could open the door, the person inside jumped out himself.
Charles, dressed in a dark black suit, stepped heavily onto the steps of the Presidential Residence with a "thud."
Seeing the Captain of the Guard from the Presidential Residence approaching, Charles's face was full of concern as he anxiously inquired:
"How is Mr. President? I've come to visit him."
The Captain of the Guard at the entrance naturally recognized Charles.
He had already received more than one visitor today and knew the reasons for their visit to the Presidential Residence.
"Honorable Speaker, the doctors are still inside the residence treating Mr. President. The specific condition is not yet clear.
Vice President and Washington have just gone in; they might know more."
The Captain of the Guard replied cautiously.
The President's safety concerned the entire nation; it was not good to describe his condition as too serious, nor too light.
The captain decided to honestly state what he had seen.
As for the exact situation, he would let the listeners judge based on what was said.
"Alright, I'll go in and see." Charles nodded.
Knowing that nothing could be gleaned from the Captain of the Guard, Charles immediately entered the residence.
The Presidential Residence had actually been completed last year, and a relatively grand reception for the President's move-in had been held.
It was just unexpected that the President fell seriously ill less than a year after moving into the new residence.
It was unclear if it was because the house was too new, or perhaps there was a problem with the feng shui.
Charles walked, his mind wandering to other thoughts.
The Presidential Residence was not large; within just a few dozen steps, Charles had already entered the main door.
At this time, many people were already standing in the main hall of the residence.
Although there were seats nearby, these people chose to stand and talk to each other, their faces filled with unease or anxiety.
Hearing Charles's approaching footsteps, everyone turned their gaze towards him.
"Honorable Speaker."
A residence attendant immediately came over to take Charles's hat and overcoat, placing them aside.
"Gentlemen, I'm a bit late.
Do you know Mr. President's condition? How is he really?"
"Speaker Charles." A senator stepped forward to answer.
His residence was near the Presidential Residence, so he had arrived earlier and knew more about the situation.
"Several more doctors just went in and are currently treating the President; they haven't reached a clear conclusion yet.
However, according to the servants, Mr. President suddenly fainted during dinner.
After waking up, he was a bit disoriented and had difficulty moving.
The preliminary diagnosis suggests it might be a stroke."
Charles frowned.
The others nearby also discussed in low voices, their expressions grim.
Franklin was already over eighty years old; a stroke at this age would essentially take half his life, making it very difficult for him to recover.
Even if he regained consciousness, performing the duties of President would likely be very difficult.
While Charles was still frowning, footsteps sounded from outside the door, and Jefferson and several high-ranking members of the Democratic Party walked in together.
Seeing the solemn expressions of the people in the hall, they were startled, thinking that something unfortunate had already happened.
Fortunately, Charles realized it early and, before Jefferson could ask, relayed the situation that the senator had just described to him.
After listening, the few of them were also worried, understanding the seriousness of the matter.
If Franklin truly had a stroke and was unable to perform his duties as President, it wouldn't merely be a simple political upheaval in Philadelphia.
The entire political and economic situation of America could be affected.
Although this old President seemed to oversee everything with a governing philosophy that was relatively free and lenient, aligning with Laozi's spirit of non-action, he nonetheless represented the will of the entire nation and the highest authority of this country.
Once he encountered an accident, public morale would become unstable, and certain problems would arise.
Moreover, regardless of Franklin's political achievements during his tenure, as the current President and the first President, he had earned the respect of all Americans.
Everyone, regardless of party or class, held him in sufficient esteem.
If something happened to him, all Americans would grieve for him.
Charles and Jefferson wanted very much to go inside and see Franklin, but at this time, the Presidential Residence was in a flurry of activity due to Franklin's illness, and the servants had completely forgotten to announce their arrival to those inside.
So, they could only continue to wait outside, accompanying the other congressmen as they quietly awaited news from within.
For a period, some prominent figures from Philadelphia and civilian representatives continued to arrive in the hall.
Everyone consciously remained standing, unwilling to sit, either standing quietly or speaking in low voices to those nearby.
No one spoke loudly; all patiently waited for the esteemed doctors to emerge from inside.
They did not have to wait long.
Accompanied by Washington and Madison, several well-known doctors from Philadelphia emerged one after another.
Seeing them, Charles and Jefferson immediately hurried over, quietly inquiring about the situation from Madison and Washington.
Seeing the other expectant faces in the hall, Washington, unwilling to discuss privately and leveraging his greater influence than Madison, spoke on behalf of the current Vice President:
"Gentlemen, we all know the reason you have rushed here, so I won't say much.
I'll let Dr. Delwen directly speak about Mr. President's condition.
This matter must be announced to everyone sooner or later."
Charles and the others stopped asking and looked directly at Dr. Delwen in the center.
"Esteemed gentlemen, Mr. President's condition is very poor.
Although he has regained consciousness, his limbs are still unable to move normally.
Based on the diagnosis of myself and several other doctors, we can basically confirm that Mr. President has suffered a stroke.
As for whether it's a mild or moderate stroke, that will depend on whether our subsequent treatment can be effective."
Dr. Delwen, nearing sixty, announced his and his colleagues' diagnosis in a voice like rustling leaves in a cold wind, hoarse and shaky.
In reality, his statement was relatively euphemistic.
If it weren't for other doctors nearby who believed treatment was possible, he would have directly stated it was a severe stroke.
The old President, nearing eighty, could no longer endure the same rigors as a young man.
Rashly attempting to reduce a severe stroke to a mild one might even jeopardize the remaining half of the old President's life.
However, these opinions could be discussed privately with the President's family; for now, it was best to give those important figures some hope.
This was what Dr. Delwen thought.
After several days of consultations with renowned American doctors, Franklin's stroke condition was finally unanimously diagnosed as a severe stroke, making treatment quite difficult.
This news naturally saddened Mr. President's family and those who cared for him, but for some, it presented a great opportunity. They visited Franklin with expressions of sorrow and regret, yet harbored other intentions.
When they met and conversed, aside from a few brief words about his condition, the rest of their discussions revolved around the political landscape of the post-Franklin era.
Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party already had many within their ranks secretly plotting actions. As high-ranking officials, Charles and Jefferson, though aware of the movements below, did not express an opinion, but rather allowed them to proceed.
The two main party leaders, besides frequently visiting Franklin and discussing Mr. President's treatment plan with Washington and others, acted as if nothing had happened.
Philadelphia had been unusually quiet these past few days.
However, those with keen political instincts sensed an unsettling undercurrent in this quietness.
Three days later, although Franklin had regained consciousness, his mobility remained limited. Considering that the nation could not be without a supreme leader for an extended period, the House and Senate, along with major political parties, convened a joint meeting and decided to have Vice President Madison begin acting as President.
In reality, this was merely a formality; the internal operating procedures of the government had already been stipulated when the Constitution was drafted, and no one could possibly object.
However, currently Franklin had only lost his capacity for action, not passed away or suffered an absolute incapacitation, so the titles of President and Vice President remained as they were. Madison merely had the opportunity to sign some documents and preside over some ceremonies on his behalf. Many important powers still could not be changed.
Meanwhile, Dr. Delwen and other top American doctors, after trying mild treatment methods such as exercise therapy and alcohol therapy on Mr. President, had no choice but to declare these methods ineffective. Subsequently, there was a great deal of argument about whether to switch to more aggressive treatment methods.
Previously, considering Franklin's physical condition, all treatment plans were relatively mild. Although they had already put Franklin through a lot, there was no life-threatening danger, but unfortunately, the treatment yielded no results. Some proposed more aggressive treatment plans, such as using certain potent medications, and some even re-proposed bloodletting therapy. Some of these proposals were unsettling just to hear.
At this time, Western medical standards were indeed in a barbaric stage moving towards civilization, with both good and bad practices, and people did not even have a clear understanding.
When Charles heard that a doctor suggested bloodletting therapy, he immediately and firmly opposed it, strictly forbidding it. Jefferson and others, however, were noncommittal. But because Charles also owned some medical institutions and was relatively more persuasive, his opinion was adopted, and the bloodletting therapy plan was abandoned.
Several days of continuous treatment did yield some minor results. Although Franklin still couldn't move, he could already speak a few slurred words. And his first words to Madison, Charles, and others immediately stirred up the Philadelphia political scene, which had been quiet for days.
Many long-prepared figures jumped out to express their opinions and advocate their positions; the entire city of Philadelphia began to surge with activity.
Because Franklin stated that he could not currently fulfill the duties of President, he decided to formally tender his resignation to Congress.
As Speaker of the House, Charles did not immediately propose a vote on Franklin's resignation.
In fact, at this time, neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party, nor the already weakened Federalist Party, after Franklin's announcement, were busy with election preparations and were not immediately concerned about whether to vote.
Because Franklin's Presidential term was already short, his resignation at this time would surely lead Congress, after accepting it, to announce an early general election. Therefore, every political party wanted to be fully prepared when the early general election began. They were already working on nominating their Presidential candidates. The competition in Congress or in the general election would then be led by their party's candidate.
The position of President is one that every political figure desires.
"Gentlemen! This is a rare and excellent opportunity. Madison has to be his Vice President and also act as President, leaving him no time to participate in the election. The Republican Party has many factions, but we, the Democratic Party, can unite with others who oppose the Republican Party, and campaign wholeheartedly. As long as we win this Presidential election, the Democratic Party can achieve true development!" Some well-prepared individuals agitated within the Democratic Party.
"Good! Yes…"
And the people below responded one after another.
As the party leader, Jefferson looked at his party members with great satisfaction.
Perhaps the Democratic Party was not the strongest political party in the United States, but it was definitely the most united. At such a critical moment, with numerous factions within the Republican Party, the Democratic Party stood united and had gained the support of many who opposed the long-term rule of the Republican Party. In this new Presidential election, they indeed had great hopes of winning.
The outcome of the discussion quickly emerged: the Democratic Party unanimously decided to actively participate in the next Presidential election, and their party's candidate would, of course, be Jefferson without any dissent.
To win the election, the Democratic Party issued its first general mobilization order, requiring all party members to take action and contribute ideas and efforts to Jefferson's campaign in all aspects, to secure the ultimate victory in the election.
"For a political party, no matter what, there must be a clear political goal. Although we lack strength, we must still participate in this election. Only by demonstrating our existence in the Presidential election can we ensure that our influence does not disappear. So this time, even if it's just to show our existence, we, the Federalist Party, will still nominate our Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates."
Even the weakened Federalist Party was still actively striving.
Adams, knowing that his own strength was inferior to that of the Republican and Democratic parties, planned to bypass Washington this time and run for President himself. As for the Vice President candidate, he intended to find Victor, a wealthy businessman from the North. This French descendant had great influence among French-American voters. With his political influence and prestige, combined with Victor's massive financial support, he believed that even if it was just to expand influence, significant achievements could be made.
Compared to these two excited political parties, Charles' Republican Party appeared much more chaotic.
Perhaps it was because the Republican Party was truly powerful; there were simply too many influential figures within its ranks. Franklin, Charles, and Madison were the obvious three giants, and there were countless other lesser giants. After Franklin announced his resignation, the Republican Party immediately split into three main opinions. One faction believed that Franklin's presidency should be retained until the next election officially began. They insisted that the resignation should not be approved.
The other two opinions both agreed to Franklin's resignation, but there was great controversy over who should be recommended as the Republican Party's Presidential candidate. One faction naturally believed that Madison should be supported, which was also the most popular proposal with the most supporters at the moment. After all, Madison was not only the legitimate Vice President candidate, but more importantly, he was currently acting as President, effectively holding executive power and wielding immense influence.
Madison was not Franklin; he was decisive in his actions and very focused on government power. Many policies of the former Franklin administration were his arrangements. Many even privately commented that Madison acting as President would be better than Franklin as President, and now that he truly held power, naturally many people flattered him.
However, another faction, because Charles had been slow to express his stance, thought of recommending him as the Republican Party's Presidential candidate.
This matter would naturally have been resolved if Charles had simply refused, but this time, Charles was uncharacteristically silent, and even those around him did not express support or opposition. Although the voice of this faction was not strong, that was only because Charles' confidantes had not yet expressed their views. If it came down to actual strength, this faction was definitely not inferior to Madison's. Indeed, if Charles himself expressed a willingness to run, many who originally supported Madison might change their stance and support their party leader.
In reality, Charles himself was very hesitant at the moment, unsure whether to actually run for election.
Originally, he had decided to team up with Madison as President and Vice President, and then, after Madison stepped down, he would naturally run for President. However, Madison's decisive style after acting as President recently caused him great concern.
Mr. Madison, a lawyer by training, was not the benevolent Mr. Franklin. He was very concerned about the distribution of power, and if he still tried to pull strings from behind the scenes, it would certainly incur his displeasure. Even if he didn't pull strings, his immense power could still arouse Madison's apprehension, and he might proactively move to completely eliminate Charles' influence at any time.
It was precisely because of this concern that Charles was indecisive.