Charles gently tossed the invitation onto the table.
"Hmph! Now that he's the interim President, he's not even willing to visit me personally, only sending someone to deliver an invitation."
In truth, he was just saying it; he didn't really mind such formalities. He also happened to have some matters he needed to discuss with Madison to understand them clearly. So, he told the messenger to inform Madison that he would pay him a visit when it was convenient.
The meeting with Madison was scheduled for two days later.
When Charles arrived at the Presidential Residence, he was slightly surprised to find that Franklin's family still lived there. The old President was sunbathing on the residence's lawn, and Madison, who usually appeared as a strong personality, was also sitting nearby, chatting with Franklin with great interest.
"Good afternoon, Mr. President. May this warm sunshine forever illuminate the great Presidents of our United States," Charles greeted with a smile, his expression completely normal.
Madison had been working at the Presidential Residence these past few days, naturally seeing Franklin daily. Charles, however, had been busy with Republican Party affairs and aid to France, and hadn't visited Franklin in some time.
He had originally thought that since Madison had begun working at the Presidential Residence, he would have sent the stroke-afflicted Franklin back to his own home. He hadn't expected him to be sensible enough to let Franklin continue living at the residence. This unknowingly removed several excuses Charles had prepared to use against Madison.
"May good health always be with you, our Honorable Speaker!"
"Good afternoon, Charles!"
Madison and Franklin also responded with smiles; Madison's greeting was more formal, while Franklin's seemed more casual.
"Benjamin, your voice is much more fluent; it seems you're recovering very well!" Charles merely nodded to Madison but was exceptionally warm towards Franklin, using his usual informal address.
Franklin heard Charles' words but sighed, smiling a little helplessly.
"Now my whole body can't move, only my mouth can speak. I'm not a quiet person, so after talking non-stop these past few days, how could it not be fluent?"
Charles was quite pleased that Franklin still had the humor to joke.
Generally, if an elderly person has a stroke, most become irritable, which is not beneficial for him or those around him. For Franklin to be so cheerful now is not only good for him but also saves a lot of trouble for those around him. Charles wasn't afraid of Franklin losing his temper with him, but a long illness wears out a caregiver's patience, and if a patient is unwell and ill-tempered for a long time, it makes those who care about him unwilling to interact. Now that Franklin is happy, those who visit him are also happy, and naturally more willing to visit him.
"If you want to talk to someone, I imagine it would be an honor for whoever it is. After all, for someone as learned and talented as you, every word and every sentence is an immense treasure for future scholars," Charles flattered him.
In fact, he thought the same thing internally.
Franklin was not only a statesman but also a great scientist and philosopher. If Franklin could write a few books after his stroke to educate future generations, Charles was certain that the merit of these books would be no less than his achievements as President.
Madison, who was nearby, naturally wouldn't let Charles be the only one to speak well, and also praised with a smile:
"Indeed, many people now know that the President is ill, and many Americans have traveled great distances to visit. They all consider it an honor to be able to speak a few words with Benjamin!"
Franklin didn't expose Charles and Madison's flattery. He smiled and changed the subject, pulling Charles and Madison to reminisce about some events during the war of Independence.
But he was, after all, an old man and had suffered a stroke. He was already a little tired after chatting with Madison for a while, and now after a few more words with Charles, he felt a bit overwhelmed. He could only ask a servant to carry him, chair and all, into the inner room to rest.
After Franklin went inside, Charles looked at Madison, who had not followed him in.
"Our esteemed Mr. President Madison, how has the taste of being President these past few days been?"
"Haha! Charles, we are old friends, and jokes like that are meaningless. You know, for me, the position of Mr. President is not important. I just want to do some things that need to be done. The taste of the Presidential throne, I think, is only fatigue and bitterness." Madison's face, however, held a slightly bitter smile.
"Oh?" Charles also smiled, making no secret of the doubt in his tone.
The Madison described in history books seemed like a good person, but history books tend to idealize successful politicians. And judging by Madison's recent conflicts of interest with himself, at least this Madison was not a saint willing to sacrifice himself.
"Charles, these are my sincere words. You should know about some of the arrangements I've made recently. The country has just been established, various laws and regulations are still incomplete, and various long-term development plans have not yet been formulated. I've already arranged for many of these overdue matters to be addressed recently, and I believe that with just a little more time, results will emerge and can be formally submitted to Congress for discussion," Madison explained nonchalantly.
Hearing his statement, Charles felt a certain agreement. What Madison was doing recently was indeed a far-sighted approach. If Madison were to truly settle into the Presidential position, he would probably achieve many political successes. However, as a politician, Charles would naturally not abandon his own rights simply because his opponent was talented. Charles was not that great; if he could win the Presidential throne himself, he wouldn't yield the position to someone else just because of their outstanding talent.
Madison said he had no ambition for the Mr. President position. Was he being overly sensitive? Had he been in politics for too long and become corrupted, somewhat obsessed with power? But even if he might be corrupted, had Madison always been so aloof? Once such a strong personality firmly held the Mr. President's throne, he might very well find his fate entirely in his hands.
Although Charles was swayed by Madison's words, his conviction remained firm. Since he had already begun preparing to contend with Madison for the next Presidential election, he naturally wouldn't stop midway. Therefore, he didn't dwell on that issue and directly brought up the reason he had been invited there.
"Mr. President, you invited me here this time regarding aid to France. Are there any new arrangements?"
"Oh! Right." Madison nodded, "I almost forgot the main business. Charles, the French Ambassador mentioned last time that you plan to increase the collateral for France's bank loans. I'm not privy to the details, so I had to ask you. Do you have any special arrangements? If not, suddenly raising their loan collateral ratio probably wouldn't be very good for American interests in France, would it?"
"Haha! Mr. President, please rest assured, I do indeed have other arrangements. As for the true objective, the time is already ripe, and I can now release some rumors. I simply hope that the French will mortgage Louisiana as collateral for their loans," Charles said with a smile.
He had indeed already released rumors before arriving at the Presidential Residence, stating that the additional collateral he intended to demand from the French was Louisiana. This way, when Louisiana was acquired in the future, the political credit would be attributed to him.
"Mortgage Louisiana?" Madison was also greatly moved.
He naturally had no reason to object to such an arrangement that benefited the country, but he still hesitated and said:
"The French probably won't agree! After all, this is their largest Colony in America. Once mortgaged to us, it would essentially mean it falls permanently into our United States territory. They should be able to see that, shouldn't they? Besides, even if it's a mortgage, Louisiana is worth at least tens of millions of pounds, and we can't possibly provide that much material to the French, can we?"
"Mr. President, during the last war between France and England, the French once mortgaged Louisiana to Spain, so this should not be a problem politically. As for the value issue you mentioned, I believe the French should also understand that our current military material support to them is absolutely priceless. Compared to the distant Louisiana and the firearms in hand, I believe they will choose the latter," Charles replied calmly.
He naturally understood that getting the French to mortgage Louisiana would certainly not be that simple, but France now indeed had reasons to mortgage it, so the possibility of success was very high.
This matter concerned the interests of the entire nation, so Madison naturally couldn't easily agree. For the remainder of their time, the two discussed many specific issues.