Chapter 212: Chapter 188: The Society Without Kim

Columbia, Federal District, the United States of America
September 21st, 1834

"We, the members of the Society, do swear that the knowledge given to us will not be used to hinder or corrupt the American Republic, nor ignored to repeat the mistakes of old. As our name dictates, we will remain as Watchers of the United States of America and strive to not only improve the ideals, knowledge, and people of this nation, but every nation on this Earth, in private, to the best of our abilities. Ex Scientia Pax ("From Knowledge, Peace" in Latin)."

"Please be seated," President Eliyah Peters stated as he looked at the occupants of the White House bunker after the "Oath of Knowledge." The president looked haggard, but his voice still maintained its edge of steel despite his appearance., "The war is nearly over, gentlemen. We must decide the final steps to end this war for good and ensure that this affair is never repeated in the future."

Nearly every single member of the Watchmen Society, except for military officers, were present in the White House. The bunker had been expanded during President Peters' terms and was able to fit one hundred and twenty-two people that were present for the meeting comfortably. This was only the third time that the majority of the Society had been assembled during the war, as the war had kept every Society member busy with various projects and tasks. Now, with the war reaching its end, the members were gathered to discuss their plans for the final actions of the war and the war's aftermath.

President Peters, like many members of the group, looked as though he aged two decades in four years. He was merely forty-four years old, yet he looked older than Samuel Kim before he passed. Likewise, much of President Peters' cabinet looked like they were ready for retirement from the stress accumulated from the painful and brutal war.

"As planned, we're allowing the remnants of the Alliance armies to retreat into New Orleans and flee into the Gulf of Mexico. It's been much easier to pick off Alliance ships and transports as the evacuation efforts are in one area," Secretary of Defense Lucius Bonapart mentioned, his grey hair glowing in the soft light of the kerosene lamps on the table. "Since they have an escape avenue, many of the remaining Alliance soldiers on the front lines have been much more willing to retreat than stand their ground and continue fighting. Though, surrenders are a bit... less common than they were before."

"I say that it serves them right. Bastards should be thankful we're accepting surrenders at all," Tsoai, the Congressional Representative of the Kiowa Territory and a member of the Kiowa Tribe, answered with a snort. "None of our tribal members have been willing to accept the surrenders of those savages out in the west. Not after they burned several villages and murdered thousands. And the British and their puppets have done much more terrible things to the south..."

"They will be prosecuted as enemy combatants, as I have mentioned before," President Peters reassured the Native American representative with a tired smile.

"Mark those British-aligned savages up for treason against the United States."

"We are straying off-topic. I believe we should focus on the raid on the British Isles since we are merely mopping up the Alliance forces in the Americas," Secretary Bonapart interjected.

On that note, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Jacob Brown cleared his throat, "The "Doolittle Raid" is on track to happen within a month. As planned, we will bombard any and all British ports, shipyards, and naval facilities, while also striking fear in the heart of the British Empire by hitting London. Of course, as President Peters requested, we will avoid hitting civilian targets..."

"I would like to ask why we are not seizing the opportunity to burn their cities as they have burned ours. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are dead and yet, we are to show restraint?" Marcus Tailor, a wealthy African American businessman from Alabama, asked heatedly, "They have nothing to counter our ironclads and metal warships. Now is the chance to completely strike down the British Empire and ensure that it will never be able to spread its wings in the future!"

There were some murmurs of agreements, but most of the other Society members remained silent. President Peters held up his right hand and frowned, "Do remember that I was not the only person to make that request. It was a request made specifically by our late president and Society's founder Samuel Kim."

"And he's dead, because the damn Tories shot him!"

"Regardless, it was his final request to us." The president pulled out a sheet of paper and placed a pair of glasses on his nose to read the content of the paper.

"To the United States and all her free citizens,

If this letter has been made public, then I am dead.

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However, while this may cause panic and disarray, I ask that the people of the United States continue on with their lives, because I was merely one man in a nation of millions. This nation was not built by me, but by everyone within the nation. It was due to the efforts and trust of the American people that I was able to guide the American Republic in its earliest days, and I ask that the American people continue to guide it to its fullest potential even after my death.

I wrote this letter to address the issues that the United States may face in the near and far future. I do not demand these requests be met, but I simply ask that the United States, a beacon of liberty in this dark world, to take these requests into careful consideration before making rash judgments. Rash judgments that can possibly derail the progress our nation has built up over the past several decades and lead it down a dark path which it may never truly escape from.

I ask that the nation show restraint in its revenge against the nations of the Alliance. An eye for an eye seems like a fair trade, but eventually, it will make the whole world go blind. The Alliance has committed unspeakable atrocities on the American people, but we must realize that we must not stoop to their levels. We must prove to the world, and ourselves, that we are willing to follow our standards and ideals even in the face of darkness. That does not mean revenge should not be enacted upon those that have destroyed the lives of our fellow Americans; the British and her allies should pay dearly for attacking our nation. However, we should never purposely target civilians in our efforts for revenge. Attacking military targets is valid during a war, but attacking civilians in an effort to break our enemies' resolve will only harden it and make their people despise us for generations. Instead, destroy the symbols of their power and their wealth. Make them realize that attacking the United States was their greatest mistake in their histories, and we will prove to the world that we are steadfast and just.

Remember to treat others equally and fairly, regardless of gender, race, or beliefs. Our nation's greatest strength is our diversity, our ability to integrate those that are persecuted, outcasted, and oppressed. While many nations neglect a large source of manpower, intellectualism, and potential, our nation has been able to rely on every citizen within the American Republic to contribute to our society. Males and females both study in universities and become scientists and researchers to produce better technology for our nation. Whites, Blacks, Canadiens, Asians, and Native Americans are all able to serve as officers in our military without any bias towards a certain race. Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and Buddhists are able to hold political office without fear of being persecuted or neglected due to their religious beliefs. We must maintain this trend, for this is the core of our republic: that any American, regardless of their background, physical appearance, or beliefs, can succeed and thrive in our nation.

This devastating war should not be blamed solely on our military or the government. Our nation, as a whole, prepared for this conflict as quickly and as efficiently as it could. Unfortunately, due to a combination of misfortune and ill-preparations, the United States was invaded and many lives were lost in a ruinous struggle that nearly tore our nation apart. It can not be denied that the federal government made a number of mistakes which caused the invasion to occur. However, I request that the public maintain its faith in the government, as, despite its shortcomings, it will do everything it can to rebuild the nation and restore the public's trust in its legislators. Do keep in mind that the men and women within the government are all humans. None of them are perfect, nor do we truly expect them to be perfect. Like many Americans, they also struggled to keep the nation afloat and to defeat the greatest threat that the United States has ever witnessed in its short history. Some even lost their lives due to the war, as they worked tirelessly at the expense of their own health in order to keep the nation united. I do not expect every American to forgive the mistakes that the government has made. But I sincerely hope that the government's efforts and heroics can also be recognized alongside its mistakes.

Do not allow the parties to become divisive tools to fracture our nation. Political parties will always exist, but do not be blinded by party loyalties. Instead, look carefully at the positions and policies of every candidate and choose the most qualified and articulate ones. In the end, if the people worship parties, then it will only lead to uncontrollable corruption and a collapse of the Republic.

Finally, I ask the American people to remember that in the end, we are all Americans. A person living in California has a radically different life than a person living in Quebec. However, we are united under one flag, one nation, one federal government, and one Constitution. Perhaps it is too early for the United States to truly realize that it is one nation with multiple states, instead of multiple states with one nation. However, I do believe that one day, in the near future, the nation will become "the" United States. Even if this idea is not prevalent as of now, I ask that the American people do their best to help support the reconstruction of the southern states after the war's end, and push America to a better tomorrow.

For the public, I have left $5 million to the federal government to rebuild the American South and ensure that the American people are taken care of even after my passing. I have also left a sizeable amount of funds to start the charity group, "The Watchmen Charity Foundation," supported by many influential Americans to help uplift the poor and ensure that no American goes hungry or cold. Additionally, I have left aside more money to continue funding the tributary mission to China, in hopes that one day, our two nations will become the strongest allies.

With a heavy heart, I give my final farewell to the United States of America. May the nation, and its people, prosper for thousands of years to come.

Samuel Anyoung Kim."

"We have read the letter, but even still..." Tailor said weakly.

"No. We will proceed with the original plan for the Doolittle Raid. Even if we leave Britain behind in a sea of fire... Will that bring back the thousands that are dead? No, it will not. Instead, it will only galvanize the monarchies of the world that our republic is a threat, and create a very dangerous precedent for future generations to follow. Imagine if this precedent continues when the United States builds nuclear weapons," President Peters declared, "We are not only doing this for the current generation but for future generations."

"The Southern states will try to impeach you, sir. Remember, we have allowed the states affected by the invasion to still maintain their Congressional representatives until elections can be held," Senate Majority Leader Luke Simmons uttered.

"Let them damn try, I'll go down fighting. We will not burn down Britain. Is that understood?"

A few Society members looked defiant, but they all assented. Due to the death of Samuel Kim, the leadership of the Society naturally moved to the President, though there were disagreements if this was the right choice. For now, President Peters was the head of the Society and while the Society voted on several matters, military and government affairs remained separate from the Society.

"Now, we will discuss the economic issues and then move onto the official wording of the peace deal. Secretary Lloyd, I heard that the first oil wells have been opened in Pennsylvania to support the growth of the kerosene lamps. Would that improve our economic situation after the war's end? After all, petroleum oil was referred to as "black gold" in the other world..."

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