The Rangers Are Coming (24 page)

              “Our plan is for Thomas to introduce his Declaration of Independence document and have in adopted by the Congress.  Next, John and Ben will present the new and revised constitution.  We don’t see any significant difficulties in getting it adopted.  As you know we are transforming the biggest plantations in the south to adopting the Foundation plan, so the new constitution says that all slavery will be abolished in the United States in 20 years.”

              “About the time the Congress is considering the new Constitution, they are going to receive word that Washington’s Rangers have taken Quebec and broken the back of British Control in Canada.  You leaders can then propose that Canada be included in the new United States, and to suggest that in order for the United States to be permanently secure it should annex Mexico, and Central America.

              “Our navy is already moving ships into the Caribbean to seize Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico from the Spanish.  We are certain that by the time we get to actually occupying these islands, the people, the enemy soldiers and the governments will be terrified when they hear the words, ‘The Rangers are Coming’.”

              “My belief is when Congress gets it into their head that the United States is going to suddenly become the largest country in the world, they will jump at the opportunity.  We bring Washington back from wherever he is at the time and conduct a national election this fall with him as the first President.”

              “This will substantially complete Phase 1 of our overhaul of American history and set the country on the road to saving the 150 million people in 2025.

              “I gather,” said Ben Franklin that we are not out of the woods yet for the far future.  I need to ask you Arcadia, how long are we going to be blessed with your leadership?”

              “Only God knows the answer to that question.  He can jerk me back to my own time whenever he likes.  However, I know there are a bunch of major issues that need to be faced over the next hundred or so years.  I think he will keep me here for at least that long.  One thing I know for sure.  He doesn’t intend for me to take a public part in this process.”

              The Second Congressional Congress convened on May 10, 1776.  All of the original delegates were there.  They came in in high spirits and full of confidence.  These were not doubting leaders scared to death of the British Army.  In many of their colonies, British officials had simply been rounded up and sent to holding camps to await shipping back to England.  All of them knew that Washington had unleashed a modern and highly effective army.  They were very curious about how that was accomplished without the knowledge of any of them.

              Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and Hamilton pulled out the first ad, published in 1770, calling for brave men for a dangerous mission to explore the lands to the west.  As Adams said, “We all knew then it was inevitable that the colonies would eventually turn on the British and declare for independence.  Therefore, we recruited an elite force of men, called the Rangers, and spent five years training them.  We also developed somewhat better weapons.  All of you can see the results of that training.  The British are finished in America.  It’s time for us to declare our independence.  Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Franklin have prepared such a document.  Copies are on your desk before you, and I now ask the Chairman of the Congress to permit Mr. Jefferson to read this Declaration of Independence to the delegates.”

              “Without objection,” said John Hancock, “Mr. Jefferson can proceed.”

              The document clearly stated the grievances of the colonies, which were not in question, and since the colonies had already done something radical about it, the delegates sent back word to their colonial assemblies for approval.  Arcadia was not particularly surprised to find that the document was approved on July 4, 1776.

              In the middle of this debate came the startling news that Washington’s Rangers had conquered Quebec and had defeated all the British forces stationed in Canada.  Washington sent his recommendation Canada be included in the new United States.

              It now became very obvious the new country needed a new governing document, given the new realities, and its vast expansion.  Adams and Jefferson led the Congress through the logic of what such a document should include and day by day, introduced portions of the constitution to the delegates.

              Everyone was holding their breath for the debate from the southern states over their slaves, but Henry Lee, one of the leading plantation owners in Virginia surprised the Congress by saying that the new Foundation system was a great success and that the House of Burgesses of Virginia had voted to abolish slavery, and close their ports to the importation of more slaves.  One by one, many of the leading plantation owners in Georgia, North and South Carolina said they had been contacted by a very persuasive young woman who proved to them the new system was clearly an improvement.  That part of the constitution sailed through with very little debate.

              A new dispatch arrived, saying that the American Navy had captured New Orleans, and sunk over 100 French and Spanish warships.  The word was spreading throughout the Caribbean it was inevitable that the invincible Rangers were going to be invading in the near future, and without firing a shot, the French, British and Spanish were evacuating all their citizens and business interests from everywhere in the Caribbean. 

              The Mexican people, long oppressed by the Spanish began a revolution of their own, and were getting a great deal of help from elements of the Ranger brigade who dumbstruck both the Spanish and the Mexicans by employing a large variety of very lethal weapons.  Ranger units were marching onto Mexico and slaughtering the remaining Spanish army and their entire government infrastructure.  The Mexicans were clearly frightened of the powerful Rangers, but hailed them as their deliverers.

              The Constitution, which was already popular with the majority of delegates, began to take a back seat to the reality of what kind of United States Washington’s army was carving out.

              Arcadia and the other leaders waited for this moment to arrive and unveiled a new and very accurate map of what this huge new country would look like.  It had all the states in mostly their same familiar places with a very large state in place of North and South Dakota, and half of Nebraska.  In fact, Nebraska didn’t exist at all.  Its southern half was now all Kansas.  The states of Canada were the same, and the large districts of Mexico given state names.  No new names were selected for the other central American countries and they were designated as states on their own.

              The Continental Congress looked in wonder at the new country.  Jefferson made it clear that the native American tribes would have full citizenship and that the state “Sioux”, would enclose all of the plains Indian tribes.  Other, smaller tribes were given sovereignty over large counties within states.  He said simply, “We said in our documents that all men are created equally and are endowed by God with rights.  If we are to be true to this creed, than we must include all people currently in the United States as we are creating, whether they are black, brown or oriental.”

              The Second Continental Congress adopted the entire new Constitution and the colonial assemblies ratified the new law of the land.

              The new states might be almost devoid of population, but they existed.  The next step was to start filling them up.  Arcadia began her plan of dealing with the rest of the world on what would be the new order of life on earth.

                                                                  
23

Montreal, Canada

Staff Sergeant Robby Pierce dozed as he rode in one of the Chinooks on the long ride to Mexico, and reflected on the recent Canadian campaign.  He’d distinguished himself in the battle for Quebec city.  The Rangers had finally faced an enemy where they were not supported by the majority of local population.  The French Canadians were very independent and didn’t like anybody except their own kind.  General Washington attempted to negotiate with the city of Montreal itself.  He sent in some emissaries to the city walls.  Robby was watching guard from cover.  As the emissaries approach under a white flag, Robby spotted a man with a musket aiming at the leader.  He quickly took aim and shot the man.  Washington withdrew the peace party and ordered in the Bradley’s and the Humvees with ground support from the Rangers.  The battle was soon over as the Canadians surrendered and signaled they wanted to talk.  This time they came to Washington.

              “Your people tried to kill my negotiator under a flag of truce,” said Washington.  Your city has paid the price.  I will now tell you what my emissary was going to say and then you decide what you want to do.”

              “As you no doubt know, the British army in the colonies has been defeated.  We will establish our own nation and we would like for that nation to include Canada.  We are kindred spirits with much in common and a large trade business.  You can choose to disengage from the British and join us.  You’ll have your own states in which you will have religious freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to petition the government for grievances, the right to trial by a jury of your peers, and the freedom to hold and keep arms.  You have much to gain by being a part of the United States.  We offer you protection from enemies, peace with the Indians and free trade.”

              “Who protects us from you,” said the Canadian with a heavy French accent?

              “Our new government is based on the principle it governs by the consent of the governed…the people.  All power is derived from that principle.  You will elect representatives to come to the Capitol, where you will have the same say as the other states.  All of this is contained in our new Constitution.  I have a copy of it here.  Perhaps you can take it, study and share it with your officials and make a decision.”

              The Canadian took the papers and said, “We will consider your offer and give you our answer afterward.”

              “Thank you for coming.  We regret the loss of life and property you have experienced.  The Rangers are a formidable fighting force”

              “Like nothing anyone has ever seen.”

“It was built to defeat the British, the French and the Spanish, not our friends in Canada.  If you have 30 strong men 18-22 years old, we would be happy to recruit them and possibly make them Rangers.  I need to tell you that our standards are quite high and not all who volunteer are able to qualify.”

              “That is the most generous offer you’ve made so far,” said the Canadian.  “We will consider all you have said.”  He walked out of the tent.

              Robby was summoned by Washington and was waiting while the General gave his speech. “You wanted to see me, General.  Are we going to do that…recruit more Rangers?”

              “We’re going to form a second brigade.  We believe the European powers may try to form an alliance and mount some kind of attack.”

              “They would be foolish to attempt such a thing.”

              “We’re spread pretty thin.  We have no Rangers at all on the west coast and the British have a fortress in Vancouver.  They could cause a lot of trouble before we got them stopped.”

              “Hasn’t our reputation gone ahead of us,” said Robby. 

              “Oh yes,” said Washington, “the Spanish army ran away across the Rio Grande as soon as they heard the Rangers were coming.  Just the mention of our name causes people to quake in their boots.  Of course we had just sunk their entire grand fleet.”

              “I wanted to thank you for saving my officer on that parley,” said Washington, “How did you spot him?”

  “His was the only rifle over the wall.  It wasn’t very hard.”

“We are pushing into Mexico.  The Spanish are withdrawing to a strong fort in Veracruz.  I want you to take two squads of men, and a Humvee and take them out.  The best outcome would be to negotiate as I have just done with the Canadians.  Of course you are going to have to deal with the Spanish first.”

“Twenty men and one Humvee, against a whole fortified city,” said Robby with a raise in his brows.

“Most of their firepower is pointed out to sea.  I think you can sneak into the city and capture their commander and his command.  Cut off the head of the snake and the troops will not be very effective.”

“We’ll give it a go, General.”

“Thank you, Robby,” said Washington.  “Pick good men.”

“There’s none better than Willis’ soldiers.  I’ll have him pick me 20 mighty warriors.  Of course, he’ll insist on going with me.”

“Start your Chinook hops as soon as you’re ready.  I’ll make the arrangements.”  Washington picked up a radio off the desk and handed it to him.  “Stay in touch by radio.  This one has an extra circuit that will allow you to contact central headquarters and me.”

“Guess I’ll be able to use the Spanish I’ve learned,” said Robby.

“Good luck, Sergeant,” said Washington shaking Robby’s hand.

When Robby found Willis camped at the edge of Quebec city, he was sitting in a chair under the tent flag of his Humvee.  The rest of his men were scattered around some tents they’d erected and there were several fires burning.

“Ah, the great and terrible “Hawkeye,”” said Willis, using Robby’s code and nick name as he walked up.”

“Greetings, my friend,” said Robby, “Just been talking with General Washington.  He wants me to take 20 mean men and capture a whole city in Mexico.”

“I know we’re getting quite a reputation,” said Willis, “but don’t you think the General might be reaching a little on this one.”

“It’s a smash and dash.  We sneak into a town called Veracruz.  It’s a Spanish strongpoint, but most of the defenses point out to sea.  Our job is to break into the Command Center, or whatever it is and take out the senior Spanish Officers.  The General thinks without someone to give them orders the soldiers will surrender.”