Minding The Border: A New Administration

It's been a few years since we spoke to our neighbors across the river (The Mississippi River). Prime Minister Katherine Anne Morgan was elected to a second 6 year term in 2020 and we were able to catch up with her at Capital District South, commonly called Reno, Nevada.

CG: Madame Prime Minister, congratulations on winning a second term. You may know that we had an election of our own recently. 

KM: Is that what you call that farce. We actually have to campaign to get elected around here.

CG: I take it congratulations will not be forthcoming for President Biden?

KM: There will not. The man has the personality of a rock. To be fair, I did not offer any congratulations to President Trump, either. When you have been in a semi-state of war since 1887 it's hard to keep up pleasantries.

CG: So what is the current state of relations between the United States and the Republic of Ansdale?

KM: We have been on high alert since the election. We have mobilized along our southern border since mister Biden has rolled out his welcome mat to our southern neighbors. If they want to flood into Florida, so be it, but the Republic has rules.

CG: How has the Republic handled COVID?

KM: Very well. We are open for business. The good thing about the West is that we have an abundance of the things that make for good health. Fresh air, wide open spaces, moderate population. The scientific prescription for good health. Lockdowns and isolation do not make for vitality. Otherwise the elderly would be the picture of health. They tend to be frail, however.

CG: So my vacation in the Republic is on?

KM: You are coming from the United States, so I assume you have a visa?.

CG: I prefer Master Card. In all seriousness I haven't needed anything but a Passport before.

KM: That's before your president took actions against our pipeline with Canada. We now require Visa's for entry and our Congress is considering the request of the Hawaiian King to expel the United States from Joint Base Pearl Harbor.

CG: Maybe I should cancel my vacation on account of impending war. 

KM: (laughs) War, hardly. Just some harmless sabre rattling. The Royal Family is rightfully upset about the foreign interference with our pipeline. The are reliant upon imported oil for the islands needs. At least until they figure out how to harness a volcano or run things on lava. Our Congress is more than capable of stretching the debate out for eternity, and the King will cool down. We should be back to normal in a few months. I would lay a significant bet on it at one of our casinos. If you wait a few months you may not need a visa either. Just because we separated in 1875 doesn't mean the United States doesn't need us to survive. They just need to be taught that again every so often. 

CG: Then I shall wait. I have enough news to occupy our people for a while. See you in September, perhaps. Prime Minister Morgan, I thank you for your time.

Character Interview: Rachel Semmes

Sometimes you just have to take one for the team. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. We are interviewing Rachel Semmes today, and as things go we were forced to conduct our interview on the Island of Oahu, in the Kingdom of Hawaii. I know, the trials we must endure.

One of the trials is that we had to do the interview at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, instead of, say, Diamond Head. It has also taken us six years to get the interview, the result of red tape at the public affairs office. That has been a blessing in disguise. I was all set to interview Lieutenant-Commander Rachel Semmes, Captain of The R.N.S. Prince Maksutov and architect of the Pacific Alliance. However, my interview today is in the office of the Commanding Officer of PACCOM, Rear Admiral Rachel Semmes. And while a bunch of you will be shocked that there is a woman in this high position here in the year 1881, I'll have to revive some of you when I tell you that she is not yet thirty. And while a rear admiral is the equivalent of a one or two star general, and I have already interviewed a three star in General John Lee Anderson, it always sounds much cooler to be Admiral.

• CG: Admiral Semmes, thank you for the interview. Would you mind introducing yourself to my readers.
• RS: I would be glad to. My name is Rachel Semmes, I'm twenty-eight years old and have been in the Republican Navy for the past six years. Mobile born and bred. And I am the favorite niece of my Uncle Rafe.
• CG: There is so much to follow up here. First of all, Uncle Rafe?
• RS: That would be Admiral Raphael Semmes, commander of the C.S.S. Alabama during the last war.
• CG: I guess Naval greatness is in the blood.
• RS: Our initials are both RS, so that's something as well. Honestly, until I was given command of the Prince Maksutov I never commanded any more than a rowboat.
• CG: That would seem to lead to the next question. From civilian to Admiral in six years. Was everyone in the Republican Navy afraid of your uncle.
• RS: I wish. Most of them never heard of him. There aren't many naval historians in the West. I owe most of my success to the Pacific Alliance. 
• CG: So no great Naval Battles to speak of?
• RS: I didn't say that. The Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 got The United States in the door with the Hawaiian Government, and then war broke out. And now we wanted to establish a base there, and have refueling rights. We knew that Grant wanted to establish a base there, and we needed to get there first. The Prince Maksutov held her ground against a better armed American Ship, and when they broke off to regroup we pulled out our ace. We had a handful of torpedoes. 
• CG: A torpedo. How did that work.
• RS: It wasn't easy. You have to put them in the water and launch them manually, so we had to set out the lifeboats. The federals thought we were abandoning ship and so never reacted until it was too late.
• CG: The press probably had a great time reporting that.
• RS: Yes, we were a bunch of pirates who launched a cowardly attack on an innocent party. Massacre and all that. But the end result is, Hawaii is ours.
• CG: And the Pacific Alliance?
• RS: There are four members at present. Us, Hawaii, Russia and New Zealand. We have entertained a Russian Vessel but that is the extent of their aid. I think we are still on our own. I will not be holding my breath for a Russian Fleet.
• CG: Have you gotten any advice from your uncle.
• RS: After I got my command I asked his advice. He said do not seek a fight. The federals will find me soon enough. But if I am forced to fight do not spare any cannon. It is better to go down to the sea in defeat than to surrender.
• CG: With the war and all the activity with the alliance, have you had any chance at having a personal life.
• RS: Prime Minister Davis eldest son, James, has recently begun courting me in earnest. He is a nice man, but I am still not sure if it is proper.
• CG: Is he your subordinate?
• RS: Everyone is your subordinate when you're the admiral. He is not directly, though. He is a clerk, not in active operations. He is the same age as I, so that helps somewhat.
• CG: You said you were mobile born and bred. Was your home like Sauf Asir.
• RS: I wish. I wasn't born into such riches.
• CG: One last thing. Since you are Minister of The Navy, are there anything new in the war effort going on?
• RS: I will give your readers a scoop. The engineers over at Fort Bering are working on perfecting the idea of an armed submersible craft. Now that we have working torpedoes the time seems right. There will be no repeat of a Hunley Disaster.
• CG: Minister Semmes, I thank you for your time.

The Grand Tour: The Pacific Alliance

With the War just beginning our grand tour is going to take a bit of a detour. And to a land of a bit warmer weather. 

It takes allies to win a war. From the moment the first shot was fired at Fort Leavenworth it was obvious that the new Republic was in over its head. To win the war all that was needed would be to outlast the resolve of the United States. To win the peace they would have to destroy the East's will to fight.

The path to victory in both respects is charted by Rachel Semmes, the niece of Raphael Semmes, Captain of the C.S.S. Alabama. The path is called The Pacific Alliance.

The Capital of the Pacific Alliance was the Kingdom of Hawaii from its founding through the Pineapple War. Once the war was won by the Republic and Hawaii and Queen Liliuokalani's reign was secured, the capital was integrated with Republican government functions at Reno. From 1893 to 1941 only PACCOM was centered at Pearl Harbor Naval Base. In addition to The Republic of Ansdale and The Kingdom of Hawaii, charter members of the alliance included New Zealand, Canada and Russia. As the alliance grew, new members joined, including Australia, China and Japan.

The prime doctrine of the alliance is mutual defense and aid of fellow members, though all members also agree to provide.

1. Open Ports of Call for member nations, especially to provide safe haven during times of war and other periods of instability.
2. Reciprocity concerning Letters of Marque and Reprisal for all member nations, and the establishing of maritime or admiralty courts in every major port.
3. Diplomatic exchange among the member nations.

The three requirements benefit the Republic almost exclusively, however, they alone, with some small help from Russia bear the military side of the agreement. There is no Hawaiian or New Zealand navy at present.

Despite its diverse membership, the alliance survives. There have been challenges however. The Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in its expulsion from the alliance, however, it was readmitted when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor Naval Base, at the time jointly manned by the Republic of Ansdale and The United States of America and followed it up with an invasion of China and Australia. Japan was expelled at that time and was not readmitted until sometime after the wars end.

Next time we will talk with the architect of the Pacific Alliance, Rachel Semmes.