Falling Through Time: Basking in Firelight: Book 2

Diametrically Opposed

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Warnings: None

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Everyone looked around at each other, unsure of exactly how to start this off. The only people that did know were at the head of the table and knew that as soon as someone said something, chaos would descend, so they were in no rush to start it themselves. Except maybe Hamilton. He was organizing his papers, getting ready to go when Burr said from across the room, "Why don't we just reestablish the old Constitution?"

"Are you fucking insane?" Hamilton gawked. "How do you think we ended up here in the first place? The first form of government didn't work so what do we do? Oh, let's do the same fucking thing over again."

Burr glared at Hamilton, "Sounds kinda familiar, doing things over."

"It's exactly what mankind does with everything else. Oh, a natural disaster just destroyed this town. Let's build it back in the exact same spot only bigger!" Laurens said.

"Okay, back on track then," Monroe spoke up, "Maybe that is all we need, a do-over. The Constitution worked well for two hundred and thirty plus years. Of course, we can add modifications."

"So this can all happen again in another two hundred years? If we keep going through a total national collapse, the nation is gonna get ripped apart and sold to the highest bidder. China probably," Hamilton countered. "We can't go through a revolution every two hundred years."

"The Constitution is outdated and was never perfect anyway. The founding fathers knew it, and that's why it was expected to go through a change every one hundred or so years, likely through a revolution like the one we just went through," Jefferson said.

"What're you trying to say, Jefferson?" Hamilton asked.

"*We may consider each generation a distinct nation, with a right, by the will of its majority, to bind themselves, but none to bind the succeeding generation, more than the inhabitants of another country,*" Jefferson explained.

"Dear God, you sound like you're from the 1700's," a man from Virginia complained. "English, please."

Jefferson rubbed his temples, this was going to be a long day. "I'm saying that if future generations decide that a revolution is necessary, that's not our place to call. We'll be dead, we can't possibly know what's best for a time we'll never experience."

Burr, Hamilton, Washington, and Jefferson all shared a look like they all weren't living in a time they should never have experienced.

"So you're suggesting a revolution every couple hundred years is a good thing?" Burr asked.

"*The spirit of resistance to government is valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive,*" Jefferson stated. "It makes corruption harder and less likely to happen."

"This is getting us nowhere. We're here to build a government for the people right now. We can bicker about how to make it flexible later. We need foundations, framework," Washington said, trying to steer everyone back on track. "Hamilton, if you think we shouldn't reestablish the old Constitution, what would you suggest instead?"

"A strong, central government with the power to lead the people and unify them as one," Hamilton replied.

"And take the power away from the people?" Madison asked, "that's exactly what got us into this mess." Before Hamilton could respond, Madison pressed on. "Jefferson and I have discussed outlines for a new government at length, late into the night on several occasions. I suggest we separate the powers even more. We started out with four branches of government, the Legislative, the Executive, the Judicial, and the States. Over time, the States faded into the background as the other branches absorbed a lot of its powers. So we have been going off three branches for the past several decades until the oligarchy came into power."