The Second Declaration

by T Emerson May

"Of course you're welcome. All three of you,Tom. I'm not sure what you've heard. Nothing too nefarious is happening here. Have a seat, join in the discussion."

  "Gentlemen, we had heard that your three states had decided to go it alone, and we just thought we'd come over and try talking you out of it," said Tom cautiously.

  "You heard what?" said one of the BC delegates. "No, no, we're just preparing a joint position paper outlining our three states' stand on the need for Pacific Rim trade. We feel that as a country, we should be oriented to the west instead of to Europe, as the US and Canada are now. There is no talk of secession from the secessionists," he said laughing.

  "Well, we're glad to hear that. Any paper you prepare will be presented to the convention as a whole. I can assure you of that. We'll have open discussion of every issue. That's why we're here. Now if we can have some of that fresh coffee, we'll be on our way," said Tom, obviously relieved that his informants were mistaken.

  The three returned to the convention center, where the afternoon session was about to begin.

  "That was a relief," said Tom to his colleagues in the car while driving to the center. "I wonder how many other bullets we'll have to dodge before the new country becomes a reality?"

  "If they're all as easy as that one, I think we can handle them," said Hal Browning. But Hal Browning knew as well as the others that resolving all the issues facing the western states would not be that easy. There were myriad questions facing the delegates. What form the new government, how to create a new currency, what were they to do about US property in the west, would there be compensation to pay for that property? Would the delegates grow weary of the task and decide to revoke the attempt to secede? What if an international crisis erupted? Whose side would they take? Indeed would they receive diplomatic recognition from the great powers such as Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Russia?

  By the end of the first week of the convention, the report outlining a parliamentary form of government was debated and adopted by the convention, much to the surprise of Tom and the other members of the group. Tom had always believed that that issue would be the most fiercely debated issue before the delegates. He was only partially correct; Robert Jeffries had addressed the convention on the third day and outlined the need for a quick definition of the new government before any other issue was resolved. He had reiterated to them what he had expressed to the group, that no form of government will work without dedicated, competent legislators and administrators. The form, he had said, is not nearly as important as the substance.

  Tom Adams, Mitch Elliot and Sam discussed the progress made to date by the convention. "In adopting the parliamentary form, the convention also called for elections on December 1, barely three months away," said Mitch.

  "Right you are," said Sam, seemingly now very comfortable with his role in the politics of secession. "The convention also approved the notion that Senators and Congressmen already elected to serve in Washington would become automatic members in the new Legislative Assembly,"

  "Yes, but their terms will expire in two years, not five as the report had recommended," said Tom.

  "The creation of an office of President as proposed was a pleasant surprise," said Tom. "That should make the Canadians very happy, especially Robert Jeffries."

  "Jeffries has made no secret that he would seek that post actively. Most of the delegates knew that and it influenced their decision to some extent," offered Sam. "The delegates wanted to avoid building the office around the man, however."

  "They included in the office of President a bit more authority than had been proposed. The President will have more power in the area of world affairs, diplomacy and treaty making," said Mitch.

  "That's not all bad. It'll leave the Premier free to administer the affairs of state domestically. The Premier's office is more of an executive than of a diplomat. The President was being compared with the Chairman of the Board while the Premier was more of a Chief Operating Officer. The US should consider doing that, too. Maybe they can learn something from us," said Sam.

  "The capital site has not been chosen and it's already the end of the first month," said Tom.

  "Well, we may see that change soon," said Sam. "Both Texas and Kansas belatedly sent delegates to the convention. They only recently passed resolutions for separation."

  "Texas offers the population and wealth that the new nation needs," said Tom. "It also provides the needed banking system, though it's been cuffed around some in recent years."

  Texas' late entry almost cost Washington state the capital, but in the end the convention decided on Seattle as the site for the new capital. It was central geographically, it offered the window to the Pacific Rim that was needed, and the mild climate and livability proved to be the determining factors.

  "What do you all think of the adoption of the report proposing a dispersed governmental operation?" asked Sam.

  "I think it's a great concept," answered Mitch. "Texas will house the Departments of Commerce and Treasury. British Columbia will house the Departments of Health and Transportation."

  "Colorado gets the Department of Mines," said Tom proudly.

  "Oregon will get the Department of Defense and the Department of Indian Affairs would be located in New Mexico with major area offices in the Dakotas and Kansas," said Mitch. "The Department of Courts and Appeals would be situated in Idaho, in deference to Robert Winston."

  "North and South Dakota has pulled the greatest surprise so far," said Tom. "It didn't really come as too great a shock that they requested that their two states be considered as a single entity. But I tell you, that took some political courage on their parts."

  "The tax burden and dwindling population of each state left them little choice," said Mitch. "By consolidating their govern-mental operations, they can save millions of dollars in the first year."

  "The convention approved their request without debate. They were also allowed to retain all their delegates with full voting rights," Said Tom. "I thought that was a nice gesture on the part of the delegates."

  Tom Adams was feeling in a much more relaxed state of mind by the end of September. The convention was going well and there had been few surprises or crises. He decided that he needed to spend some time with his son, Tom Junior. They met for dinner in a posh restaurant in the hotel where Tom Junior was staying. Tom also invited along Tim Mullenski and his still anonymous lady friend, the same who had provided the printouts needed to confirm Tim's story.

  Tom and his son were already seated when Tim Mullenski and Angie Brett walked over to their table. Both Tom and his son were quite speechless upon seeing the beautiful Angie. A black dress cut low to the cleavage draped a well proportioned, tall, well conditioned body. Her blond hair was cut short, almost mannish, and her large blue eyes returned the gaze of the two Adams admirers. She was tanned from several weeks in the Colorado sun.

  "Tim, how are you? Is this the famous partner in news writing and why have you kept someone so lovely a secret for so long?" asked the senior Adams.

  "To tell the truth, I'm afraid to let her out of my sight. Judging from the way you just looked at her, that's probably not a bad idea," said Tim, smiling broadly. "Let me introduce Angie Brett. Angie, this is Tom Adams and his son, also Tom."

  "Very happy to meet you, Angie." said the elder Adams.

  "Yes, a pleasure to meet you, Angie," echoed the younger Adams. Young Tom could hardly keep from staring at Angie and he felt that the stare was being returned with a smile. The junior Adams had inherited his father's good looks, trim athletic physique and deep blue eyes. These attributes were not lost on Angie as she found herself staring back at Tom.

  "Well, Tim, I must say that I'm pleased that you were able to get the Denver assignment. You've been doing a marvelous job covering the convention. I watch your network coverage every night after leaving the convention," said Tom senior. "Angie, have you been out here with him since he arrived?"

  "Yes, I came out with Tim. The computer ce
nter I worked at was 'trashed' in the riot and I decided it was a good time to leave government and Washington. I'm lining up interviews out here. It's great out here. I think I'll stay. This is the first time I've ever been west of the Appalachians. I had no idea how beautiful the west was, the mountains, the wide open spaces, the rivers, everything."

  "Wait 'til winter if you think this is beautiful. Do you ski, Angie?" asked Tom Junior.

  "Yes, but only out east in New Hampshire and upstate New York." "If you're still here in December, I'd love to take you and Tim to Aspen or one of the other ski resorts out here." Tom obviously did not want Tim to accept the invitation but it was a way to find out how attached they were.

  "You'll have to take Angie, Tom. I don't ski but besides, I'll probably be back in Atlanta by then, if things go the way they appear to be going. I'm only here to cover the birth of a nation," answered Tim, trying to treat the important story with feigned casualness. "I should explain, Tom, that Angie and I are old friends. We aren't romantically involved. Are we, Angie?" He laughed and Angie pretended to prepare to hit him by making a fist. But her smile masked what she and Tim had shared in Washington.

  "No, we're just very good friends," Angie explained, emphasizing the word very.

  Tom released his breath. He had been holding it since Tim had declined the invitation. Then he broke into a wide grin when Tim explained their relationship.

  "Governor, how do you see the convention shaping up? Is it on schedule?" Tim turned his attention to the story that had brought him to Denver. Angie and Tom Junior continued to engage in conversation, trying not to disturb the other two.

  "It appears to be ahead of schedule. All the major issues have been disposed of, the constitution is almost ready to be presented to the states and provinces. The issue of the site of the capital is resolved and there just isn't that much more to be decided," answered Adams.

  "I looked over a press release copy of the constitution, and it is a very interesting document. Many of us thought you would simply emulate the US constitution for the sake of expediency. Your concepts of government by contract and no taxation by the federal government are going to make people back home take another look at our government. Hey, it seems so strange to speak of our government and your government. That's going to take some getting used to."

  "I know, Tim. Believe me when I tell you that I occasionally slip up and speak of Washington as our government. It will be a little confusing since the capital is in our Washington, the state. The permanent committee did a fantastic job in doing much of the pre planning for the form of the constitution. That's why it didn't take long for its passage. Tom Junior here did some of the work on that report, didn't you, Tom?" the elder Adams nudged his son.

  "What? Oh yes, I did work on that report, but I played a minor role in its creation," answered the son, a little embarrassed because of his fascination with Angie.

  "Enough of politics and government. Let's just make this an evening to enjoy the company and eat a good steak," said Tom senior. "Angie, if I can be of any help in getting you a position out here, you let me know. It may be too late for anything over at the committee, but I'll bet Sam Brouchet could use someone with your knowledge of computers. In fact, what would you think of working for our government? We're going to be heavy users of computers with our dispersed mode of operation. What's your area of expertise?"

  "Mainly, I've worked in the communications area on large mainframes and minicomputers. I'm a senior, or was, systems programmer," answered Angie hoping he would understand what that title meant, but knowing he wouldn't.

  "Sounds impressive for someone so young. You must have a real talent for it," said Tom junior.

  "You wouldn't believe how smart she is, about computers anyway," interjected Tim Mullenski. "That's how she was able to obtain all those printouts that I brought you, Governor. Angie and I have made a deal. I'm going to teach her all about current events and she's going to teach me all about computers."

  "You realize, Angie, that your efforts may have resulted in the creation of a new country. We were at a dead end until the disclosures that you were able to provide sparked a fire in all of us. That was definitely a turning point. We owe you a great debt of gratitude." The elder Adams wanted to make certain that he gave her the credit due for her work in assisting Tim to break the story concerning the disruption of the first convention.

  Angie was clearly embarrassed by all the attention being shown her. She never considered herself anything more than a good data processing professional, certainly not a maker of nations. "Oh, it was really nothing. Tim gave me the idea. From there it was easy to compile all the data." She sloughed it off casually.

  "Angie, would you join me at the convention tomorrow?" asked the younger Adams. "The vote will be taken on a report that I prepared. I'd love to have you there. This is a good way to watch history as it happens."

  "Yes, I'd love to join you." Angie smiled. She was so happy that Tom had made a date, any kind of a date, before the evening ended.

  "Has anyone heard from Theresa Winston lately?" asked Tim. "Is she coping with the senator's death?" He directed his question to Tom senior.

  "As a matter of fact, Sam Brouchet went over to see her after we all met at the Lodge, and he told me that they had a wonderful talk for a day or so. I understand, after talking to her by phone, that she's doing a little better each month," answered Tom. The addition of Theresa to the conversation made Tom reflect on Theresa again, something he found himself doing with greater frequency than at any time in the past. He wondered to himself if it was Robert Winston's death that caused him to think of her, or was it something else entirely.

  "Oh, I'm glad to hear that," said Tim. "I only met her once or twice, but she seemed like such a beautiful person. I mean that in a spiritual sense, but she's beautiful outside too. Oh, you know what I mean."

  "Yes, Tim, I do know what you mean. Theresa tends to affect people that way. Difficult to put into words what makes her unique."

  The next morning at the convention, the delegates approved the report that Tom Adams Junior had so diligently worked on. It was a minor report dealing with the creation of a federal bureau for the monitoring of air pollution and water contamination. The bureau would have none of the zealous power of the American EPA. Its purpose was to provide guidelines only for states to enforce if they chose to. Angie broke into spontaneous applause when the convention passed it without debate. Then she was embarrassed when she realized that she was the only one applauding.

  Tim Mullenski filed another of his popular reports, "By the middle of October the convention is in a position to send the constitution to the states and provinces. Almost every issue before the convention has been resolved, the constitution itself, the location of the capital, the myriad smaller items that accompanied the creation of a new government. If approved by mid November, the elections called for in the constitution would be on schedule for the first of December. A provision in the constitution allows for later elections if not approved by at least seven states."

  "The air is beginning to chill. The leaves have already turned crimson, gold and yellow. It is the loveliest time of the year in the west. Ducks and geese have started their trek southward along the flyways running from northern Canada to Mexico. The deer, elk, and mountain goats are coming down out of the high country to better prepare for the cold. Snow is already falling in the highest areas. Before winter a new nation will emerge from these rugged mountains." The west had been filled with tourists since the events had unfolded earlier in the summer. Thousands of tourists who might have visited the capital in Washington had opted instead to see the west. The capital was still very much a disaster area, though good progress had been made in reconstructing it. Attracted like moths to the fire, people in droves scheduled vacations in parts of the west to see this area of the country so filled with spirit and independence. Now the last of them were leaving, their campers and boats trailing behind their cars on Interstates 80, 9
0 and 70. They were returning to Iowa and Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Alabama. When they returned home, they tuned into their televisions to follow the continuing saga of the birth of this bold new country.

  "I kinda hate to leave this place, Mary," said Matt Henderson. He was one of the thousands of campers preparing to return to the east. "This is the first trip we ever planned to the west and whammo, they decided to secede from the US."

  "I seriously doubt that our trip had much to do with that, Matt. But I'll tell you one thing, the Lord willing, this is not the only vacation we'll spend out here. I really love this place. I never knew Colorado was so beautiful in the fall. I can see how people out here feel they need a country of their own, need to be separated from the east."

  Mary Henderson may not have understood the nuances or underlying reasons for the political events, but she and Matt certainly appreciated the beauty of the west and the friendliness of the people. Matt had recently retired after working for thirty five years in an automobile plant, and they both had adopted this place as their own.

  "What do you suppose will happen out here, Mary? Will they be able to pull it off, or will the government step in and pull 'em back by the scruff of the neck?"

  "I don't know, Matt. I really don't know. I hope they make it. That's all I know for sure."

  As the inevitable move toward the creation of a new nation loomed on the political horizon, Tim Mullenski filed another report, "Wyoming was the first state to approve the constitution. It passed a joint session of both houses of its legislative body on the 17th of October. They wanted to be first, as a way of extending a hand of thanks to Bill McKay. Colorado approved the following day, and Idaho followed hard on their heels. Idaho had wanted to be first to show respect for Robert Winston, but a technicality prevented the vote on the 16th."

  "By the 27th of October, those three states and four more, Montana, Dakota, now one state, Nevada and Washington approved the constitution. At that moment of approval, the new nation was born, christened the North American Union, the name chosen by the delegates. British Columbia, Alberta, Oklahoma and Nebraska approved by the end of October. The remainder of the states and provinces approved one by one until Saskatchewan, the last to approve, voted its approval on the 8th day of November. The new nation is less than a month away from its first election. As Chairman of the convention, Tom Adams has been sworn in as the Acting Premier, the head of government. He will fill the hiatus until elections decide the makeup of the new Legislative Assembly to convene in Seattle."