Charles was handling official business in his office at Independence Hall when a knock sounded.
"Come in," Charles replied casually.
"Your Excellency, this is an urgent letter from General Gates in New York," Thompson, the conference secretary, entered and handed Charles a letter.
Hearing it was an urgent letter, Charles didn't stand on ceremony with Thompson and immediately took the letter, opened it, and began to read.
Thompson didn't leave; he watched from the side, wanting to know what had prompted General Gates to send an urgent letter. However, he had already guessed that it was likely a change in the military situation on the northern front.
"The British army in Albany has made unusual movements, seemingly entering a state of readiness for war. General Gates wants us to raise our alert level here to prevent Benedict from moving south to raid Philadelphia," Charles said, puzzled, relaying the contents of the letter.
The Continental army had many scouts and friendly individuals in Albany, Canada, and Britain, and they were very concerned about the reinforcements from within Britain. From the current information, it seemed the British army had just completed its assembly at home and had not yet officially departed. Could this Benedict really be preparing to attack the well-defended American forces with just a few thousand men? It couldn't be!
Thompson was startled by this news.
"Your Excellency, should we invite the others from the Military and Ordnance Committee to come over?"
"No!" Charles shook his head. "There's no need. This matter is probably not that significant. Benedict only has a few thousand men. If he defends Albany, it will be difficult for us to capture it in a short time. But if he attacks, it will be hard for him to accomplish much, and we might even be able to seize the opportunity to eliminate him. It's likely just some wartime preparations after hearing about our army moving south, unless British reinforcements arrive early. Otherwise, it's basically impossible for him to launch an attack on New York and Philadelphia within a month."
"But what if he does attack?" Thompson said, uneasy.
"Mr. Thompson, we are currently conducting military operations in the Southern States and have no spare soldiers to deploy. General Washington's army should already be near Charlestown. Even if we ordered them back, they couldn't arrive in a short time. As for the British army in Albany, we can only make defensive preparations as much as possible. General Gates defends New York, and I defend Philadelphia, acting as mutually supporting flanks, helping each other offensively and defensively. General Gates is also an old general. Since he has sent a letter to inform me, his side must have already heightened their alert. And I will also order the troops in Philadelphia to intensify their vigilance shortly. Even if the British army in Albany attacks today, we can ensure the war drags on for several months, which is enough time for General Washington to finish with Charlestown and return to reinforce us." Charles spoke with full confidence.
Before moving against the Southern States, they had, of course, made thorough arrangements for the north. While it couldn't be said that the northern states' defenses were impregnable, facing a few thousand British army, even if they couldn't wipe out the opponent, holding out for a few months was certainly not a problem. As for reinforcements from Britain, if a force of several thousand or more arrived, Charles and his people would definitely receive news. If the numbers were smaller, then defending would not be a major issue.
Thompson had great confidence in Charles, the "Defender of Philadelphia." Hearing him speak like this, he naturally no longer doubted him. After receiving Charles's order to have the Philadelphia troops strengthen their vigilance, he left his office relieved, allowing Charles, the chairman of the Military and Ordnance Committee, to continue handling his official business.
Charles's working hours were quite short. He would spend half a day finishing his official duties for the day, and then he could rest well in the afternoon.
However, as he left to return to the castle, he saw a person who made him feel very uncomfortable: Samuel Adams, the most famous radical in the Continental Congress.
This fellow was not only a radical democrat but also a radical independence advocate. In the words of later generations, he was a person who followed an extremely "leftist" path.
In the Continental Congress, most people followed a center-left path. Jefferson and Franklin were representatives of the center-left camp, while Washington, John Adams, and Charles could be considered true centrists. True radical "leftists" and rightists were actually not very numerous, but this Samuel Adams was definitely a very genuine extreme "leftist."
"Councilor Charles! You are indeed here; I have something to discuss with you."
Charles hadn't even spoken to Samuel Adams yet when this passionate man proactively greeted Charles.
"Hello, Mr. Samuel Adams! Is there anything I can do for you?" Charles took off his hat and bowed to him.
He already had a premonition that this fellow was probably going to bring up Hamilton again. Originally, he didn't want to clash with members of the Democratic faction led by Samuel, out of respect for Jefferson. But if this Samuel Adams didn't know what was good for him and dared to provoke Charles again, he would definitely not show mercy. Anyway, Jefferson's Democratic faction wasn't united and might not take concerted action for Samuel Adams. In fact, even if the Democratic faction was willing to engage in partisan struggle with him in the Continental Congress, it wouldn't cause much of a stir.
The two returned to Charles's office in Independence Hall and sat down.
"Councilor Charles, you are the chairman of our Continental Congress' Military and Ordnance Committee, our greatest democratic representative for overseeing the army's operations. Now, the frontline army has completely fallen into the hands of powerful military men like Washington. You cannot stand idly by; you must take stricter measures to limit his control over the army!" Samuel said, concerned.
His tone was very sincere, and Charles could hear his heartfelt voice in those words.
However, the content of his words made Charles unable to agree.
While the frontline soldiers were risking their lives, preparing to defend their country with their blood, this esteemed representative was still thinking about how to limit the commander's authority. It was hard to say whether he was fearless or ignorant.
"Mr. Samuel Adams, General Washington's current authority was entirely granted by the General Headquarters established during the last discussion in the Continental Congress. It fully complies with the spirit of law and democracy. I have no reason to interfere with his command of the army," Charles politely refused.
Such extreme leftists
are good to use. Charles did not want to come forward as a leader, preferring to stand behind the scenes. This should not conflict with the views of these extreme leftists. And when facing those famous political and military figures who actively jumped out to become leaders, these extreme leftists were basically very disgusted. They were deeply afraid that their long-term occupation of the center of power would lead to corruption and decay. Their mentality could just be used by Charles as a great help in bringing his spokespersons to power.
If Samuel didn't proactively challenge his interests, Charles didn't want to clash with him.
"Why would there be no reason? Councilor Charles, you are our legitimate chairman of the Military and Ordnance Committee, and you are inherently responsible for supervising and coordinating the military. You can absolutely intervene. At the very least, I think if you personally went to the front, participating in a portion of the army's command would be no problem at all. While the front is actively engaged in war, I am not trying to strip General Washington of his command. It's just that his prolonged command of an army makes people too uneasy. If a democrat like you were by his side, it would be a good thing for our people and democracy. After all, no one wants to see a dictatorial military strongman emerge, don't you agree, Councilor Charles?" Samuel Adams said sincerely.
"This…"
Charles was a bit at a loss for how to respond.
He had initially thought this extreme leftist, for the sake of democracy, would disregard the overall situation and try to strip Washington of his command. He didn't expect them to actually have some sense of the bigger picture. If he really went to the front, it would indeed make Washington relinquish some power, but it wouldn't disrupt the overall command. This could be considered an arrangement that met both the needs of war and the needs of democracy.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't agree.
Not wanting to leave the safety of Philadelphia was the main reason. Another consideration was his deep fear that after he left, Samuel and other democrats would seize the opportunity to take away the rights and interests of his financial group. Although his faction was very strong, with representatives like Morris, the Banker who was the President of the Central Bank, whose influence and power were no less than Samuel Adams, he still felt uneasy about leaving.
"Mr. Samuel Adams, what you said makes a lot of sense. However, my staying in Philadelphia is not just for the needs of the Military and Ordnance Committee; it's also to guard against the British army in Albany to the north. Just now, I received a letter from General Gates in New York, stating that Benedict's forces in Albany have shown unusual movements, and an operation is likely. If I went to Charlestown now, how would I handle things here? Haha, also, Mr. Samuel Adams, do you think that if I left Philadelphia, a powerful military man wouldn't emerge in the north as well?" Charles asked with a smile.
—
"Uh…" Samuel Adams was stunned. "It seems that's a possibility!"
"Then Your Excellency should no longer have any objections to my military arrangements, right?"
"Of course, of course," Samuel nodded repeatedly.
Seeing Samuel Adams stammering, not knowing what to say, Charles felt that today's conversation was over and that he had reached a compromise with Samuel and other democrats, which made him very satisfied.
But then, this tactless Mr. Samuel Adams said another sentence.
"Councilor Charles, you certainly understand military matters better than our other representatives. With a democratic civilian official like you supervising the military, there shouldn't be any major problems, so I won't offer my shallow opinions anymore. It's just that recently, an official's actions have had a very bad impact on our cause, and you should step forward and severely punish him!"
Charles frowned, not expecting Samuel Adams to ultimately point the finger at Hamilton. This was someone he absolutely had to protect and could not abandon under any circumstances.
"Mr. Samuel Adams, if you are referring to Mr. Hamilton, then please say no more. I have already investigated all his actions, and his conduct fully complies with the authority granted to him by the Continental Congress and completely follows legal procedures. If you still have any issues, you can file a complaint with the Philadelphia court presided over by Mr. James Wilson. We can handle everything according to legal procedures!" Charles stood up.
"Mr. Wilson's court?" Samuel Adams couldn't help but show a wry smile.
Everyone in the Continental Congress knew that James Wilson was also on the same side as Charles, and like Hamilton, belonged to the financial interest faction led by Charles. Could he win if he sued?
Charles, however, no longer wanted to talk to this troublemaking gentleman. Continuing the conversation would either lead to a falling out or offend someone, so it was better to make an excuse to leave and avoid the discussion.
Taking the hat from the side and putting it on his head, Charles bowed slightly to Samuel:
"I apologize, Mr. Samuel Adams, but I have a lunch appointment today and cannot accompany you further here!"
"Oh! Alright, Councilor Charles, you go ahead. I should also take my leave," Samuel Adams stood up helplessly.
He had come excitedly to complain to Charles, the Continental Congress' most powerful figure, but never expected to achieve none of his goals in the end. Samuel Adams could only leave dejectedly.
However, after this conversation with Charles, Samuel was greatly inspired. He felt that in the Continental Congress, to maintain his beliefs, he must, like the financial interest faction organized by Charles, also form a faction with the same beliefs as his own.
Previously, although Samuel Adams belonged to the Democratic faction led by Jefferson, in reality, it was indeed as Jefferson had complained to Charles. The members of their faction basically gathered together for the same goal and the same belief, with no specific interests to contend for. In essence, they were a disorganized mess, completely disunited. Coupled with Jefferson, their faction leader, being unwilling to engage in factional struggle within the Continental Congress during the war of Independence, they simply couldn't contend with Charles's financial interest faction.