Читать книгу The Crusaders of the Saltire - William Speir - Страница 8

January 20, Noon

Washington, D.C.

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

It was a sunny but bitterly cold day in Washington, D.C., and the crowd that had been gathering around the Capitol since Monday morning didn’t seem to mind a bit. The cheering was so loud that most of the attendees couldn’t hear the bands play the traditional four ruffles and flourishes followed by “Hail to the Chief.” No one, though, had any difficulty hearing the 21-gun salute fired by the Presidential Guns Salute Battery, 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) – perhaps the only sound that could be heard over the celebrating masses who were witnessing the inauguration of a new President.

It had been a long and strange Presidential campaign. Lester Wallace Hampton, whom many had considered to be a long-shot, won the popular vote in November by the largest landslide in history. Hampton was considered a “man of the people.” Rather than starting his career as a lawyer, he had been a successful businessman and entrepreneur with a talent for making his business partners very wealthy and his customers happy. He had a gift for bringing people with different perspectives and opinions together to build something that no one could accomplish on his or her own.

After getting fed up with the ineffectiveness of his local government, he had decided to run for City Council and won easily. From there, he was elected to his state’s Senate and eventually to the Governor’s mansion. After two terms as Governor, he had the opportunity to run for the United States Senate, but turned that down in favor of the United States House of Representatives. When asked why he preferred to serve in the “lower house,” he replied: “Representatives work for a living; Senators party for a living. I prefer to work.”

When he announced that he’d be running for President of the United States six years later, no one thought that he had a chance. His own party gave him little assistance, preferring to focus its resources on more “bankable” candidates. However, when he won the first three primaries easily, his party had to scramble to catch up to what the voters had already discovered: Hampton had a vision that the country wanted. He was a good, decent, honorable man who had spent his business and public life working to improve the condition of his constituents and championing causes that were in the best interest of all. And he had managed to do all of this without the usual scandals or ethical lapses so prevalent in politics.

Standing on the Capitol’s west front in the presence of thousands of cheering Americans who represented a variety of political viewpoints, his right hand raised and his left hand on the Bible held out by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, President Hampton was relieved that the campaigning was finally over and he could get to work. The Chief Justice stepped forward to shake President Hampton’s hand. President Hampton smiled warmly at her before turning to hug his wife and son, who were standing next to him. Next, he shook the hand of his new Vice President, who had been sworn in a few minutes earlier.

Vice President Russell Phillip Sanborn wasn’t Hampton’s first choice for Vice President. Hampton originally chose a running mate with a background similar to his own. At the party’s convention the previous summer, many of the party leaders requested that he choose someone from the “old guard,” but Hampton stated that he wanted someone he could trust. Reluctantly, the party went along with his choice.

However, just as the campaign was getting ready for the final push before the general election, a scandal erupted that almost derailed Hampton’s bid for election. The press reported that Hampton’s Vice Presidential nominee had taken a number of bribes over the years from a variety of individuals, special interest groups, and foreign governments. Each day brought new allegations and “proof” of wrong-doing. The Vice Presidential nominee denied all wrong-doing, but the press had already convicted him. With only two months left before the general election, Hampton’s friend and Vice Presidential nominee withdrew from the race to prevent any further embarrassment to Hampton and his Presidential bid. Two days later, he committed suicide.

Hampton was devastated with this turn of events. He needed a new running mate quickly and had no choice but to accept the party leaders’ original choice for Vice President. There was no time to go through any kind of selection process so close to the election. Russell Sanborn wasn’t well known to Hampton at all; their paths had never crossed. When the Party Chairman brought Sanborn to Hampton’s campaign office for introductions, Hampton had an immediate dislike for the man. However, he was a decorated naval officer, his political career had been uneventful, and Hampton needed a running mate who wouldn’t stir up any more controversy. By the end of the day, press releases were sent out, and campaign posters and buttons were changed to show Hampton and Sanborn as the ticket to vote for.

In the bright sunlight of that January day at the Capitol, both men looked happy as they congratulated each other. They turned toward the crowd arm-in-arm and waved, causing another eruption of cheers from the crowd. It took a while for the crowd to quiet down so President Hampton could deliver his inaugural address. All eyes were focused on the new President as he began to speak. The address was short compared to many addresses in the past, but it spoke of hope, unity, and compassion for all Americans. As he concluded his address, the crowd once again cheered loudly. In the celebration, no one noticed the strange, twisted smile on the face of the man standing behind the new President.

In the months that followed the inauguration, President Hampton kept his word and worked diligently to build a new spirit of cooperation within the government, and between the government and the people. He initiated a number of independent studies of the inner workings of the federal bureaucracy to fix inefficiencies and ensure that power was held by elected officials. He insisted that every aspect of the government machine be held accountable for its actions. This made him unpopular with many government officials who were entrenched in the entitlement system that President Hampton had vowed to break once and for all. The people loved him for what he was attempting to accomplish.

By autumn, the effects of President Hampton’s first year in office were felt all around Washington. Changes were being made for the better. Americans were happy – confident that their government was finally working as it should. As the Christmas season approached, the country looked forward with anticipation to the new year.

The press announced that the President would make a special address on Christmas day. Rather than wait for the State of the Union address to lay out his agenda for the coming year, the President wanted to unveil a new initiative in December that would “have a profound impact on all Americans.” Americans were curious about what the new initiative involved. It was unusual for a President to address the nation like this, but President Hampton wasn’t a usual President, and most Americans liked the fact that he kept the people personally informed about what was going on and what he was planning for the future.

As Christmas day approached, Americans everywhere were more and more interested about the President’s address. The press speculated about what might be involved in the new initiative, but it was clear that no one in the press really had any idea what to expect. President Hampton was one President who was determined that the press wouldn’t hear about something before the people were informed.

Two days before Christmas, however, everything changed. Speculation and discussions regarding the contents of the President’s address were quickly forgotten. It ended up being a day that no American would ever forget.

The news reports were sketchy at first. There had been some sort of attack on Washington. No one was clear about exactly what had happened, but it was reported that there was an explosion somewhere in the city. There was chaos in the capital while officials tried to determine the extent of the attack and who had been injured.

As the afternoon progressed, more information was becoming available. There had been an explosion near the White House – possibly caused by a small missile. The President wasn’t in the White House at the time; he had made an unannounced trip to the National Cathedral to review the arrangements for the Christmas Eve service that he and his family would be attending. No one knew where the President was.

There was no additional information available for the six o’clock news broadcast. The commentators had few images of where the explosion had taken place and nothing to report on the whereabouts of the President.

At 8:00 PM, regular broadcasting was suspended for a special announcement. There was an uneasy feeling around the country as Americans watched to see what the announcement would be. The commentators behind the news desk gave the brief yet somber announcement that brought the entire nation to a complete stand-still.

“President Hampton has been killed.”