Chapter CII – You shall see how a League was made a republic.

70th of Summer 5859
Inside the walls of Casamonu Castle, Casamonu

There was a congregation, quite the large one, inside the walls of Casamonu. This one wasn’t made of refugees, no, this congregation made in a semi-donut shape that was the signature mark of the Provisional Council of Curry. With the fall of a large settlement had risen many a problem, chiefly:

“So, how will we all gather together for a council now that we have Libertycave, Azdavay, and now here to deal with?” asked Ayomide right at the start of the gathering. “We can’t really have everyone here.”

“That much is true,” added Tubman “some of our members have retired to stay back in Azdavay, and there are more who plan on retiring here in Casamonu. Gathering them in one place constantly would be a bother.”

Brown raised his hand “Now, now. I have been working on a solution for this. Behold!” he unfurled a scroll that contained a bunch of text, which was as good as gibberish to the people in the room.

“...captain, we can’t read.”

“Excuse me… ahem! Let me summarize!” Brown cleared his throat a few more times. “The issue we’ve grown a bit too large to be a league of fugitives. Nothing that we can’t sort out. Therefore, I have a proposal to you fine gents: we’ll be founding a republic.”

“Found a republic?” Ayomide, and many others in the room, looked around for one of these so-called “republic” things “Do we need to go on a journey to find it?”

“No, no. I meant making one!”

“It sounds like a complicated thing to make. Will it take long?”

“Where do we find the ingredients for it?”

“I can cook something good if it’s food…”

“Stop, people, republics are not food!” shouted Tubman. She had gotten sick of the misled discussion. “A republic is a type of… well, we’ve sort of had a makeshift republic already.”

“Then what is the difference between a republic and democracy?” asked a member of the audience.

“...that doesn’t matter right now.” said John Brown. He wasn’t in the mood to get into political science. “The thing that matters is that we should separate the League, the military side, from the civilian side of our operations. That’s what I meant by founding a republic, and I have something very similar to our League’s constitution right here. We need to make something that the liberated people of Gemeinplatz can participate in, while keeping the abolitionist activities of the League alive.”

Shinasi nodded. “It’s a good idea. As long as those twerps in town stop looking at us suspiciously every time we pass by them.”

“Here is the plan:” Brown pointed at the relevant articles in the paper despite such an act being futile for most of the people in the room “Firstly, we shall found a republic. ‘Federal Republic of Gemeinplatz’ rings nicely in my ears, but I’m sure you might have suggestions for a better name. Now, in a federal republic, administration work is given to local elected leaders.”

“Kind of like the lords and mayors of Gemeinplatz?” asked Ayomide “I don’t want them back.”

“The thing about lords is that they aren’t elected, young lady, and the elected mayors definitely won’t have as much power as the lords. Secondly, we have to conduct elections for those leaders, is what I’d say, but I think it’s pretty clear that we are in an emergency situation.”

“Wouldn’t people elect someone who’d kick us out anyways?” said a League member from the congregation.

“Exactly, that is the problem. Now, that’s why we ban anyone pro-slavery or anti-League from running.” Brown definitely didn’t like the implications of such an anti-democratic act, but he had to be honest to himself in accepting that Gemeinplatz wasn’t all that ready for proper elections. “Vaiz has screened some well-connected and supportive candidates in Casamonu and Azdavay who’ll be happy collaborating with the League. I don’t think people will be as willing to rise up against someone that they have ‘elected’.” It was an odd feeling, to be essentially setting up a puppet government in another world. “This republic will have a council of elected representatives, while the League should be freed up from doing the work of administrating civil manners and gathering so much.”

Brown paused for a minute to let the congregation discuss his proposal. After things had quieted down, he returned to speaking “Now, after that comes the part that the League will come to play. I propose that we keep the League as part of the army that this republic will have. The League shall function as a separate organization dedicated to special operations related to abolitionism, such as raids on plantations and other slaver establishments. I think having our organization dedicated to unconventional warfare, rather than the conventional, would be the best case.”

“What about the people that have left the League and… well, do they get to be part of this republic?” asked another current member of the League. “My friend retired to harvest something called ‘maize’, and I’m worried about him.”

“Anyone who is in Gemeinplatz will be part of the republic, while the League will be a separate organization for freemen that requires membership.” clarified Brown “Speaking of harvesting maize, that is related to the final part of the plan: getting support. I’ll be honest in saying that the people outside the walls look at us as nothing but a band of savages. Me, and everyone else in this room, knows that they are mistaken, but it’ll take a while to rid the people of their misconceptions. Therefore, I propose that we get support for the republic through a simple method: the stomach. The people value their ability to eat, and we shall provide them free land so that they can eat. Plus, with all the farming infrastructure that we have burnt down, we need to get agriculture back running before we face a famine. I have a Homesteading Act ready, one which I hope to pass at this council along with the constitution of the republic. Now, on to voting!”

Today, on the 70th of Summer 5859, the Federal Republic of Gemeinplatz was born, with Brown as its Commander-in-Chief with provisional emergency powers and other positions yet to be elected. The League was to be the first military unit of the Republic, and the Republic was to be the first republic in Gemeinplatz.