Upon Our Meeting With the Governor of Florida

To my fellow Bourbon Democrats and interested Mugwumps,

I write to you this day from the Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee. Governor William "Osceola" Powell has welcomed me with open arms into his home. He and I have shared in tobacco, as well as the black drink and its ritual vomitting. What an extraordinary tradition! I confess that I do indeed feel blessed and utterly cleansed this evening.

Tomorrow, the governor and I will be indulging in an exchange of technological ideas. I, of course, will be introducing him to Professor Campbell and his dirigible. In return, Governor Powell will show me one of Charles Babbage's Analytical Engines, a device he acquired on a recent goodwill trip to the Hopi peoples of the New Mexico territory. Gov. Powell has a quicksilver mind and a spring in his step. I can only hope that I will be as lively when I am 86!

Governor Powell (he insists I call him "Billy"!) is a living reminder of the importance of a sensible and sensitive Indian policy. In Billy's younger years, a few U.S. military officers invited him to Ft. Moultrie, ostensibly for peace talks. The rogues had, in fact, planned a trap to murder Osceola as an enemy combatant and agitator. He escaped with his life only because the commanding U.S. officer on post caught wind of the plot and court-martialed the schemers. The actions of that commanding officer convinced Billy of the sincerity of our federal government's desire to live together in harmony with the various Indian peoples of this continent. That experience prodded him to find common ground between the aims of our government and those of his Seminole brethren. Gov. Powell's leadership then and now have allowed the state of Florida to become a leading light for racial assimilation in our time.

As commander-in-chief, I dedicated myself to the ongoing, faithful guardianship of our nation's Indians and Indian policies. In the intervening years, President Harrison has reversed much of our good work, to the consternation of the diverse Indian nations. Today, I stand firmer than ever by my inaugural remarks, that we are entrusted with improving the Indians' condition and that we must enforce their rights!

Senator H.L. Dawes of Massachusetts has an interesting proposal in the works regarding this matter. I encourage you to review his writings and inform me of your opinion, as his bill may well come to my desk soon after the election.

Sincerely,
Grover Cleveland

In Memory of H.W. Beecher

To my fellow Bourbon Democrats and interested Mugwumps,

Tonight, we take leave of the America II to drink in the lights of Charleston. As we refresh the ship at a local helium station, Frances and I have visited with folks along the waterfront. Not many years ago, men, women, and children were sold in bonded servitude at this very place. Now, free black men stroll alongside water-helmeted Atlanteans. What extraordinary progress!

Few men in our time contributed more to this progress than the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher. A dedicated abolitionist, he preached openly and honestly about Christ's love of all men. Rev. Beecher was the first northerner to speak in the South after the war, an occasion overshadowed only by the simultaneous news of President Lincoln's assassination. In 1884, the renowned preacher broke rank with his powerful friends, crossing party lines to endorse my candidacy. His grace toward me meant more than I can say.

In the years since his passing, Rev. Beecher has been remembered mostly for the scandalous accusations leveled against him late in life. His legacy of service to God and country is in danger of being forgotten. As I look out my hotel window to Ft. Sumter, where the war began and where Beecher so bravely spoke at its conclusion, I cannot help but be thankful for all the good he did in his lifetime. To the nation, he was a great champion of the rights of man. To me, he was a loyal friend and a generous lover. I miss him terribly.

The work we undertake to reclaim the White House is not for personal glory or selfish gain. We seek only the betterment of our nation, regardless of how history chooses to remember us. Will you join with us in this cause by contributing today in whatever way you are able? I invite your support -- not for my place in history, but for our future as a people.

Sincerely,
Grover Cleveland

Greetings From the Banks of the Wicomico!

To my fellow Bourbon Democrats and interested Mugwumps,

I write to you this day from Salisbury, Maryland, after an extraordinary trip from Manhattan. To view this nation from a floating sky palace is to be filled with awe at the exceptional character of this land and its people. My thanks to Professor Campbell, as well as the volunteers who pedaled us here!

On this peninsula, where the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia converge, I am reminded of the need to preserve our sacred unity across all boundaries. Factionalism must not be our path forward. While I am profoundly committed to a limited federal government, I nonetheless recognize that we in the New World will be nothing without a spirit of common cause.

To this end, I stand with our southern neighbors against imperial hegemony. As surely as multiple states can happily share one American peninsula, so multiple nations can happily share one American hemisphere. The people of Venezuela have a God-given right to democractic self-governance just as much as we ourselves do. For this reason, my administration will stand with Caracas as it seeks to defend herself from English interference. We may have descended from the scone-eaters across the Atlantic, but America shall be for Americans!

It is true that I am opposed to annexation of all kinds -- be it of Hawaii, Cuba, or the Republic of Atlantis. But rest assured that, as president, I will stand with any nation in our hemisphere that seeks the right of self-determination!

Sincerely,
Grover Cleveland

P.S. If you are ever in the area, I urge you to try the Consommé Olga at the Arsenal in New Castle. I heartily endorse it!

Our Campaign Sets Sail!

To my fellow Bourbon Democrats and Interested Mugwumps,

I write to you this day to inform you about the launch of our campaign. After the recent announcement of my intention to seek my party's nomination, a surge of interest and goodwill has arisen to meet me. I have been overwhelmed and delighted by your notes, letters, and affirmations of all kinds. That so many of you still think highly enough of me to consider once again offering me the keys to the White House truly humbles me.

One such person from whom I have received support is Professor Peter C. Campbell. As you may remember from three years ago, Professor Campebll launched an airship revolution in this nation with his America. Starting from Coney Island, his foot-powered dirigible set sail into the unknown sky. I was fortunate to be in attendance at this extraordinary event. Though the America was lost at sea, Professor Campbell launched a mode of transport that grows ever more perfect with each passing year.

In gratitude for my attendance at the launch during a whirlwind campaign year, Professor Campbell has graciously offered his America II for my use in the coming campaign. Earlier this morning, I visited the Brooklyn warehouse where he has been working around the clock on its construction. It is a formidable ship, even grander than the original. Professor Campbell has worked tirelessly on it for over 23 consecutive months, with little sleep and nominal support. The rapidity with which he works is a wonder to behold. Rarely have I seen a man such efficient use of his third and fourth arms.

The ship is nearly complete, and it only requires one missing component: YOU! This foot-powered dirigible requires several persons working in tandem to keep it in the air. Today, I am asking you to volunteer to pedal for a portion of our campaign tour across the nation. Meals will be provided, though you will have to purchase a train ticket back to your home upon our landing. You may indicate your interest by responding to this letter.

Are you able? Are you willing? Are you prepared to put your foot where your mouth is? Join the tour! Dine with me and Frances! See this glorious nation for yourself, as we set sail into the future!

Sincerely,
Grover Cleveland 

A Word from Your Former President

To my fellow Bourbon Democrats and interested Mugwumps,

I write to you this day regarding a matter of personal and national interest. For many months, my name has been bandied about as a candidate for the highest office in the land. Rumor and innuendo have spread throughout our coalition, even (I'm told) as far as the Arizona territory. Mr. Hill, as you are no doubt aware, has struggled to solidify a sufficient base of support to pose a viable challenge to President Harrison. Under the circumstances, it is only natural that partisans would begin wondering about my willingness to return to the White House.

When word of this speculation came to my attention, I was naturally humbled and flattered. I have already been accorded the prestige of serving as your president, a title bestowed on only a handful of men in our nation's brief history. While I was honored to serve, I also learned that the burden of leadership weighs firmly upon a man. Heavy, indeed, hangs the head that wears the crown. 

These past three years since Frances and I left Washington have offered sorely needed respite. Here in Manhattan, Frances gave birth to our dear Ruth. Meanwhile, I have maintained a small office at Bangs, Stetson, Tracy, and MacVeigh. This modest practice has afforded me the opportunity to continue serving the public good while attending to my family. Life as a private citizen has brought me sweetness and consolation. I am loathe to leave it.

Nevertheless, I confess to you that these tumultuous times have aroused within me a great dread. I know that many of you share my concern. Mr. Harrison came to office with lavish promises, but three years of his administration have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Free Silver is the path to ruin for our fragile country. We are not yet thirty years from the preservation of our Union, yet President Harrison threatens to rend us asunder with financial madness. That Mr. Hill shares the president's economic philosophy unnerves me all the more. 

I believe that we must have a Gold Standard if our nation is to thrive in the coming century. I also firmly believe that the American people deserve a legitimate choice among rival philosophies at the ballot box. With no new advocate for gold on the horizon, an old advocate must return. I therefore formally announce my intention to run for my party's nomination for the office of President of these United States.

I recognize that no man has ever returned to the Presidency after his departure from Washington. Our path to victory has no precedent, and my detractors will undoubtedly say that I am uncooth to make the attempt. But if men only attempted that which had already been achieved, then our ancestors would never have sailed to these shores to found this blessed Union. In honor of their innovative spirit, I invite your support as I seek to become our nation's first "nonconsecutive executive."

Sincerely,
Grover Cleveland