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South Tussenland: Difference between revisions
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(Fleshed out 1855-1864 history, up to the exile of Piet de Kotter and establishment of the Zoekerist Church of Virginia. TODO: Piet de Kotter's return to S. Tussenland and transition to republicanism.) |
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After a few years, Tegbesoe grew dissatisfied with the Church's organization. There were many prospective Zoekerist priests, but Tegbesoe deemed very few spiritually mature enough to become one. Tegbesoe was also dissatisfied with the unstandardized and disuniform teachings of the Zoekerist Church. To combat this, Tegbesoe began writing the Enchiridion of Faith, a religious text summarizing Zoekerist doctrine, principles, and practices. In 1861, he published his writings and reformed the Church to align with the Enchiridion, creating a new church constitution. Along with this, he established the Theological Council, the official authority of upholding Zoekerism and its beliefs. The Theological Council was made up of thirty members, each selected by the elders of South Tussenland. The Theological Council would also be responsible for appointing new elders to lead the gemeentes should vacancies happen due to illness or death (requiring the approval of Tegbesoe), and the appointing of new priests.
===== Tensions between the Salvationists and Exclusionists, and
However, in a few years, the Theological Council took a radical turn. By 1862, the Theological Council was unevenly split between two factions: (1) the Exclusionists, who wanted to keep Zoekerism within South Tussenland, and (2) the Salvationists, who wanted to "spread Salvation" beyond the borders of South Tussenland. Salvationist theology was dominating the Theological Council, even in direct contradiction with the Enchiridion. With his declining health, Tegbesoe grew worried that the Theological Council might elect a Salvationist elder to succeed him as the new Protector upon his death. He knew he needed to do something to prevent this. In an unprecedented move, Tegbesoe explicitly announced on March 3, 1864, that he selected a successor to succeed him upon his death. He chose Kodjo de Heylig, the Elder of Acola-Pisa and an exclusionist as his successor. This upset the Theological Council, who did not recognize this succession.
A month later, on April 1, 1864, Tegbesoe died in his residence within the temple of Elegasthaven. Several close friends and followers were present during his death. Shortly before his death, he had gave the Holy Scepter to Kodjo de Heylig, an exclusionist elder from Acola-Pisa, signifying a transition of leadership within the Zoekerist Church and state (under the Zoekerist constitution: "''he who holds the sceptre holds the duty to shepherd and lead the children of God toward salvation''"). The Theological Council was made aware of this the next morning. They did not recognize Kodjo de Heylig as the new Protector of South Tussenland, and instead convened to elect a new Protector. They elected a Salvationist Elder, Piet de Kotter, as the new protector. However, without the Holy Sceptre, this election became moot. In the next few days, the Theological Council refused to convene in the Temple of Elegastland and resume their duties in protest. They demanded that Kodjo de Heylig step down as protector and abdicate to Piet de Kotter. However, this would not come. Instead, Kodjo de Heylig purged the salvationist members of the Theological Council.
===== Piet de Kotter's exile in Virginia, and schism within the Church =====
Disgruntled, Piet de Kotter and his followers condemned the Church of the Second Ascension and Kodjo de Heylig for their breaching of the principles in the Enchiridion. Piet de Kotter exiled himself in fear into the black communities in western Virginia, with a few disciples following him.
===== Massacre at Ampoekoe Banquet (1869) and the return of Piet de Kotter to South Tussenland (1871) =====
Kodjo de Heylig at this point had already ruled South Tussenland for seven years, at the age of fifty-six. His government had become heavily exclusionist over the years, and alienated from the South Tussenland's educated elite and upper class. However, he was able to maintain power for so long due to financial and military support from Spain (in the form of weapons and armaments), as well as his popularity among the poorer subjects of South Tussenland. Kodjo de Heylig was seen as a champion of the poor, and embodied what his followers called the "charitable spirit of Jesus." One such event the government express his charity was the monthly banquet. It is one of the few events that the Protector himself and all members of the Theological Council appear in public in a ceremonial dinner, where food is prepared at a public banquet in front of the Elegasthaven Temple (seat of the church and government). What they didn't know was within the crowd, a radical mob had already blended themselves in, armed with weapons presumably obtained by the Salvationist church from Irokees merchants. Before the veneration of the Winti (a Zoekerist ceremony before celebration) could commence, some of the crowd fired at some of the members of the Theological Council. Chaos ensued within the crowd. The guards stationed at the event were not able to identify friend from foe within the crowd, leading to some guards to open fire at the crowd to protect the Theological Council. The event led to the death of seven members of the Theological Council, and wounding sixteen others. Over a hundred people from the crowd had died, and the event catalyzed the shift of public opinion against Kodjo de Heylig and his "ineffective" government, while the Church of Holy Salvation was rapidly gaining followers. This would only start multiple skirmishes and riots that spread throughout the country from 1869 to 1871. The situation became so terrible that Kodjo de Heylig had fled to New Spain in July 1871, unbeknownst to the public until a few days later when the Elegastland temple was stormed after a mob demanded to see Kodjo de Heylig.
Piet de Kotter, who was still in Virginia at the time, had learned of the events spiraling out of control in South Tussenland and had decided to return home. Upon arriving in South Tussenland, he was greeted by a crowd elated to see his return. The crowd was made up of both salvationists, Zoekerists disillusioned with the government, and members of the elite. Piet de Kotter had written in his private journals that he was "disgusted" with the actions of the mob while he was away, but did not reveal his true sentiments as that would make him unpopular within the crowd. Instead, he rejoiced the actions of the mob, saying it was "justified". On August 29, 1871, Piet de Kotter was proclaimed as the new Protector of South Tussenland.
After Mexico's independence in 1881, both Mexico and Spain fought over influence in South Tussenland. When Spain's power in the Americas waned in the late 19th century, South Tussenland started to lean to Mexico for support, and later in the 1890s, Britain, who had just recently established a presence in Cuba after helping the Cubans defeat the Spanish in the 1894 Cuban War of Independence. In 1906, the newly independent Federation of Tussenland established ties with the theocratic government of Tussenland. Despite having established basic diplomatic ties, the Emperor of Mexico warned South Tussenland to be wary of Tussenland's intentions, as they were on a position geographically strategic to Tussenland (mouth of the Mississippi River). Despite this, Tussenland and South Tussenland signed a pact of non-aggression.
==== Republican Reforms of 1911 ====
Throughout the 1890s, several intellectuals in South Tussenland began writing about political freedom, nationalism, and republicanism. However, unlike the former governments of New Netherland and Tussenland, the theocratic government of South Tussenland, now led by Otie II, did not stop these ideas from taking root in South Tussenland. In fact, Otie II had actively encouraged the discussion of these ideas in the spirit of three pursuits. Throughout 1910 to 1909, there already had been multiple calls and petitions for a more republican structure of government, and at one point, in 1907, the Zoekerist Church held a
==== The New Constitution ====
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