The White Man's Burden (3)
The United States was a nation that had adopted a presidential system with a four-year term.
In such a system, what concerned a president most was naturally his approval rating in the year he sought reelection, and even Abraham Lincoln was no exception to this rule.
Of course, this election could already be considered a foregone conclusion for Lincoln’s reelection. Yet that did not mean he could afford to neglect management entirely.
Even if reelection posed no issue, once the South rejoined the Union and the Democratic Party reunified, no one could predict what variables might arise in the next term or the one after.
For the Republican Party, the goal was to close this election with an overwhelming victory unprecedented in American history.
In truth, the pieces of that puzzle were falling neatly into place.
The decisive triumph in the Civil War, the opening of the Qing and Japanese markets that had revitalized not only the South but the Northern economy as well.
Every indicator was smiling upon them, and Seward intended to ride this momentum all the way to placing Joseon, like Japan, beneath American influence.
As James Serget had said, Joseon was not exactly a tremendous market, but the public never cared about such details.
To be blunt, the vast majority of citizens had no idea where Japan was tucked away on the map, let alone Joseon, nor did they particularly want to know.
What mattered was the fact that the United States of America, which had begun as a British colony, was now extending its reach into Asia and opening the doors of countless nations.
If everything went well, Seward could become the pioneer who led the Union into the Pacific, naturally positioning himself to inherit power after Lincoln.
He would complete, with his own hands, an unshakable golden tower for the Republican Party stretching from Lincoln to Seward.
However…
“Mr. Secretary, is all of this true?”
“…Yes, Your Excellency. It is, apparently.”
“It has only been a few days since we received reports that everything regarding the Asian situation was proceeding smoothly. I distinctly remember the State Department analysis stating that the South’s self-proclaimed White Knights seemed likely to achieve considerable results.”
“……”
How could he not know?
After all, the person who had written that analysis was none other than Seward himself.
Yet he felt just as wronged.
Upon receiving information from James Serget that the KKK had set off for Joseon, he had immediately ordered an investigation into what kind of business they had conducted in Japan.
The results had been astonishing, and there was not a single flaw to be found.
The press had been full of praise, and even in the North, people were saying that the South had finally produced men who knew how to get things done.
So he had conducted his analysis based on all the information available at the time. Who could have predicted the truth would turn out like this?
“Your Excellency… as you can see in the report I attached, the biggest problem lies with the media outlets. They packaged lunatics as national heroes, and everyone fell for it.”
Seward’s defense was desperate.
But Lincoln remained silent, simply reading through the report Seward had handed him once more.
[Cause of death: While intoxicated, the victim urinated into a local resident’s rice bowl and was subsequently beaten to death by a group.]
“……”
Lincoln removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“This is… truly…”
As the president stood speechless, the cabinet members gathered in the room chimed in one by one.
“In any case, an American citizen has been killed. No matter how absurd the reason, the government cannot simply sit idle.”
“Correct. If we remain silent here, Asian nations will look down on the United States. Just as Britain crushed Satsuma, we must set an example.”
“But war is out of the question. The justification is… far too…”
Secretary of War Stanton barely managed to swallow the crude words rising in his throat and offered a more diplomatic response.
“Imagine it. We issue a declaration of war, and the reason we write is, ‘Our citizen was beaten to death after urinating in someone’s rice bowl.’ The whole world would mock us. It might even go down in history books as the ‘Urine War.’”
A few chuckles escaped around the table, but no one could truly laugh.
He was right.
Even Britain’s war to sell opium was now endlessly criticized with the question, “What kind of gentlemen’s nation are you?”
But a war over piss and shit?
This was a matter that could genuinely damage the nation’s prestige.
“Then there is only one conclusion. We will intervene with force, but avoid full-scale war and secure practical gains through negotiation.”
When Lincoln rendered his verdict, everyone nodded.
“The question is who will go…”
When European nations opened Asia, they did not go to war out of boredom.
It was because failing to demonstrate overwhelming power made it far too likely that the other side would refuse to listen.
Therefore, the option of securing gains through negotiation without going to war was a far more delicate operation than it appeared.
All eyes naturally turned toward James Serget, the East Asia expert whom Seward had brought along.
“We must resolve this awkward situation and simultaneously open trade with the unknown nation of Joseon. Naturally, the best expert should go, should he not?”
“…Are you referring to me?”
“Who else? You are the one who built connections with Qing royalty and pried open the Japanese market. You are the perfect man for the job.”
Seward pressed Serget as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“As we discussed last time, on this occasion I will appoint you not as a temporary advisor but as the official ‘Trade Advisor to East Asia.’ I will grant you full authority. Go and settle this matter.”
Serget slowly nodded, as though he had no grounds to refuse.
In truth, he had wanted to avoid deep involvement in politics, but since he had already dipped his toe in, the best course was to seize real power through the clearest possible path.
“Understood. I will go and tie up the loose ends. However, I cannot go empty-handed. Joseon is a nation that clings stubbornly to isolationism. They will not open their doors with words alone.”
“Of course. I will attach a fleet to demonstrate the dignity of the United States.”
Though there was no actual intention of waging war, that was an internal matter. Externally, they had to display a clear willingness to go to war if necessary.
“We will dispatch the latest steamship, the USS Sacramento, along with the Hartford, the hero of the Civil War. That should be more than enough to break the spirit of Joseon officials.”
“I have no objection to that. However, Your Excellency, what should we do about the KKK members currently detained in Joseon? If we bring them back home, it could stir up unnecessary noise…”
Those burdensome white men still locked up in Joseon government offices or chased back to Japan for treatment.
If they returned alive, they would undoubtedly play the victim in the press, which could once again inflame Southern public opinion.
Lincoln thought for a moment, then looked at Serget with a subtle smile.
“Hmm… As I recall, the majority of the KKK belong to the South. If we step forward more than necessary, it could provoke unwanted backlash from the Southern side. Let us leave this matter to a Southerner.”
Since the Republican Party’s current priority was North-South integration, it would be problematic for the North to appear to be punishing prominent Southern figures.
Therefore, it was only right for the South to clean up its own mess.
Surely Lincoln was not trying to dump this headache onto Serget, was he?
* * *
The grand operation to restore national honor that had been tarnished by a bunch of piss-drunkards.
From the very beginning, the mission was so wretched that those placed in charge could hardly be said to look honorable, even as empty flattery.
“Pleased to meet you. So you are the famous chairman of Serget Cotton and Trade Advisor to East Asia, James Serget?”
“Yes, it is an honor to meet the renowned General Henry Bell. Ah, and congratulations on your promotion to rear admiral.”
Henry Haywood Bell.
A rear admiral in the United States Navy and the Northern commander who had smashed New Orleans and the lower Mississippi during the Civil War.
Originally scheduled to command the East India Squadron, he had been promoted from commodore to rear admiral upon the outbreak of this incident and ordered to lead a fleet to Joseon.
Objectively speaking, one could say he was enjoying the finest possible military career.
He had been promoted to rear admiral less than two years after becoming a commodore and had been given command of the Asian squadron.
Yet his expression was far from bright, likely because even within the Navy, many felt the justification for this expedition was painfully thin.
“My first mission all the way to Asia, and I’m told that unless they fire first, war is strictly prohibited. Frankly, it leaves one rather deflated.”
Rear Admiral Henry Bell clicked his tongue bitterly as he gazed out over the vast ocean beyond the deck.
Behind him, the USS Hartford, the 2,900-ton pride of the U.S. Navy, cut through the waves with majestic presence.
And that was not all.
The modern 2,100-ton USS Sacramento, fitted with the latest steam engines, followed while belching black smoke, while the 1,480-ton USS Wyoming was scheduled to join them in Asia.
With this much firepower, turning the waters off Busan into a sea of flames would be child’s play. If they wished, they could even sail up to Ganghwa Island and blockade Hanyang’s logistics.
Yet all they were supposed to do was engage in a non-violent standoff.
It was hardly surprising that a soldier would feel deflated.
“I understand, Admiral. Even I would feel a sense of self-loathing if I thought I had crossed the ocean just to rescue men who had pissed in someone else’s rice bowl.”
“…You certainly have a blunt way of speaking.”
“But consider the opposite. If we can perfectly resolve the United States’ disgrace without spilling a single drop of blood, you, Admiral, will go down in history as a renowned commander who triumphed through strategy and virtue rather than brute force.”
“A renowned commander, you say.”
It seemed the words were not entirely unpleasant, for the corners of Admiral Bell’s mustache curved into a gentle arc.
“I will do my utmost to support you. All you need to do is stand firmly on the bridge and show them what overwhelming military power looks like.”
“Hmm. So I can take that to mean you have a strategy in mind?”
“Of course.”
In truth, the sheer embarrassment caused by the KKK’s hardcore trolling had caused everyone to overlook the fact that this situation was hardly pleasant for Joseon either.
“From our perspective it is truly infuriating, but in reality, the other side is not in a much better position.”
“The other side?”
“Yes. Joseon. No matter how badly those men behaved, if they had simply beaten them thoroughly and driven them out, that would be one thing. But they killed people. Two of them, in fact.”
The nineteenth century was an era in which a white man’s life was worth more than gold.
To put it precisely, it was a universal tool that provided the most certain possible justification for war.
No matter how tightly Joseon closed its eyes and plugged its ears, they would inevitably have heard news of the Second Opium War and the thorough thrashing suffered by both Satsuma and Choshu.
They would have no choice but to feel a sense of crisis, wondering what atrocities these conscienceless, morally bankrupt Western barbarians might commit using this incident as an excuse.
“And above all, timing is crucial. The new king of Joseon has been on the throne for less than six months.”
“A period of political transition, then.”
“Exactly. The royal authority is not yet firmly established. If foreign steamships suddenly appear and start firing cannons? They absolutely cannot afford to risk major chaos. We should strike precisely at this vulnerability.”
The opponent was frightened, and their internal situation remained unstable.
What was needed at such a moment was clear terror paired with a justification that offered them a way out.
“We will flaunt the powerful naval strength of the United States to the greatest possible extent, crush their spirit, secure everything we need to secure, and offer a sincere apology where an apology is due.”
“…An apology? You are telling me we should bow our heads to an Asian nation?”
Admiral Bell’s eyebrows twitched.
It was clearly a matter of pride.
“We are not suggesting we should prostrate ourselves and say ‘we are deeply sorry.’ We simply need to express a degree of regret through diplomatic language.”
“Ahem. Well… you are not wrong. If sending those wretches abroad was a sin, then it is indeed a sin.”
To be perfectly honest, exporting such defective goods and disturbing local customs was indeed their fault, was it not?
Even the proud Americans of the nineteenth century seemed to feel a pang of conscience over this incident. Admiral Bell cleared his throat awkwardly and turned his head away.
“Then what do you plan to do about those KKK fellows? The military has been told to minimize involvement and follow your judgment entirely.”
“We must rescue them, of course. No matter how despicable they may be, they are still citizens of the United States.”
“Hmm… I suppose that is true. No matter how foolish, they are still citizens of the Union…”
If the KKK leaders returned to American soil, they would undoubtedly spread the fact that they were connected to him far and wide. Even so, how could he allow fellow Americans to die in a distant foreign land?
Please, he begged them. Hold on just until we arrive.
As long as they were still breathing, it was not over.
If they could just endure a little longer, the saviors from their beloved homeland would arrive!
Therefore, they must not die there under any circumstances.
Not unless they were in the middle of the Pacific, at least.