The Slave Master (2)
The eventful months of January and February 1858 had nearly passed, but the world remained in a state of unrest. The American economy, which had hit rock bottom in the wake of the financial panic, had stopped its descent into the deeper basement, but recovery still seemed a distant prospect.
This was because the political scene in Great Britain—the "big brother" that exerted the greatest influence on the United States—had fallen into chaos, causing the major investors to return to a wait-and-see stance once again.
In truth, British Prime Minister Palmerston had some reason to feel aggrieved by this particular turn of events. The cause was an attempted assassination of the French Emperor that had taken place in France. It was a high-profile, massive scandal involving an Italian nationalist attempting to kill the Emperor.
Normally, Italy might have taken the full brunt of the blame, but the problem was that it was revealed the terrorist had manufactured the bombs while in exile in Britain.
"Britain is a heinous nation that protects and nurtures terrorists! Do you even have the right to call yourselves a nation of gentlemen?"
"That is a misunderstanding! Our British Empire strongly condemns all acts of violence in the world and does not support republican rebels in the slightest!"
"Then ban the asylum of these criminals immediately!"
Unlike the 21st century, where democracy is common sense, republicans in this era were treated as little more than traitors across most of Europe. Even the British Empire, a constitutional monarchy that elected its Prime Minister through voting, did not view republicans favorably.
But that was one thing, and this was another. The British Empire, which held liberty as its highest value, had in fact been accepting countless exiles from various countries, and there were countless European nations that viewed this with discomfort.
When public opinion exploded due to the attempted assassination of the French Emperor, the Palmerston cabinet, which had been pouring its heart into improving relations with France, found itself in a desperate situation.
This was the very reason my future father-in-law, Baron Eldery, had rushed back home.
"Hah... damn it, relations with France shouldn't be cracking because of such trivial bastards."
"If we lose France, who will keep Prussia or Russia in check on the European continent? We must maintain a solid relationship with France, especially to keep Russia in check."
The long-standing enmity between Britain and France had ended after the Napoleonic era. The Britain of today clearly recognized Russia as its greatest enemy, and France was a reliable breakwater to help keep that Russia in check. If France hadn't been there, how could Britain have carried out the Crimean War?
However, they also knew well that if they showed a shape of openly bowing to French pressure, public opinion would explode.
The wily Palmerston came up with a clever idea: not to enact a new law, but to amend an existing one, doing so subtly.
"It makes no sense for the British Empire, the land of liberty, not to accept exiles. Instead, I will amend the bill so that if these exiles plot murder in a foreign country, they can be deported or imprisoned."
To an objective third party, it was a perfectly reasonable amendment. However, politics is rarely a realm governed by reason.
"Everyone! Prime Minister Palmerston is bowing to French pressure and tampering with the laws of our great British Empire!"
"We, the British Empire that defeated Napoleon! How have we become slaves to the French Emperor?"
"Palmerston, that traitorous bastard! I knew it would come to this!"
The Conservative Party, which had been waiting for a chance to regain power, could not let this golden opportunity slip by. Palmerston was a traitor trying to sell the country to France. The Palmerston cabinet could not effectively respond to this destructive incitement.
"W-wait! Please think calmly! This is not bowing to France, but rather to continue using France as our shield..."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You are a traitor! If you are not a traitor, withdraw the amendment immediately!"
"Oh, you crazy..."
Explaining in detail why this amendment was necessary and why France was a necessary ally for the hegemony of the British Empire was pedantic and boring. But blaming the other side with the "traitor" frame was easy, fast, simple, and even fun.
If the Palmerston cabinet had originally enjoyed good public sentiment, they might have been able to counterattack, but unfortunately, it was a point in time when the cabinet's popularity was crawling on the floor due to the American economic crisis.
"Hey, I heard your cabinet is ruined? From now on, this place belongs to us, the Conservative Party."
The Palmerston cabinet, consumed by the traitor frame, sank gloriously.
"Dad says he's just going to keep his status as a member of the House of Lords for the time being and ignore politics."
My father-in-law, who had held the shining title of President of the Board of Trade, became unemployed overnight. Of course, unlike others, he was a member of the House of Lords, so he wasn't truly unemployed. Seeing things like this makes me realize that being a noble is a real scam. Elected members of parliament are desperate to keep their seats, but the lords can just roll around saying, "It's a shame we lost, I'll just rest until we win next time," even if they lose an election.
"Still, your father must be very disappointed. He only got to enjoy the powerful position of President of the Board of Trade for a year."
"That's true, but I think he's genuinely disillusioned with politics this time. In fact, the Conservative Party must have known that Prime Minister Palmerston's direction was correct. But since a good opportunity to attack arose, they put the national interest aside and decided to bite first."
"I suppose... it's difficult for Britain to keep Russia in check without France."
Looking at it coldly, Britain is in a position where it has to coax and soothe France, begging them to please get along. But since the mainstream opinion in politics was "if we can become the ruling party, let's grab power first and think later," it's no wonder he hit a wall of disillusionment.
Of course, that doesn't mean the British Conservative Party is simply evil. The Palmerston faction of the Whig Party, to which my father-in-law belongs, also grabbed power by fiercely stabbing the other side in the back, and even without looking far, our friends in the United States were even worse, never less.
"Isn't this a lucky thing for us, though? If Dad had stayed in office, there would definitely have been people making an issue of our relationship, but now that he's in the opposition party, no one will care."
"...That's true, isn't it?"
"So, shall we have a glass of wine to celebrate?"
No matter how little experience I have with women, I obviously know that this doesn't mean she just wants to drink wine.
"...Th-then. I will do my best... no, no, what kind of nonsense am I saying."
It goes without saying, but no matter how much it's Europe, 19th-century noble families were still a society as conservative as the Joseon Dynasty. Because we had only had an engagement ceremony, I had held Cecilia's hand, but I had never spent a night with her. This was because I didn't want to cause political harm to my father-in-law, who held the title of President of the Board of Trade.
But as Ceci said, my father-in-law was now just an unemployed opposition member lounging around in the House of Lords... wouldn't it be fine?
The thoughts I had just a moment ago about using the upcoming American elections and the background of the *Arrow of Freedom* incident to exploit the intense emotional lines between the North and South had vanished cleanly from my head.
Wine... red wine... red is a woman's lips... no, why am I thinking such pathetic thoughts? No matter how much of a *solo* I was, I couldn't show a pathetic side like Leo. I reflexively swallowed my saliva and promised to bring the best wine.
"If you show it so openly... I'm a little embarrassed, too."
Cecilia, who had been keeping her composure, also lowered her head slightly, a faint blush on her cheeks. At that moment, problems like the upcoming American elections or the mastermind behind the *Arrow of Freedom* incident vanished cleanly from my mind.
* * *
If Britain faced the chaos of a cabinet change due to an unexpected vote of no confidence, the United States was buzzing across all regions ahead of the elections to be held in 1858. It could be called the first midterm election faced since the Buchanan administration took office.
Originally, if an election were held one year after a president took office, it would be the general trend for the ruling party to win a landslide victory due to the honeymoon effect. However, Buchanan spent this one year proving with his whole body that he wasn't being called the worst presidential candidate in American history for nothing.
As soon as he took office, he intervened in a judicial ruling and committed the unprecedented atrocity of the *Dred Scott* decision. Following that, even in the cold wind of the economic panic, he took no measures and simply cast "endure with evil and guts." Furthermore, when the radical group called the *Arrow of Freedom* was running rampant, he maintained a clumsy neutrality while watching the North and South.
The conclusion of this trinity of worst, shock, and despair would naturally be the opposition party's election victory. The Republican Party, which had opened the possibility of becoming the majority party in only its second election since its founding, was going all-in on this election and was busy tearing Buchanan down day after day.
Conversely, the Democratic Party, which had to defend its seats in the North at all costs, was drawing a line with the Buchanan administration and was already cosplaying as an opposition party within the ruling party.
"We are different from Buchanan!"
"Our Democratic Party will take responsibility and settle the economic crisis! Everyone! Please trust us just one more time!"
While the Northern Democratic Party was struggling with all its might to clean up the mess Buchanan had left behind, the Democratic State Committee of Mississippi, where the election of all Democratic candidates was certain, was also blowing a fierce, bloody wind no less than the North.
Mississippi is a region where even a mixed-race indigenous person would be elected if they were a Democrat, so one might ask why they were fighting so much, but it is precisely these regions that are the sites of bloody battles. Logically, how much value would a district where election is absolutely certain have in an election?
Especially at this time, the Democratic National Committee, which oversees the whole country, had no real power, and the State Central Committee held actual election command, so it was inevitable that it would be a fight among themselves.
The topic of discussion for this Mississippi State Party Committee was naturally which candidate to place in which county, and voices were raised throughout the meeting hall from the start.
"So! How many times do I have to say it for you to understand? The people elected in this election must lead the critical situation that will determine the fate of our South. Naturally, the person who can best reflect the interests of our South must become the candidate."
"I sympathize with that statement, but I don't understand why that means the candidate slots must be plastered with *Fire-Eaters*."
John Peters, the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the mastermind behind the *Arrow of Freedom* incident, raised his voice strongly, insisting that all candidates be unified as *Fire-Eaters*. The logic was clear. The Union was already rotten, and the fact that the North could not coexist with the South had already been revealed to the whole world.
"Everyone here knows well how this *Arrow of Freedom* incident ended. Are you opposing my argument even after seeing that?"
"How did it end? Didn't they get wiped out by the black militia led by our slave master, James Sett?"
"That's not what's important. Even though our Southern planters suffered such great damage, the federal government did not openly take our side. Even though we produced the president from our party!"
"That's..."
"Furthermore, the Buchanan administration is continuing its mismanagement day after day, and if the Republicans take the presidency next time, our South's fate will be finished!"
John Peters glanced at Quitman, signaling him to support his words, but he remained silent, saying nothing. Conversely, Jefferson Davis, a federal senator who could be called the biggest tycoon in Mississippi, shook his head cautiously.
"Calling for immediate independence risks overly provoking the North right now. I, too, do not completely deny separation. However, that must be left as the final right we can exercise. The sharper the sword, the more terrifying it is when it is not drawn. If we call for full-scale separation from now, we will have no cards left to play later."
"Senator, you speak very frustratingly. If we keep talking about the 'final right' like that, we might really be driven into a dead end, you know?"
The *Fire-Eaters* calling for immediate separation and the conditional federalists calling for caution clashed sharply, and in the end, no conclusion was reached on the first day of the meeting.
Peters glared at the back of Quitman, who was walking out of his seat without a word, and ground his teeth. If that bastard had supported his opinion, things would have been much easier, but he was a useless bastard. I had felt it continuously before, but he had certainly lost his edge after being saved by James Sett while suffering from dysentery and hovering between life and death.
The fighting spirit and tenacity he used to have must have been flushed down the toilet along with his diarrhea. '...Tsk, if James Sett had suffered much greater damage, it would have been much easier.' Peters smacked his lips, mercilessly chewing on the pathetic bandits who had only been good at running their mouths.
Looking at it coldly, this was all because of James Sett, that bastard. Why did he have to block it and create this mess when he could have just let his farm be robbed quietly? To save this Mississippi, to save the South, independence was the only way to live, and it was just pathetic that he didn't understand his deep intentions.
'...It can't be helped. There's still half a year left until the election...'
He had to trigger a bigger shock that could instill a sense of crisis in everyone in the South as quickly as possible. If they learned what true pain was, Mississippi would also know that there was no path other than independence. He could endure any sacrifice for the sake of independence. Even if it were the blood of the same white man.