Chapter 137
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: The United States' Ingenious Plan
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“Alright, now that you’ve been given a new position, I’ll tell you what you’ll be doing from now on.”
Now that I had a young, competent new hire, I had to train him properly, didn't I?
He was already more than capable, but what I wanted was a seasoned operative like James who could do the work of two men or more.
My intention was for him to quickly become a skilled manager like James and bring in a second and third Pinkerton.
“Yes! Entrust me with anything.”
“It’s good to see you so full of ambition. Did James happen to give you a rough idea of what you’ll be doing here?”
“Yes. He said slave catchers would be coming up from the United States, and that I was to capture and kill every last one of them. He also added that I should show no mercy.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“Well, if any survivors escape, it could raise unnecessary suspicion. If word got out that Black people were professionally armed, equipped with tactics, and lying in ambush, it would naturally seem strange, wouldn't it?”
Precisely. For a man who, in the original history, cracked down on unions, gangs, and thugs without distinction, he had sharp instincts.
They would find out eventually, but for now, there was no benefit in them knowing there was a force systematically supporting the Black population from behind the scenes.
“These kinds of incidents will inevitably continue to happen. Do you have a method in mind for how you’ll hunt the hunters?”
“Yes. The areas they are invading are settlements primarily established by Black people. The majority of the Black people living here came up from the United States, so many of them are escaped slaves.”
“Still, aren’t there more who came from the North in search of true freedom than those who escaped from the South?”
“That’s correct. So there aren’t that many settlements founded primarily by slaves who escaped from the South.”
“Even so, wouldn't constantly defending all of those areas result in an unnecessary drain on resources?”
The border between Canada and the United States was incredibly long; managing all the settlements near it was practically impossible.
Pinkerton, who was obviously aware of this fact, answered my question immediately.
“That’s why we will leverage the full intelligence network of the National Detective Agency in the United States. In this recent case, we were able to set up an ambush because we knew in advance what route those hounds were taking.”
“Ah, I see. So, within the United States, the detective agency is currently cooperating with the slave catchers?”
“On the surface, yes. We deal in buying and selling information. We did, in fact, tell them the exact location of the escaped slaves, so we weren't lying.”
Since they bought the information from him, he would naturally know the route they would take to approach.
It was a very efficient and reliable method.
“Additionally, just in case, provide the Black people in the frontier settlements with the means to defend themselves. The hunters might show up when you can’t be there to protect them.”
“Ah, yes! I was already on it. I’m currently selecting a few talented individuals from each village and teaching them basic marksmanship. They can then teach the other villagers how to handle a firearm.”
This is why having capable subordinates is so convenient.
When you ask for one thing, they do two or three, which means fewer things for me to worry about.
“Good. Then, please continue to be diligent until we set off the main event.”
“Yes. But are you certain we should proceed with that? It’s an area you’ve invested a great deal of effort into…”
“We have to go that far to avoid suspicion. If we suffer no damage at all, won't they naturally become suspicious?”
I was poised to profit greatly from America’s unexpected blunder, but this alone wasn't enough to grab them by the throat and shake them.
If the United States decided to stand tall and defiant, that would be one thing, but if they had any sense, they’d bow their heads and plead, ‘We won’t do it! We’ll never do it again!’
One more decisive blow would truly silence them, but to do that, I needed to stoke the fire a little longer.
“Even so, to burn a region you’ve cultivated for over two years as bait… It’s a scheme—no, a stratagem—I could never have imagined.”
“When the potential gains are hundreds of times greater, is there any reason to hesitate? Ah, and I have another appointment soon, so I must be on my way. Don’t forget to leave in disguise, just as you came.”
“Yes, sir!”
The fact that Allan Pinkerton, the head of the National Detective Agency, was in contact with me was a secret that no one, except my closest confidants, should ever know.
Turning my gaze from him as he applied a fake beard and a wig, I left the room for my next schedule.
My lunch companion for the day was none other than the Mexican ambassador.
A burning ambition swelled within me—I would turn this fresh prey into the British Empire’s personal pawn, without fail.
***
“What, what in the world is the meaning of this!”
A fist slammed onto the desk. *Thump. Thump.* The loud noise echoed, but no one in the room showed any sign of displeasure.
Tyler swore that in all his time as president, he had never felt more bewildered than he did today.
Frankly, not even when he was expelled from the Whig Party had it been this bad.
Almost simultaneously with the urgent report from the ambassador in Canada, the British ambassador had arrived at the White House to protest, and from him, Tyler had heard an unbelievable story.
“What kind of madmen would pull a stunt like this? Crossing into Ontario and starting a firefight during the Queen of Great Britain's visit? And not just one or two, but dozens of them?”
“Mr. President. We looked into it immediately, but it appears to be an isolated incident involving civilians with no connection to the government.”
“An isolated incident involving civilians? Are you suggesting we offer that excuse and try to bury this?”
At his incredulous words, Secretary of State Webster cleared his throat and quickly shook his head.
“That is not what I meant. I was simply saying that we must make it clear that our state power was not involved in this matter.”
“The situation isn’t as simple as you think. The British ambassador in Canada already knows this much.”
When the president showed them the letter of protest he had received from the ambassador that day, the ministers’ eyes widened in shock.
“No… the South was formally hiring slave catchers?”
“They aren't employed as regular soldiers, but I understand they have some form of contract. With the recent frequency of slave escapes, it was considered an unavoidable measure to maintain public order.”
“Ah… indeed. The plantation owners’ complaints must have been overwhelming, so the governors likely had no choice.”
The South was a region where the influence of large landowners who owned slaves was immense.
Then and now, they were pressuring governors and congressmen to respond more aggressively to the problem of escaping slaves.
In fact, the president himself was not free from responsibility.
In his effort to gain popularity, at least in the South, by taking a harder stance on the slavery issue, he had met with numerous Southern congressmen and devised several countermeasures.
Wasn't it a joint effort between him and South Carolina Senator John Calhoun to have state governments offer bounties to slave catchers?
For that to come back and bite him in the backside—what could be more absurd?
No. On second thought, this was the fault of those idiotic slave catchers, not his.
The South had surely told them to bring back slaves who had fled to the North, not to cross the border and start a firefight in Canada.
“First, we must demand an immediate explanation from the governor of Virginia. If we fall out with the British Empire over such a ridiculous incident, our political careers are finished.”
“Isn't Virginia currently run by an acting governor anyway? I think we could just pin all the blame on him and get rid of him without any issue.”
“No, that could create a rift in the Southern coalition. And what would the North say if the full details of this incident came to light?”
It was obvious. People like Adams would rise up in unison, launching a fierce attack, claiming it was all due to the barbaric system of slavery maintained by the South.
Considering that the diplomatic friction was a result of the South's efforts to preserve slavery, they would have no way to refute it.
“Hah… this is driving me mad. But Mr. President, what exactly was the British Empire’s reaction?”
“They are furious. A major incident like this occurred right when their Queen was visiting. What's more, I'm told the Queen is not alone.”
“Good heavens…”
“…For things to get this tangled…”
Having just learned the news, the ministers who hadn't yet heard about Victoria’s pregnancy let out a collective sigh, as if on cue.
Why in God's name did that queen have to cross the Atlantic while pregnant and come to Canada at this exact time?
“In any case, the responsibility for this incident must not fall on our administration. I will do my best to coordinate with the senators, and I ask you, the cabinet members, to do everything in your power to resolve this problem from your respective positions.”
“Yes, sir.”
“They wouldn't actually bring the Royal Navy over, would they…?”
It was unlikely, but if a similar problem arose again, it might cease to be a joke.
The biggest problem with this incident was that the fault lay entirely with them, making it difficult to even claim they were being treated unfairly.
If—and this was still a remote possibility—this escalated into a war, those who had provided the pretext for it would never set foot in politics again.
Sensing the crisis, the president desperately adopted a stance of having no connection to the incident. And, just as expected, Congress split into pro-North and pro-South factions.
“For a state government to hire slave catchers who disregard human rights is shameful! The governor of Virginia must step down immediately and go to Canada to apologize directly to the Queen of Great Britain!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. They weren’t directly hired; they were merely given a reward. Why should a governor who did his best to maintain public order in his state have to bow his head to a foreign head of state? Does the North have no pride as politicians of the United States?!”
The confrontation between the two sides grew increasingly fierce.
The emboldened Northern faction, led by Adams, argued that the root of the problem was slavery itself. If slavery didn’t exist, this disturbance would never have happened in the first place.
Conversely, the Southern faction, led by Calhoun, insisted this was an isolated incident committed by bounty hunters blinded by money, not a problem of the South. They acknowledged that an apology was owed for the shock and anxiety the Queen of Great Britain must have experienced, but it should be delivered in the name of Congress and the administration, not the governor.
With neither side willing to yield, the bickering only escalated, and the British ambassador hounded the government daily, demanding to know why no apology had been issued.
“The fact that our demand for a full disclosure of the incident and an apology has still not been met can only be interpreted as the United States showing contempt for the British Empire.”
“No, you misunderstand, Mr. Ambassador. Have the United States and the British Empire not always been good friends?”
“It is difficult to believe in your sincerity when you point a gun at that friend’s back and have yet to offer a single word of apology. His Highness, the Prince Consort, who is the plenipotentiary ambassador to Canada, is growing more furious by the day. If our demands continue to be ignored, we will have no choice but to report everything that has happened here in detail to Parliament. We will state that Her Majesty is suffering from severe anxiety, not knowing when another such incident might occur.”
After the British ambassador delivered what amounted to an ultimatum and left, Tyler could no longer afford to be selective about his methods.
Unlike the previous war, this incident clearly lacked any justification on the part of the United States.
If war broke out, forget reelection; Tyler's name would be etched into the history of the United States as the worst president ever.
That could not happen.
How could he be dragged down from a position he had worked so hard to obtain over something so absurd?
As a last resort, he secretly gathered senior members of the Southern and Northern factions and presented the only way out of this crisis.
“Gentlemen. As long as Congress remains divided like this, we will reach no conclusion. Now that they have given us an ultimatum, we have no choice but to make a decision.”
“…But Mr. President. The South’s fault in this is so obvious. Their demand that we, who have no connection to the matter, apologize alongside them is far over the line.”
“You see, Mr. President! Even in a situation like this, all they can think about is how to abolish slavery. Such hypocritical behavior! How can we trust them and move forward together?”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen, please calm down. We’ve had enough of that kind of talk. That is not why I called you here. As the president of this nation, I fully understand the positions of both the South and the North. Therefore, my conclusion is that neither side will be held responsible.”
The incident had already occurred, and someone’s head had to roll. What nonsense was this about holding neither side responsible?
Tyler looked back and forth between the bewildered Adams and Calhoun and continued in a suggestive tone.
“Now, gentlemen. Please listen carefully. We will apologize. But we will apologize for our failure to notice the machinations of those plotting within our country.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Who is plotting?”
“Who else could it be? Those who stand to gain from a falling out between the British Empire and the United States. Those petty individuals who desire nothing more than to see us suffer from antagonizing the British Empire.”
Tyler’s hand pointed toward the southwest of the United States, and even Adams and Calhoun stared, mouths agape, with expressions that said this was going too far.
“M-Mr. President… are you saying?”
“Yes. This is all a scheme by those Mexicans.”
First, swallow their pride and grovel. Then, restore the wounded domestic sentiment by crushing the tacos who were the root cause of all this.
It was a masterstroke that would resolve the conflict with the British Empire and allow them to completely secure Texas, which was currently in a territorial dispute.
Tyler felt a sense of awe at his own stratagem, one that even God would admire and concede to.