Chapter 140
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Declaration of War
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Mexico was no match for the United States, which was currently experiencing terrifying growth.
This was a fact agreed upon by everyone in the United States, whether they supported the war or opposed it.
From the moment of its founding, the United States had fought against the British Empire, the most powerful nation in the world.
It had recent experience warring with the British Empire and had steadily accumulated combat experience by suppressing the Native Americans.
Mexico, on the other hand, was a different story.
Though it had gained independence from Spain, it was an unstable nation that had failed to stabilize, with its government changing several times.
To make matters worse, the dictator Santa Anna, who had once been ousted, had returned to seize power and even waged war with France, leaving the national treasury empty.
On top of that, it was in a situation where it couldn't even reabsorb the Republic of Texas, which had declared independence and broken away.
The only silver lining, perhaps, was that within the Republic of Texas, the factions for joining the Union and for maintaining independence were still evenly matched.
But it was obvious which way the balance would tip over time, so there was virtually nothing that could be considered favorable for Mexico.
As President of the United States, Tyler, having reviewed a vast amount of information and gathered the opinions of experts, was certain.
Once war broke out, they would annex the Republic of Texas and immediately advance their forces to the west and south.
And after securing an outlet to the Pacific Ocean, they would negotiate with Mexico and acquire all the territory they had seized for a pittance, making it American land.
It didn't matter if Mexico refused to comply.
If they brought the British Empire into it and applied pressure together, Mexico would never be able to hold out.
With the weight of not just the United States but also the British Empire's name, Mexico would feel even more threatened. With a bit of luck, they might even be able to end the war on better terms than initially expected.
If he could achieve victory with such conditions, it would be harder to lose the reelection, even without his party's support.
Or perhaps the Whig Party would bow their heads, admit their mistake, and plead for him to return.
But Tyler's pleasant fantasy did not last long.
“The British Empire is going to strike down from Oregon?”
“Yes. They plan to sail down the Pacific as soon as the war begins.”
“Do they have enough troops for that?”
“It is said that many Canadian immigrants have recently settled in the Oregon area. This is just my speculation, but could it be that they are pushing as many immigrants as possible into Oregon to gain an upper hand in the territorial dispute with us?”
“I see... that is certainly a plausible inference.”
Receiving the ambassador's report from Kingston, Tyler had a premonition that his initial plan to involve the British Empire could be a grave mistake.
‘Come to think of it, the territorial dispute with the British Empire over the Oregon region hasn't been settled yet. Are those bastards planning to swallow Oregon whole using this war as an opportunity?’
The Oregon region, with its extensive Pacific coastline, was a historic disputed territory, with four nations—the British Empire, the United States, Spain, and Russia—having long claimed ownership.
As the debate continued, Spain and Russia had withdrawn, but the United States and the British Empire were still fiercely locked in opposition, refusing to back down.
The territorial dividing line claimed by the British Empire was the 49th parallel.
This meant Britain would take everything up to the Mexican border. In contrast, the United States insisted on the 54th parallel, refusing to yield its position that all land up to the Alaskan border was American soil.
As the confrontation intensified, the slogan "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" began to circulate throughout the country.
However, from Tyler's perspective, starting another war with the British Empire just to claim a piece of land like that was, by any measure, not worth it.
Moreover, Russia had recently sold Alaska to the British Empire, allowing them to naturally secure the Pacific region, which weakened the American claim.
Now, the United States had given the British Empire too much of a pretext, creating a situation where they were inevitably forced to be mindful of them.
If they pushed too hard here, the British Empire might even side with Mexico and pressure them.
“Wait. Then what if we pretend to lose and let them have the Oregon region, while we take all of the western territories that Mexico holds? If we agree to settle the Oregon dispute as the British Empire wishes, as a way of apologizing for this incident, and state that we will take the rest of Mexico's territory, I don't think they would object too strongly.”
“That would be ideal, but I suspect the British side believes that taking Oregon is their natural right. The fact that they are openly pushing immigrants in there suggests as much.”
“If it comes to war with us over it, it would be a headache for them too. What gives them the confidence to… ah, so they’ve calculated that they’ve gained the moral high ground from this incident and that we’re now tied up with Mexico. Is that it?”
It was a petty but undeniably effective strategy.
What could be done? No matter how much they postured, fighting a two-front war against the British Empire and Mexico was out of the question.
In that case, only one option remained.
“While the British bastards are messing around in Oregon, let’s crush Mexico with a swift and decisive campaign and plant our flag in the West. Then the British Empire won’t be able to advance any further south.”
If they could race to the West faster than the British could move south, it would be fine.
To achieve this, it was imperative to organize the army as quickly as possible and strike with lightning speed.
His mind made up, Tyler resolved to immediately request a declaration of war from Congress.
Initially, he had planned to wait for Mexico's response, but since they were bound to deny it anyway, why waste time?
Upon seeing the President's message delivered to both the Senate and the House, the opposition, centered around Lincoln, vehemently objected, but the tide had already turned in favor of war.
[War is a reality, and despite the United States' many efforts to avoid it, Mexico has ultimately made the worst choice. Mexico's scheme to undermine the friendly relations between the British Empire and the United States is no different from an act of aggression, and they must be made to pay the price.]
It was a brazen logic that blamed Mexico for a war instigated not by them but by the United States, but that was the nature of declarations of war.
Despite various controversies, Congress, judging that if a war was to be fought, it should be done quickly, ultimately passed the resolution with overwhelming approval.
45 to 7 in the Senate, 198 to 25 in the House.
“Let us defend the United States from the threat of Mexico!”
A slogan, like something out of a black comedy, echoed throughout the United States, firing the starting gun for war.
November 13, 1842.
The United States of America officially declared war on Mexico.
The Mexican-American War had begun.
* * *
Inside a stately hotel in Washington D.C.
Having returned to the United States, James had a long-awaited reunion with a cherished subordinate.
“Have you been well?”
“I’m always busy, as usual. You must be even busier than I am, Boss. Have you been keeping healthy?”
Allan Pinkerton.
He was the unfortunate puppet president chosen to be the next-generation corporate slave, to be worked to the bone by Killian alongside himself, but for now, his complexion didn't look too bad.
Youth, it seemed, brought boundless energy, allowing one to endure almost anything.
Just five years ago, he too had been that vigorous.
“Thanks to your recommendation, Boss, I've had the honor of serving him up close. I can't tell you how much I enjoy each and every day. It's all thanks to you.”
“...You enjoy each and every day?”
“Yes. The mission I'm currently handling is a momentous task that could determine the fate of this continent. As a man, one naturally wants to play in such grand waters at least once.”
“Right, right. I’m glad it suits your disposition.”
Once or twice is one thing, but keep swimming in grand waters, and you’ll just get exhausted and sink.
In any case, since he seemed to enjoy it so much, James felt he could offload a few more of his tasks in the United States onto him without feeling too guilty.
This was purely to fulfill the dream of a subordinate burning with ambition, not for any other reason.
But that was for after the current mission was complete. For now, he had to faithfully carry out the role assigned to him by Killian.
The two men chuckled and amiably entered the high-end hotel room they had booked in advance.
The moment the door closed, the smiles vanished from their faces, and they took their seats across from each other at a large round table.
“As expected, the United States Congress has passed the war resolution with an overwhelming majority.”
“Just as His Highness said. Then we must assume the subsequent situation will also unfold as he predicted.”
“Yes. The reason I rushed down here is that His Highness anticipated the United States would declare war immediately.”
“What is your mission? I was only told to cooperate with you if needed. Are we working on the same thing?”
“The broad strokes will be similar, but I believe our tasks will differ. I will likely focus more on creating anti-war sentiment in the North.”
“If only Mexico were a more proper country, we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
Pinkerton gave a bitter smile and nodded.
“It can’t be helped. At first, I thought just leaking the United States’ military movements would be enough, but I was told that wouldn’t be nearly sufficient.”
“Powerlessness itself has always been a sin, now and then. If Mexico hadn’t been an opponent the United States could so easily dismiss, none of this would have happened in the first place.”
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the international community was a jungle of survival of the fittest, and being powerless there meant you were no different from a herbivore that could be devoured by a predator at any moment.
Mexico had done absolutely nothing in this incident, yet it was cast in the role of the one to be unjustly beaten. But what could be done?
No matter how unjustly a deer caught next to a hungry lion felt, no one would listen.
“That’s why His Highness is trying to make Canada stronger than any other nation, isn’t it? Watching from here, these people are not normal. Once they build up more national strength, I’m certain they’ll point their guns at Canada, the British Empire, and everything else.”
“I’d like to think they wouldn’t go that far, but seeing them declare war on Mexico now, you might be right. Still, not everyone in this country has gone mad. If they had, our work here would have no effect.”
“That’s true. His Highness also held young, progressive congressmen like Lincoln in high regard. But their power is still too weak.”
“That’s why we’re here to help people like them build their strength.”
It was the judgment of the leader they followed that supporting Mexico in a war against the United States was pointless.
No matter how much water you pour into a bottomless jar, it all just leaks out.
Supporting a place like Mexico, where it was a miracle the country was even holding together, would only allow it to last a month or two longer than the six months it would take to collapse on its own.
So, what could be done to make this war last even a little longer?
The answer, surprisingly, was close at hand.
“The troops to be sent to war with Mexico will mostly be drawn from Southern militias and state national guards.”
“The federal standing army is barely 10,000 strong, so that’s only natural. That means a significant security hole will open up in the South.”
“Yes. The timing is a little earlier than expected, but we’ve just managed to finish the preparations. The rest will depend on what you do, Boss.”
“I also thought the war would break out next year or the year after, so meeting the deadline was a bit tight, but I don't think there will be a problem even if we act now. Even without my intervention, a fairly elaborate network has already been formed among the slaves in the South.”
Although their training was expedited, the number of black men trained in Canada who had returned to the South, driven by the conviction to save their brethren, was by no means small.
If they all acted at once, the South, having dispatched a significant portion of its militia for the war, would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos.
Of course, simple escapes and riots would be a temporary disturbance, quickly suppressed. But they had one more card up their sleeve.
“Then, at the right moment, I will reveal clear evidence that the Hounds who invaded Canada were not paid by Mexico.”
This war is a clear war of aggression, orchestrated by the South and the President who supports it to expand slavery, with an innocent Mexico made the scapegoat for everything.
What would happen if, while the battles had already begun, the home front was in turmoil with slaves escaping and rioting, and the ugly truth of this war was exposed in the North, which was supposed to be handling the aftermath?
Even in such a state, could the army of the United States repel the evil Mexican invaders and advance into the West?
Only God knew the future, but for some reason, James felt that, just for now, he too could see what was to come.