He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 332

(332) Still Needs Washington’s Approval

The ultimate decision-maker in America isn’t in Pensacola.

“It’s in Washington, of course. Not your first time, is it? Haha!”

Heading up the Potomac River from the American East Coast, you’ll find a planned city with a grid layout.

It’s Washington D.C. (District of Columbia), planned by Washington himself, with his name attached to the city.

Onboard the *Constitution* as it entered the Potomac, Rochejacquelein smiled and replied,

“It is my first time, because the French embassy was in Philadelphia until two months ago.”

“Haha, well, French exiles are mostly settled in New York. It might seem a bit desolate since it’s a newly built city, ‘Mister’ Rochejacquelein.”

“It’s alright, Mister Jackson.”

The man who was a rebel in the Vendée, the leader of the Sureté [French internal security service], Rochejacquelein, looked at the city on the north bank of the river and said,

“I’ve been to worse places.”

In the future, in the original timeline, Washington D.C. is a city rebuilt after being burned down once.

So, for now, there were only buildings sparsely placed on the prairie.

It looked cleaner than Paris, but it also appeared desolate in places.

At that moment, a lady who came out of the cabin exclaimed.

“Wow, that’s Washington! It feels so refreshing, I like it.”

“Go back inside. There’s no need to come out just to see it, is there? Mademoiselle Émilie.”

“It’s alright. More importantly, we’ll be able to see Madame Lafayette this time, right?”

As Rochejacquelein worried in a blunt manner, Émilie de Beauharnais waved her hand with a smile.

“When I was young, General Lafayette and his wife would occasionally visit our house. He was very fond of me back then.”

Of course, she was also following her busy fiancé to see him even a little more.

As the daughter of Eugène’s uncle, François, and related to Empress Joséphine, Émilie could be said to have a fairly high status now.

However, she admired Rochejacquelein, who was practically a fallen aristocrat, and followed him all the way to the New World.

She also held the position of Marie’s lady-in-waiting.

Hamilton looked at Émilie’s sparkling eyes and whistled.

“Haha, I’m envious. But perhaps only ‘Miss’ Beauharnais will be able to meet Madame Lafayette.”

“Why is that, Secretary Hamilton?”

“Former secretary. I’m just saying that your fiancé will probably be busy.”

Just then, Monroe walked out from the other side of the cabin and said bluntly.

“Congressional approval will be very difficult, Mister Rochejacquelein.”

So, Rochejacquelein was on his way as a special envoy of his stepfather, Eugène.

In any case, the United States is a republic, and even a special envoy with the full authority of the president cannot decide everything as he pleases.

The treaty must be ratified by Congress.

Therefore, Eugène had ordered Rochejacquelein to secure the passage of the treaty through Congress.

Hamilton turned to Monroe and shrugged.

“Looks like someone’s not happy, Mister Monroe.”

“Would you be happy if you were in my shoes, Mister Hamilton? Traveling this far back and forth, and all we got was approval of the previous treaty. What am I supposed to say when I see the President!”

“Isn’t that achievement enough? Do you know how much the people in the West are clamoring to use ‘New Orleans’?”

However, Monroe couldn’t hold back and snapped at Hamilton.

“The very presence of a European power right next to our country is the problem, Mister Hamilton!”

He seemed to dislike France more than the agreement itself.

Of course, Monroe was considered a pro-French expert on European affairs.

But at the same time, he was also the man who later created the Monroe Doctrine, which marked the beginning of American isolationist diplomacy.

Monroe’s belief was that the Old World, that is, the European powers, should not interfere in the affairs of this New World.

Now that France had acquired territory matching the United States in size, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

But Hamilton clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Tsk, you don’t seem to know what kind of person Mister Rochejacquelein is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mister Pinckney, didn’t you serve as the French ambassador most recently? You probably know better than I do, right?”

Former French Ambassador Pinckney, who was still sitting on the deck basking in the sun, replied.

“A rebel in the Vendée War, he participated in numerous French wars, especially the Egyptian Expedition.”

“I, I see. But what does that mean, anyway?”

“If negotiations fail, it means war, Mister Monroe.”

Pinckney, a hero of the Revolutionary War, glanced at Rochejacquelein and chuckled.

“I don’t have the confidence to defeat the French army that was invincible in Europe. Do you?”

Monroe, who was an excellent politician but had no military experience, trembled for a moment.

In this era, Europe was more advanced than the United States, and its army even more so.

France could mobilize a million troops in an emergency, but the entire population of the United States was only five million.

Of course, the French population in the New World had just begun to colonize, so all combined, it might barely reach 200,000.

Even so, what would happen if war broke out in earnest?

“There’s no need to worry. We are friends of the United States.”

The moment Rochejacquelein said reassuringly, Monroe cleared his throat.

“Of course, that’s right. If this agreement is passed in Congress, that is.”

If it wasn’t passed, it meant war.

***

The White House was not yet white, nor was it called the White House, nor was it a symbol of the highest power in the United States.

“Welcome. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. I heard you fought for freedom in the Vendée and were oppressed?”

However, it was indeed the place where the President lived, so Thomas Jefferson welcomed Rochejacquelein here.

Suddenly, at Jefferson’s greeting, the presidential delegation lined up behind him looked at each other.

Could he be mistaking him for someone else?

“Isn’t the President mistaken about something?”

“Just leave it be. It’s just a word of goodwill anyway.”

“No, what if he says something wrong during a congressional speech? That would be a disaster.”

While Pinckney and Hamilton were whispering, Rochejacquelein, the former rebel of the Vendée, smiled and replied.

“I am honored to meet the man who wrote the American Declaration of Independence. In Paris, the Declaration of Independence is always said to be a masterpiece.”

Of course, this was also half a lie.

The American Declaration of Independence did have a great influence on the French Revolution.

However, by around 1802, the Jacobins [radical revolutionaries during the French Revolution] argued that the French Declaration of the Rights of Man was superior, the Napoleonic government had no interest, and Rochejacquelein, a former royalist, certainly didn’t care.

Nevertheless, the fact that Jefferson was one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence was famous even in France.

But Jefferson smiled and brought up an unexpected topic.

“Even so, it wouldn’t be as good as the French Revolution’s Declaration of the Rights of Man, would it? Besides, France abolished slavery. That’s a really great thing.”

“Excuse me? No, Mr. President. The issue of slavery is a sensitive one.”

“So, shouldn’t we only talk about it when foreign envoys are here, not domestic figures? Mister Madison?”

Secretary of State James Madison was flustered and tried to stop him, but Jefferson didn’t stop.

“Do you know this? 20 percent of our American population are slaves.”

In the era when the total population of the New World United States was 5 million, 1 million were black slaves.

Most of them were concentrated in the South, but the problem was that the white population in the South was only 1.5 million.

Slaves accounted for almost half of the southern population.

In this situation, the United States was still continuously importing slaves through England.

Rochejacquelein also looked a little surprised.

“That’s surprising. So many black slaves.”

“The bigger problem is that most of them are in the South. But the South is adjacent to Florida. So, slaves run away to Florida so much.”

“Oh dear, that’s a difficult problem.”

At that moment, Jefferson said with a very gentle face.

“That’s right. To French territory that does not legally recognize slavery, those who are slaves in our United States flee to. This problem is becoming increasingly serious in the South.”

This was what Jefferson wanted to say.

The Democratic-Republican Party, which currently holds power in the United States, values state autonomy and pro-French foreign policy.

But state autonomy is directly linked to strengthening the independence of each state in the South.

On the other hand, the slave plantation owners lead each state in the South, and Jefferson is one of them.

However, these slaves were fleeing to Florida, which was nominally French territory, making it a major headache for the United States.

The fact that the United States and France were signing a treaty meant that there was such a hidden problem.

After thinking for a moment, Rochejacquelein nodded.

“I understand the President’s difficulties very well.”

“I’m glad you understand my plight. The envoys have signed, and my plenipotentiary [a person invested with the full power of independent action on behalf of their government] Livingston has approved, but don’t forget that there are still two steps left.”

“Congress.”

Jefferson sighed.

“That’s right. Now France has returned to a monarchy, but the parliamentary system still remains, right? So you’ll understand. There’s nothing the President can do on his own.”

Despite all the difficulties, Jefferson wanted to establish diplomatic relations with France.

He had visited Paris himself, supported what the French Revolution aimed for, and believed that checks on England were necessary.

Even so, if Congress did not approve, the efforts of the envoys and Jefferson so far would be in vain.

The Franco-American War could break out.

Rochejacquelein bowed politely and replied.

“I understand well, Mister President.”

Rochejacquelein had come to Washington to ensure the success of the treaty.

***

Lafayette hurriedly ran out of the newly established French Embassy in the United States.

“Have you met everyone?”

Looking at Lafayette, who spoke abruptly as soon as they met, Rochejacquelein wore a bitter smile.

“They weren’t easy to deal with, Chairman.”

“Call me Ambassador. When was I ever a chairman? Anyway, can you get it passed in this situation?”

“Hamilton has made a secret agreement to help in the House of Representatives. He says that the Northern state representatives are the majority.”

Hamilton’s political base was in New York State.

It wasn’t his hometown, but his father-in-law was a big figure in New York State, so he had a solid base in the North.

Furthermore, the Federalist Party, which supported Hamilton in the House of Representatives, had considerable power.

So, if you combine the representatives that the President could influence, you could exceed the majority.

The problem was the Senate, the representatives of the regions.

“That’s true. But you know, the Senate is the problem.”

“The House of Representatives is proportional to the population, and the Senate is elected by two people from each state, right?”

“That’s right. Especially the southern United States is sensitive to Florida, let alone the Louisiana issue.”

Lafayette said to Rochejacquelein with an anxious face.

“It can’t be passed that easily, Rochejacquelein. Did King Eugène bring any special methods?”

In fact, even when he came to the United States, Lafayette came with half the feeling of being exiled and half the feeling of taking a vacation.

Anyway, Lafayette was a complete hero in the United States.

However, when he actually arrived, there were too many things to deal with.

Did Eugène really have a solution to this problem?

-Swish.

Looking at the document that Rochejacquelein handed over, Lafayette blinked.

“What is this?”

“It’s written in English, so it’s a bit difficult for me. But you can read it fluently, right, Ambassador?”

“Where, huh?”

Instantly, Lafayette’s eyes widened.

“Good heavens, is this true? If it’s true!”

Rochejacquelein nodded expressionlessly.

“It’s true. Our Sureté agents extracted the latest information from the Alien Office in London three months ago. If we expose this British plot, we can definitely get the agreement passed.”

December 1802.

The French Sureté’s operation targeting the Washington Congress began.

A scheme using the British conspiracy plan as material.