I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 141

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 141

The Fork in Hell

“The United States has declared war on Mexico!”

“Good heavens. What should we do then?”

“What do you mean, what should we do! Let’s join the United States at this opportunity!”

“We are a proud independent nation. Are you saying we should abandon our status as an independent nation and become one of them? Some people have less pride than a speck of dust.”

The Republic of Texas, which had been debating whether to join the Union or maintain independence for a long time after gaining independence from Mexico, was now facing an unprecedented dilemma.

It was difficult to keep up with the situation due to the sudden outbreak of war, but the die had already been cast.

Immediately after the United States declared war, Mexico also declared war, and the Republic of Texas, caught in the middle, had to choose its course as soon as possible.

Of course, now that the situation had reached this point, anyone could easily predict which side the Republic of Texas would choose.

From the beginning, a significant number of residents in the Republic of Texas were Anglo settlers who came from the United States.

It was safe to say from the start that they would join the Union rather than side with Mexico.

“How about we just open the way for the United States Army and not get involved in this war?”

“In that case, Mexico will most likely lose the war, and at that moment, our territory will be completely surrounded by the United States. How can we maintain our independence in that state? That’s no different from saying we should just join the Union.”

“Then what do we do? The time to tell them to stop fighting and cool down has already passed.”

And even if we told them to be patient, those United States guys with anger management issues wouldn’t listen.

After considering various situations, public opinion in the Republic of Texas eventually leaned towards siding with the United States rather than Mexico.

Wasn’t it those Mexican taco guys who caused this war in the first place?

Just when it seemed that Texas would fall into the hands of the United States without much difficulty, a shocking truth that would plunge the entire United States into shock suddenly emerged without any warning.

[Who is this war for? The ugly truth of a war without justification]

[“My child only risked his life for the United States. But in an instant, he became a traitor bought by Mexico!” Tears of parents who lost their children. Were the Hounds really slave hunters who received bribes from Mexico?]

[The evidence is fabricated. A log documenting the schedule of the giant slave hunter organization, the Hounds, has been discovered!]

At first, I thought some crazy newspaper, full of greed for money, was self-destructing again.

No matter what, if they made absurd claims that the country was committing fraud even after the declaration of war, they would naturally receive a stern judgment from the public authorities.

However, strangely enough, this bizarre rumor did not subside but rather grew stronger day by day.

The reason was that the person who presented such clear evidence was a member of the House of Representatives of that country.

The revelation that the reason for this insane war was ultimately a conspiracy to expand the power of the South plunged the United States political world into deep chaos once again.

‘My lord, should we hand over this data to them? We could choose to bury it for the sake of the country’s interests.’

‘Anyone else would, but not Lincoln. Not just because he is a moral person, but because he will judge that this manipulation, which will permanently damage the prestige of the United States, is more harmful to the national interest than the result of a momentary war.’

The belongings of a member of the slave hunter Hound, which had passed through the hands of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and handed over to James’ NBA [National Basketball Association, here used as an acronym for James’ organization], were thus handed over to Lincoln.

And there, Lincoln discovered a log containing all the schedules and plans of the Hounds, and he could not contain his anger and publicly revealed this data in Congress.

“Mr. President! Acting Governor of Virginia! Please explain this data!”

“Oh, what explanation? How long are you going to keep harping on a fact that is already over?”

“It’s not an over fact, it’s starting from this moment! Look at this data. Not a single part matches the data released by the Acting Governor of Virginia!”

“Then what do you want to argue? Are you perhaps trying to argue that the evidence presented by the government is all fabricated?”

“It’s not an argument, it’s an objective fact. If this data I’m presenting now is false, then explain it!”

But of course, the White House remained silent, as if determined to simply bury the controversy.

At first, even the congressmen who had criticized Lincoln, saying that he was doing nonsense to increase his name value and should keep his mouth shut since the war had already started, began to wonder.

No matter how they looked at the data, it seemed that what Lincoln was saying was correct.

Then what was the data presented by the Acting Governor of Virginia and the White House?

After cross-validation, it was clear that one of them had to be lying.

The question was who was telling the truth, but it was almost a waste of time to even compare.

“These items came from the body of a Hound member who died in Canada. There are torn areas from being grazed by bullets, but there is no major problem in confirming the contents. It states in great detail who they received the request from in Virginia, what route they took, and why they crossed the Canadian border.”

“But even if they received bribes from Mexico, wouldn’t there be no reason to write that down?”

“Isn’t it written that the reason they crossed the Canadian border was because they received information that slaves who had collectively escaped from Virginia had entered Ontario via the North! And it also states where they got that information. It’s the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which is continuing to grow in size in the United States. I have already asked the detective agency if the Hounds actually requested such information, and I have also received confirmation that they investigated and provided the information for a fee!”

If the Hounds bought information from the detective agency and crossed the border into Ontario from there, then the government’s story is a complete lie.

Until now, the government has been claiming that the Mexican side issued an order to cross Ontario and provoke the British Empire and distributed bribes.

“Of course, the detective agency said that they didn’t even imagine that they would actually cross the border and attack a Canadian village. But if the information about Ontario came from a detective agency in the United States, then the claim that Mexico incited the Hounds to target that area cannot fundamentally stand!”

The government side, cornered, hurriedly refuted, but knowing that nothing they said would work in terms of content, they attacked another point.

“Representative Lincoln, where did you get that information! Could it be that you were also instigated by anti-government forces?”

“Instigated? Since this incident broke out, I have been working hard to repatriate the bodies of our United States citizens who died in Canada. Even if they committed crimes across the border, the fact that they are our United States citizens does not change. But the government dismissed them as traitors who had been bought by Mexico and made no effort to repatriate them! So I did it instead. But looking at this log found in their bodies, I think I know why the government was so passive in repatriating the bodies.”

As the situation escalated, even the Northern congressmen who had supported the war leaned towards the idea of conducting a thorough investigation.

At the same time, a rumor began to circulate in D.C. [Washington, D.C.] and the far-off Republic of Texas.

The United States concocted this conspiracy to wage war with Mexico and easily absorb Texas.

Originally, Texas is an area where many people with particularly rebellious tendencies, even among those from the United States who go left when told to go right, make up the majority.

It was a group of rebellious people who declared independence when Mexico told them to stay put, and the pro-Union faction gained power when the great powers told them not to join the Union.

With this situation happening in such a place, how would public opinion change?

-The Republic of Texas has decided to postpone its union with the United States indefinitely until the United States thoroughly investigates this situation and takes a satisfactory response.

We will not side with the United States in the war, so get lost.

General Zachary Taylor, the commander of the United States, and his army, who were trying to pass through Texas and head to the Rio Grande, were stranded at the same time as the outbreak of the war.

* * *

-As expected, Lincoln exposed all the truth. The White House is currently paralyzed. Northern congressmen are rising up, saying that a thorough investigation should be conducted even now, while Southern congressmen are criticizing it as a treasonous act that goes against the interests of the country to divert attention elsewhere since the war has begun.

-The Southern slave escape is proceeding successfully. More than 2,300 slaves have successfully escaped collectively from Virginia, South Carolina, and Mississippi, and some say they will remain in the area and start a riot. If this situation turns into a large-scale slave rebellion, the South will likely have a hard time avoiding chaos.

Hmm. It’s a complete mess.

Even though it’s my doing, it’s going perfectly without any flaws.

In the North, the Northern congressmen, who have completely seized the initiative, are beating the Southern side like a sandbag, and the South, which is already being beaten, is belatedly discovering that a fire has broken out in their base.

In normal times, they would have immediately dispatched troops to suppress it, but what a pity.

A significant number of the Southern troops are already stranded in Texas and New Mexico.

Even the fleet, which was supposed to devastate the Mexican coast and launch a landing operation at the same time as the outbreak of the war, is watching the situation without being able to do anything.

The commanders in the field must be in a state of despair.

They were told to wage war and bravely stepped forward, but suddenly their base is collapsing, so how can they continue to fight?

But since the war has already broken out, they can’t just turn back, and even if they are a disorganized rabble, the Mexican army, armed with guns, is looking for an opportunity to attack them.

While the United States, which is in a situation where it can neither advance nor retreat, is in chaos, I am diligently carrying out my existing plans.

“Governor-General, looking at the situation, it seems that the war may be prolonged, so shouldn’t we take preemptive measures to protect our citizens?”

“Preemptive measures, you say······?”

“Isn’t there an area where Mexico, the United States, and our British-controlled Canada are all in contact at the same time? I’m talking about the Oregon area here. I hear that a significant number of our citizens have settled and are living in Oregon, and I’m worried that our citizens may be caught up in the flames of war given the current atmosphere.”

“Indeed, you are my lord. The citizens will be deeply moved by your compassionate heart that even worries about the safety of the colonies.”

“Other times would be different, but now Her Majesty the Queen is staying in Canada. Even if it’s a colony, I think it’s a serious problem that could damage the prestige of the British Empire to give the impression that we are not protecting the safety of our citizens. What do you think?”

What is there to think about?

The Governor-General immediately nodded and quickly scanned the huge map of North America with his eyes.

“Your Highness is absolutely right. Then I will immediately allocate some of the standing army and organize militias from various regions to send to Oregon. If we firmly secure the peace in the Oregon area, our citizens will be able to rest assured and return to their livelihoods.”

“Please do so. Ah, and I have sent a letter to the parliament, so the answer will be back soon. When that time comes, we may have to move the army in earnest, so please finish the necessary preparations.”

“When you say full-scale preparations···?”

“Looking at the current situation, isn’t it highly likely that the United States is trying to use us in their territorial expansion plan after blaming Mexico for everything? If they have committed such a heinous act, they should naturally pay the price. Anyway, I told him to come right away, so Ambassador Everett will be rushing over here.”

If we wage a real war, it will be costly for us too, but from the United States’ point of view, even if we, who have gained perfect justification, stab them, they will be terrified and bow their heads.

In the current situation, if they wage a two-front war, they may suffer a crushing defeat to the point of having to cede territory not only to the British Empire but also to the likes of Mexico.

First of all, we should proceed with negotiations on the premise of handing over all areas in the west that are in territorial dispute to us.

What will happen if they refuse?

What else? As a price for daring to touch our Queen, the world’s strongest Royal Navy will be dispatched.

Think carefully if you don’t want the entire coast to be turned into a wasteland with a Buster Call [a devastating naval bombardment].