I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 347

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Originally, the Ministry of Justice in the United States was merely a shell, with only a minister and no actual departments.

The Minister of Justice’s role was simply to advise the President and other ministers on legal matters, so there was no need for a departmental structure.

However, as social safety became increasingly precarious and order faltered, the need for a powerful organization arose. Andrew Johnson strongly urged Lincoln to elevate the Ministry of Justice to a formal department.

He even granted it the formidable power to oversee and supervise federal prosecutors.

He also meticulously declared in advance that he would not take the ministerial position, lest others suspect that he was aiming for this powerful ministerial post rather than the nominal position of Vice President.

However, Andrew Johnson’s aim was never the position of Minister of Justice from the start.

“Our United States is now facing an unprecedented crisis! If we let our guard down, operatives dispatched from the South will erode our society before we even realize it! But because our criminal law differs from state to state, it is difficult to punish criminals according to uniform standards! They know our weaknesses better than anyone and are exploiting this vulnerability!

Therefore, we need an enforcement agency at the federal level to exercise strong judicial power!”

It was a very plausible argument, and the agitation that traitors from the South were already widespread in the North was well received, so citizens absolutely supported Andrew’s policies.

“Before the election, I vowed to dedicate all my abilities to rooting out the traitors who are undermining our society and restoring our country to health. Therefore, I will temporarily lead the Bureau of Investigation, which will be newly created under this Ministry of Justice, and do my best to ensure that you, the citizens, can live safe lives!”

Basically, the United States guarantees the autonomy of each state as much as possible, but after the Civil War, public opinion mainly favored the idea that parts that needed to be controlled should be firmly controlled.

In fact, Andrew Johnson had no intention of implementing such strong policies.

However, the political landscape and supporters, already consumed by madness, seemed to like it even more when the opposition was cracked down on harshly, and Andrew had long since missed the timing to hit the brakes.

He was planning to stop when there was a reaction that this was too much and he should restrain himself.

Frankly, he was scared of how long he would have to keep up this pace.

However, this was the best way to maintain the approval rating of the regime, so what else could he do?

“Vice President, I’ve seen the authority of the newly created Federal Bureau of Investigation, and isn’t it too powerful?”

“Your Excellency, this is what our supporters want. The vast majority want the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use its powerful force to root out the traitors who are undermining society.”

“···But those traitors. How can we catch them? Do we have an alternative?”

Would he be worrying about this if he had one?

Lincoln sighed, burying his head in his hands at the Vice President’s silence.

The Vice President had taken the new position, even breaking the custom of not holding other positions in the federal government.

Although he glossed over it with the excuse of temporary command, it was the way of the world that he had to show results if he created such a large-scale organization.

But the problem was that the Southern traitors who were said to be lurking in the North were a non-existent fiction.

“So, you should have induced fear moderately! Now you keep telling lies you can’t handle, and this is what happens!”

“Your Excellency, you clearly agreed as well. You can’t just pass the buck to me now.”

“No, I’m not passing the buck; I mean we need to start devising an escape strategy. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation is fully operational, you’ll have to start identifying the traitors you’ve been talking about so much. You’re not thinking of framing Democratic congressmen, are you?”

Andrew’s shoulders flinched when the means he had been considering as a last resort was mentioned.

Lincoln frowned at the sight and shook his head firmly.

“That method is absolutely forbidden. Unless there is a congressman who actually sold information, the moment the regime frames the opposition party and purges them, the freedom of this country is over. If you don’t want to become a real traitor who has ruined the politics of the United States, never cross that line.”

“···I understand. Still, like Breckenridge’s case, it’s necessary to shake up the Democratic congressmen once in a while. Who knows if the South really left behind some traitors?”

Traitors exist. No, they must exist.

Otherwise, how could he handle it when everything he had built up would boomerang back at the end of his term?

Let’s shake them up first.

Since everyone has dirt if you dig deep enough, you can somehow tie it up and indict them.

Lincoln said not to carry out political repression, but he didn’t say not to indict existing crimes, did he?

Andrew Johnson successfully launched a new organization called the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI for short, with Lincoln’s permission.

And at the inauguration, Andrew declared louder than anyone else.

“I solemnly declare that I will not abuse this strict power entrusted to me by the citizens, but will conduct investigations fairly and responsibly, and protect citizens from the dangers of crime!”

“Wow!”

“Andrew! Andrew! Andrew!”

“Please bring down the traitors who are ruining the country!”

Since he shouted so confidently, the names of the traitors would be published in the newspaper one after another as soon as the FBI exercised its investigative power.

Andrew’s insides burned black every time he heard the enthusiastic support of his unwavering supporters.

Please, someone do something!

At this rate, he would have no choice but to fabricate non-existent crimes and produce a large number of innocent victims!

Still not giving up hope that there might actually be traitors in the Democratic Party, Andrew secretly mobilized agents to dig into the Democratic congressmen first.

-···It has been confirmed that there is almost no possibility that the congressmen in question leaked state information for the above reasons······.

The moment Andrew checked the investigation report, which he had dug up in the hopes of catching just one guy after months of investigation.

Andrew’s vision went dark.

* * *

Lincoln was recently feeling deeply that the fate of a country split in two was so arduous.

The North tightened and controlled its citizens using the South as an excuse, and the South did the same with the North, and even the president could not do anything about this trend.

He wondered if it would have been easier to just lose the election, but if someone else had been in this position instead of him, the situation might have been more serious.

Even Andrew Johnson was thinking of framing Democratic congressmen and sending them all to jail.

The ministers, as well as the congressmen of the ruling party, were not able to maintain a proper center in this mad political situation.

A black comedy was being staged in which they held their breath, fearing that the sharp blade of power would strike them at any moment, and desperately verified their ideology, claiming that they were not traitors.

However, as Andrew feared, the power of this power was by no means infinite.

What if the power of the regime runs out and doubts begin to arise that all of this was just chasing after non-existent clouds?

At that time, not only Lincoln but also the Republican Party would have to fly away together.

“Hoo···Damn it, my head hurts. And to top it off, a troublesome guest is visiting at a time like this.”

As if things weren’t bad enough, with domestic politics alone being overwhelming, a VIP from overseas visited, putting the State Department on emergency alert.

Moreover, for some reason, this person scheduled a personal meeting with the President, so Lincoln had no choice but to make time.

Of course, considering the identity of the visiting party, the President had no choice but to meet and talk with him at least once.

The King’s Consort [the spouse of the reigning monarch] of the British Empire and the Duke of Canada.

For some reason, Killian Gore finished his tour of Canada and scheduled a visit to the United States.

In fact, Killian was a very difficult person to judge from the perspective of the United States of America.

Considering that he was not only the King’s Consort of the British Empire but also the plenipotentiary ambassador [a diplomat with full authority to represent their government] of Canada, he was a powerful figure who would have a huge impact on the United States, so it was necessary to get close to him.

However, considering the situation in Canada, which is growing at a frightening rate, there is also the idea that it is necessary to keep it in check somehow.

Of course, it wasn’t like they could just check it if they wanted to, so the important thing was to make Killian and Canada have a friendly attitude towards the United States.

So how does Killian view the United States?

That was what was making Lincoln’s head ache.

Based on his actions so far, he doesn’t seem to be very friendly to the United States.

But it’s hard to say that he’s hostile, and there were aspects that made it difficult to see him that way.

Rather, compared to France, Prussia, and Spain, he was so much more pro-American that he couldn’t be sure what his exact position was.

He had never met him face-to-face, so this meeting might be an opportunity to gauge him.

So, despite the complicated domestic political situation, Lincoln prepared as much as he could to welcome Killian.

Fortunately, the atmosphere was more cordial than expected, and the meeting was productive.

Above all, it was an unexpected achievement to receive confirmation that the Panama Canal, which is currently under construction, would not exclude the United States.

“The United States will be one of the top customers of the Panama Canal, so why would we discriminate against them?”

“Many people are expressing concerns that they may suffer losses in terms of canal tolls and other aspects.”

“Don’t worry. The tolls will be the same for all countries. Of course, Panama is a government-led project, but that doesn’t mean the British Empire government will discriminate against the United States. I can promise you that for sure.”

“Thank you.”

Killian repeatedly emphasized the need for Canada and the United States to establish a cooperative relationship, and in fact, his policies were closer to pro-North than pro-South.

There were a few people who criticized him for selling weapons to both sides in the war, but in fact, there were overwhelmingly more people who criticized Spain.

Objectively speaking, what kind of stupid leader would refuse if Spain offered to buy weapons first?

Therefore, the majority of public opinion in the North was that it was unreasonable to criticize Canada for selling weapons to Spain.

In addition, when you look at it one by one, Canada and the British Empire’s actions were not satisfactory, but the fact that France and Prussia were so disliked overshadowed them.

Since those two countries are openly checking the United States, wouldn’t it be necessary to get along well with the British Empire on the surface for now?

In particular, Killian is said to be skilled in politics, unlike ordinary royalty, so it wouldn’t be bad to get close to him.

Lincoln listened to his conversation with a subtle smile, never showing any discomfort.

“Will Your Highness continue to visit Canada regularly as you do now?”

“I used to, but recently my children have been going, so I’m gradually reducing the frequency.”

“I see. It is rumored that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also very bright, and I would like to invite him as a VIP next time.”

“Thank you for your kind words, but he still has a lot to learn. Hahaha, by the way, I heard that you have been having a lot of worries lately.”

Like a seasoned politician, the two never revealed their inner feelings on the outside, but Lincoln paused for a moment at Killian’s indifferent words.

Is a state guest on a diplomatic visit talking about the internal affairs of another country? Why?

“If you mean worries···.”

“It may be a bit of an uncomfortable story, but the reason I wanted this private meeting was because there was an important matter I wanted to let you know.”

“What is this important matter?”

He was already having a headache, and if another accident broke out here, he might really die from a hole in his stomach.

Lincoln, who was feeling uneasy, stiffened with tension as he slowly looked at the letter Killian took out of his pocket.

What could be written in it that he brought it written down like that instead of saying it?

Just looking at the royal seal, which symbolizes top secret, it is clear that it is not an ordinary content.

Does that mean it’s too complicated to say?

Maintaining his poker face as much as possible, Lincoln received the letter from Killian, took a deep breath, and read the contents written inside.

“···This is······.”

“How is it? It’s a bit of a sensitive topic to say out loud, so I showed it to you in writing. Of course, I have to take it back, so I would appreciate it if you could just look at it and memorize it.”

What am I looking at right now?

Lincoln glanced up at Killian’s face, which was smiling calmly.

He was wrong. The State Department and himself were completely wrong from the start.

Royalty with a talent for politics? What an arrogant evaluation from above.

The person in front of him now is not royalty but a born politician.

Despite becoming the King’s Consort of the British Empire, his abilities as a politician, which he had in his youth, had not diminished at all.

But at the same time, he felt a strong conviction.

“What is your intention in showing this to me?”

“Didn’t the North inadvertently suffer a great loss because of us in the last war? I would appreciate it if you could see it as a sign of apology for that.”

If it’s pure goodwill without expecting anything in return, then there’s nothing more to ask for.

Although it was embarrassing, it was like a sweet revelation like rain during a drought.

[Soon, communism will break out in the South, and the North will also be affected, so define them as subversive elements that undermine society and wipe them out all at once.]

Just when he was worried about where to get the non-existent traitors, such a good excuse rolled in on its own.

Yes, traitors are not just spies who sell information.

Traitors are communists who are trying to overthrow the North under the orders of the South.

The anxiety in Lincoln’s heart completely evaporated as he gained an invincible sword, and a sense of relief about victory filled its place.