I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 350

< The Bad Guys vs. The Weird Guys (4) >

The citizens of the South.

And the leaders who guided them.

In the beginning, they never dreamed it would turn out like this.

“Independence! Independence!”

“Long live the Confederate States of America!”

The thought processes of most people aren’t that complex.

Especially in an era where higher education wasn’t a given, most people viewed the world very simply.

The reason for starting the war was also very simple.

To protect my hometown, my family, and my property.

The autonomy of each state wasn’t of great interest, and few people talked about it.

Southern politicians knew this well, so when encouraging citizens, they didn’t bring up political logic.

Drive out the evil and greedy Northern Yankees.

If we chase them away, we can protect our homeland and enjoy our independence.

In reality, not all Southern citizens lived aristocratically, owning slaves, just because the slave system was recognized.

A significant number of Southern citizens were poor, and these poor people only gained vicarious satisfaction from seeing the few wealthy people who handled slaves.

I want to live the life of a successful white man who owns slaves someday.

That aspiration was the driving force behind maintaining the Southern social system.

But….

“Haa… damn it. How long do we have to live like this?”

“Didn’t we win the war? Weren’t things supposed to get better if we just became independent?”

“I heard we didn’t win with our own strength.”

“No, still, it’s strange. They clearly said everything would be fine if we just became independent, but strangely, it feels like it’s harder to live than before. Don’t you think?”

Over the past few years, Southern citizens have shed blood on the battlefield with the single-minded determination to protect their homeland.

Compared to the North, which had a disproportionately large population, the South launched an all-out war to the point where, exaggerating slightly, there wasn’t a young man of shooting age who hadn’t been to war.

The fierce and desperate war came to an end, and the citizens believed they could finally take a breath and live comfortably.

But reality was harsh.

[If we don’t increase production, the North will take over the country!]

[If we don’t achieve industrial development, we will be absorbed by the North!]

[If we show even the slightest gap, black people will try to escape at any time and collapse the slave system!]

[Black people are dissatisfied with their situation and are not working as hard as they used to!]

[Patriots! Labor is the way to protect the country with patriotism!]

Why is life so hard?

When can we enjoy the sweetness of independence they promised?

Anger surged.

Fathers, sons, friends.

Was the independence gained by losing countless precious relatives just this?

That can’t be. It shouldn’t be.

Anger rose, but there was no way to resolve it.

Someone was needed to accept this anger.

[Because Yankee invaders are inciting black people to create social unrest!]

The government constantly insisted on this to the people.

[How much better has the treatment of slaves become recently? Even absurd laws have been enacted that strip owners of their ownership of slaves if they don’t act like masters, and look at the results!]

“So, the North is inciting black people now?”

“Does that mean the country could be taken over again if we’re not careful?”

“No war! Absolutely not!”

The fear of war, which had completely shattered their peaceful daily lives, was embedded in all Southern citizens like a trauma.

And the madness that used this fear of war covered the entire country.

If society becomes unstable, the North will invade, and black people dreaming of liberation will rise up.

The whole world is the enemy, a group of evil people who follow the enemy.

The citizens had only two choices.

Either just silently suppress themselves and be exploited as obedient workers in factories.

Or ferret out the Northern spies who utter dissatisfied voices.

But that’s only for a moment, how can a person live like that for the rest of their life?

Besides, I don’t understand why complaining about being tired when they make you work all day makes you a Northern spy.

If you say it’s hard because work is hard, does that make you an agent of the North?

Desperation that things can’t go on like this welled up in everyone’s hearts, but there was no way to express it.

The moment you shout out, ‘Life is too hard, you damn politicians and capitalists, you try working like this for a day,’ you’ll be branded as a subversive.

But right then.

[Unite! Let’s unite, workers of the whole country!]

[You are being deceived! The target of your anger is not the North, nor the black people! The capitalists who exploit us are the enemies we must overthrow!]

A clear answer was presented that would break through the blocked heart.

The smart-looking young people who had started appearing everywhere in the village from some point on told them the clear reason why they were living such miserable lives.

“Dear citizens, comrades! You have been looking in the wrong place until now. But that’s not your fault! It’s because the wicked groups who blinded your eyes and closed your ears have desperately deceived you!”

“Hey! You’ll get arrested if you say that!”

“Arrest me if you want! But someone has to tell the truth! Someone has to shout out here and tell you the truth!”

The agents who were spread everywhere with the support of the government strangely didn’t arrest these young people who were making these claims.

No, even if they were arrested, they somehow escaped right away and went around instilling the truth in people.

A new organization called the American Workers’ Union was created, and the Southern workers, who had been scattered like grains of sand, began to unite.

“That’s right. We were being deceived!”

“The North will invade if we don’t work 14 hours a day? Who the hell started that nonsense!”

No matter how crazy the Northern Yankees are, does it make sense that they would attack just because we reduced our working hours a bit?

So, when we work 14 hours, they are terrified and can’t think of invading, but when we work 10 hours, they think, ‘Oh, those guys only work 10 hours a day? This is our chance,’ and invade?

Rather, if they see us working 14 hours a day, they would judge that we don’t have the physical strength to fight in the war and be more inclined to invade.

As the American Workers’ Union grew, the famous European socialist Engels himself appeared, and he urged the workers and citizens to awaken and unite every day.

“Think about who has oppressed and exploited you until now! Who dragged you to the factories and forced you to work? Was it the Northern Yankees? Or was it the black slaves?”

“No!”

“That’s right! Neither! But until now, we have been pouring out our anger on completely different people, seduced by the sweet talk of those who exploit us! Why? Of course, they were afraid that we would realize who we really should be rejecting! People! Open your eyes! There are no agents trying to overturn this country anywhere! Black people are not the enemy!”

“So, are you saying we should abolish slavery?”

“Is there anyone here who will be affected by the abolition of slavery? If there is anyone here who runs a large-scale farm while using slaves, please raise your hand.”

Of course, there were none among the workers and ordinary citizens.

In the first place, handling slaves also cost maintenance, and the only people who made a profit while paying that maintenance were the privileged few who ran farms.

“Look! There’s no one! But why! Why should you be exploited, shedding blood and sweat for such an absurd right that you can’t even enjoy? There are those up there who comfortably use slaves and don’t lift a finger. Why are you wearing chains around your necks and acting as their guards for them!”

“But most people here believe that one day they too will live a successful life managing slaves like that!”

“That itself is an illusion! People! Open your eyes! Open your eyes now and look back on your lives. When you open your eyes in the morning, you go to work at the factory and work for 14 hours, 16 hours. When you finish work, you don’t even have the strength to go home, so you sleep at the factory or desperately go home and sleep. And when you open your eyes, you go to work again and do the same thing as yesterday. Every day, every day, you repeat this work until your body breaks down and no longer listens.

Now, what’s the difference between you and those black slaves except for your status? Giving you the sweet illusion that you too can succeed someday, and continuing to exploit and suck you dry! That’s their aim!”

Thinking about it, it was true.

We live with the belief that we are different from those black people, that one day we too will live a life managing them, but in fact, what’s the difference between them and us?

The only difference is that black people are slaves of the farm owners, and we are slaves of the factory owners.

“Open your eyes! You are not living this difficult life because you are lacking, because you are bad!”

The one phrase people wanted to hear the most.

All of this so far was a conspiracy by the bourgeoisie [the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes] to subtly monopolize the country’s profits.

The citizens were just innocent and unfortunate victims who were played by their tricks.

“President Jefferson, explain immediately!”

“We don’t want a life in chains!”

“Provide clear evidence that the North is invading!”

“Stop making excuses with nonsense and let us rest one day a week! Please, let us live while breathing a little!”

The dam that had been forcibly blocked began to crack.
A huge red wave began to engulf the South.

* * *

The workers’ cries, once ignited, did not stop.

If the finances hadn’t been drained by paying off the debts owed to Europe after the war.

If they hadn’t hastily promoted industrialization, suppressing the workers, under the pretext of preparing for the future.

If a focal point to gather their grievances hadn’t suddenly fallen from the sky.

Even if only one of these factors had been missing, things wouldn’t have escalated so quickly.

But the snowball that combined all these factors rolled rapidly at an enormous speed, not giving the government time to respond.

Still, the government wasn’t standing idly by.

“The European communists have crossed over to the American continent!”

“The communists’ goal is to destroy the country and take it over for themselves!”

“People! Don’t be fooled by the communists’ seductive tongues! Even the North couldn’t do anything to us! Let’s protect this proud country that we won independence with our own hands!”

The government labeled Engels and Bakunin as communists with the will to overthrow the country and tried to arrest them at all costs.

But they moved so strangely and elusively, avoiding the government’s surveillance network, and the voices condemning the government grew louder and louder.

Of course, not all workers immediately demanded that the president be overthrown and the government dissolved.

“Guarantee holidays!”

“Stop forcing sacrifices under the guise of patriotism!”

“Provide fair compensation for labor!”

“Stop the despicable act of using black slaves as shields!”

In some ways, these were truly natural demands, and in some ways, they were too radical, but there were many people who would be satisfied even if they only got this much.

But at the time, there were more politicians who believed that compromising with the citizens’ demands was a defeat.

Moreover, the sense of crisis that if they accepted their demands, not only the industrialization of the South but also slavery would end played a role.

Isn’t it unacceptable to let the South’s unique system, which even the North couldn’t do anything about, collapse on its own like this?

Therefore, President Jefferson had no choice but to make a decision that would forever change the history of the South.

“As of this moment, I authorize the use of force. Disperse them all.”

A revolution grows by feeding on blood and violence.

It was none other than the politicians leading the South who filled the last piece that could turn the protest into a revolution.