I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 46

The Great Upheaval

December 29, 1834.

The 11th Parliament was dissolved, and all of Britain began preparations for a new election.

Robert Peel, determined to win this election and solidify his position as Prime Minister, boldly abandoned the name of the Tory party, which he had been using until now.

Robert Peel and the party’s key figures launched their campaign under the new name of the Conservative Party, more determined than ever.

“We will do everything we can to win the election.”

As the party’s policy, reminiscent of an all-out war, was announced, I headed to Ireland to lend a hand to the Conservative Party’s victory.

I needed to start showing my presence little by little to make Ireland my stronghold, and I was grateful that the party was giving me this opportunity.

I was once again imprinted in the minds of the key figures as a promising young student dedicated to the party.

Of course, it wasn’t just luck that things turned out this way.

Before the election schedule began, I spread rumors that Daniel O’Connell would be more active in Ireland during this general election.

The Conservative Party won approximately 20 seats in Ireland in the previous election.

This was only possible because they swept Northern Ireland, which was favorable to the Conservative Party; the area south of the central region was devastated for them.

Even setting aside the fact that I was from Ireland, they had to secure as many seats as possible to win the election.

During the election season, Ireland was arguably the most important place in Britain, excluding England.

Even if Wales and Scotland were combined, they only had about 80 seats, but Ireland alone had over 100 seats.

Even if they couldn’t defeat Daniel O’Connell, they wanted to secure more seats than the Whig Party in Ireland, at least.

This would be the honest sentiment of the Conservative Party’s leadership at this point.

In this situation, I, as the heir of Aaron Beck, a writer with a long tradition in Northern Ireland, volunteered to step up, so they had no choice but to welcome me with open arms.

I was even more excited because I could see a welcome person after a long time, not just for political gain.

I had been exchanging letters regularly, but it had been over two years since I had actually seen him.

So, when I met my father again, who was waiting at the mansion, I felt a slight shock.

Not for any other reason, but because he looked much more emaciated and haggard than I remembered.

“Father, your health is terrible. You should have called me. Or at least told me.”

“How far is it from London to here? I can’t call you for such a thing. James told me that you don’t rest except for sleeping all week.”

“Still, this isn’t right. You didn’t even call me to my stepmother’s funeral last time.”

“That’s because her family said they would take care of it, and the timing wasn’t good. And if I called you, the atmosphere could have become strange, so they probably thought it was better if you didn’t come. Cecilia didn’t come anyway, and everyone knows that you’re working hard for Cecilia in London, so don’t worry.”

Aaron Beck’s wife was not related to me by blood, and I had never even met her, so it was awkward to call her mother.

Still, she was clearly my mother in the registry, so I honestly couldn’t imagine that they wouldn’t even call me to the funeral.

The physical distance between Northern Ireland and London is vast, but this felt like a bit much.

“No matter how busy you are, taking care of your family is a basic human duty. My stepmother’s funeral is in the past, but if I’m in London and don’t care about my father’s deteriorating health, how will I be perceived by the locals?”

“So, I’m telling you not to worry. I may have lost some energy, but I still have no problem handling the estate work. Besides, I’ve been managing it much more enthusiastically these days, so my reputation has improved. If you don’t believe me, go out and ask around. I’ve been thoroughly laying the groundwork for the past two years in preparation for when you inherit this place.”

Could it be that the reason his health deteriorated was because of that?

As I watched silently, my father smiled and shook his head.

“I know what you’re thinking, but people change from day to day as they get older. I’m already well over seventy. Compared to two years ago, it’s natural that my energy has declined.”

“In that case, why don’t you reduce your workload and recuperate from now on?”

“I know what you’re doing, but it’s not for me. I’m experiencing a sense of reward and fulfillment that I’ve never felt before in my life, and you want me to give that up and slowly rot away like a living corpse? I can’t do that.”

“…”

In fact, my father’s face was haggard, but his eyes and expression were much more lively than before.

“Whenever James tells me how well you’re doing at Eton [a prestigious boarding school], you don’t know how envious people are of me. Besides, James didn’t tell me the details, but he repeatedly emphasized that you’re not someone who should be tied down to this narrow Northern Ireland. So, as a father, I can’t help but want to create a solid foundation so that you can spread your wings a little more easily.”

“It’s not just empty words, but I’ve already received more than I can repay in my entire life.”

“You don’t have to repay it, just keep receiving it. That’s the happiness of being a parent. There are already a lot of rumors because of the upcoming election, but if you get good results here, it will help your position in the future, right? I’ve been diligently planting seeds for the past two years, so you don’t have to worry about the number of seats decreasing from the last election.”

“Thank you. It will be a great help.”

A sincere thank you and the pride that he had been of great help to his son.

With just these two things, my father nodded contentedly with the brightest smile he had shown today.

It was unexpected support, but it seems like things will be easier thanks to it.

If I can’t perform well when he’s set up the stage like this, that would be unfilial.

So, I should go and do my filial duty properly for once.

* * *

“Respected voters! The Whig Party has failed! It is impossible to win Ireland’s legitimate rights with the Whig Party’s methods!”

“That’s right!”

“True reform is impossible with a method that only calls for reckless great reforms! Just shouting for reform? We can claim it right now! But even if we do, it will only be met with fierce opposition and run aground. It’s like trying to make a child who hasn’t even taken his first steps run! I promise you! We will never lie about things we can’t achieve. Gradually but surely! We will show you results that you can feel!

You must not cling to mirages that look sweet but cannot be achieved! The future of Ireland is with the Conservative Party!”

“Don’t be fooled by smooth-talking liars! The Whig Party should get out!”

Whether it was because my father had been working hard behind the scenes, the public opinion of the Whig Party was worse than expected.

In fact, it can be said that the Whig Party’s reform plan was blocked because the vested interests, including the Conservative Party, opposed it.

However, as the saying goes, “first strike wins,” the side that instigates first takes the lead in public opinion.

My father blamed the Whig Party’s amateur spirit for recklessly calling for reform for all of this.

And this was completely in line with the direction I had planned in advance.

My aim was to give the Conservative Party a prudent and professional image, and the Whig Party an image of hasty and reckless reformists.

Of course, if the Conservative Party was the same as in the original history, this strategy would have clear limitations.

However, the current Conservative Party has succeeded in gaining a moderate reform image by taking a reasonably rational position on the Factory Act and the Abolition of Slavery Act.

The leaders are giving a sense of security to existing voters by voicing conservative opinions as before, and young lawmakers are pursuing a two-track strategy of advocating moderate reforms and taking some of the Whig Party’s support.

I was still young, so I didn’t openly campaign in the election, but I walked around the site with candidates who were likely to be elected, making sure to show my face from time to time.

And I worked hard to manage my image by giving gifts not only to people with voting rights but also to ordinary citizens.

“This is a gift from the young master of the Aaron Beck family! Come here and taste the freshly baked bread!”

“No, we don’t have voting rights, so can we really take it?”

“Of course. This is not to ask for votes in the election. What if you don’t have voting rights? That doesn’t mean we’re not the same Irish people.”

“T, thank you! Thank you so much! I was tired of eating tasteless potatoes every day.”

“When our young master grows up, the time will surely come when you will live a life no less enviable than the people of England! Please think of the bread we are giving you here as a promise from our young master.”

In this era, it is common sense that there is no need to waste money unnecessarily on the middle class and lower classes who do not have voting rights.

But because of that, no one seemed to doubt my sincerity.

Because there’s no way there’s a human being who burns money meaninglessly like kindling.

I was distributing money from a long-term investment perspective since I wasn’t running in this election, but James was the only one who knew that.

People who don’t know how much my annual cash income is or how much my assets are can’t help but feel that the Aaron Beck family is volunteering by emptying their own pockets.

“Even if the Whig Party says they’re for Ireland, they just brag in the capital, have they ever even been here?”

“Even if they come, they only say good things to the wealthy who can vote, they don’t care about people like us.”

“In the end, it seems that the only ones who really care about us are from our hometown.”

“When I think about it, the Whig Party is all talk, isn’t it? They said they would do this and that, but almost no laws that benefit us have been passed, right?”

Slowly but surely, the shadow of the Whig Party was disappearing in Ireland.

It was Daniel O’Connell’s speech that dealt the final blow to this trend.

“Dear friends of my hometown! This is not the way! I realized while gaining experience in London. My heart is hot, but my head is cold! To achieve true independence, we need to be more rational. Claims that we should recklessly destroy and overhaul everything will only make independence more difficult. We need to unite more firmly among ourselves and show our will clearly!”

“Waaaaaa! O’Connell! O’Connell!”

“Savior of Ireland! Hope of Ireland!”

The attitude of getting along well with the Whig Party until now changed as if it were a lie.

It was like the Whig Party had been hit in the back of the head, but they couldn’t cope properly because it was an unexpected surprise.

O’Connell’s change made the Irish people wonder if there was really a problem with the Whig Party’s policy.

The central region of Ireland, where the Whig Party had a relative advantage, turned into a chaotic arena.

The approval ratings of the Conservative Party and O’Connell’s Repeal Association gradually rose, and the election period was too short for the Whig Party to cope.

“It will end more easily than expected.”

James, who was watching O’Connell giving campaign speeches while leading almost fanatical supporters, uttered a short impression.

“I know. I thought the atmosphere would be like that over there, but we’re feeling good too. We might get more seats than we thought.”

“But young master, I might be worried, but aren’t you giving O’Connell too much power?”

“Really? Are you worried about what will happen if they stab us in the back?”

“No. What kind of person are you, young master? You’ve already taken out insurance for that. But I’m a little worried that if O’Connell gains too much power, it might hinder you from dominating Ireland later.”

According to our expectations, the Repeal Association led by O’Connell will get about 50 to 60 seats this time.

It will definitely increase more than the 42 seats they got last time, but that’s not the important thing.

What happens if O’Connell takes 60 seats in a situation where the Whig Party and the Conservative Party are fiercely competing?

Of course, the possibility that neither side will secure a majority will increase that much.

In this case, the passage of bills will be impossible without O’Connell’s help, and Ireland’s presence will inevitably increase that much.

I had secretly created evidence that he had colluded with the Conservative Party in preparation for when O’Connell betrayed us, but James seemed to be worried about O’Connell’s influence itself, which would explode as a result of this, rather than betrayal.

But what I want is exactly that kind of situation.

“James, I have a question. Everyone I’ve met so far has told me that there’s a limit to how high people from Ireland can go in this country. If there’s someone who stands out that much, those who belong to the vested interests will never let it go. Do you think so too?”

“Yes? Well… I guess you could say it’s an uncomfortable truth.”

“Right? But no one can explain exactly how they won’t let it go. Of course, that’s because no Irish person has ever risen to that level since Ireland was absorbed into this country. So, if an Irish person who the vested interests of this country feel threatened by really appears, we need to actually see how they’re going to bury him and think about countermeasures.”

“Young master, don’t tell me…”

James stared alternately at O’Connell, who was giving a speech in the distance, and me with his mouth wide open.

“Since O’Connell is prepared anyway, I’m going to cheer him on hard from behind and help him if there’s anything I can do to help. Of course, it would be best if nothing happened.”

Of course, I know, and the sky knows, and we all know that 19th-century England, which is full of self-proclaimed gentlemen, is not such a tolerant society.

So, I need to watch closely from behind O’Connell how much petty machinations, slanders, and attacks will prevail.

There’s no guarantee that similar checks will not be poured out on me in the future.

Even if I’m close to the Conservative Party’s lawmakers and Victoria is backing me, or rather, because of that, there’s a high possibility that even more petty methods will be used.

James, who now understood my intentions, nodded, making a sound that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or a sigh.

In fact, there was one more reason I hadn’t told him yet.

I will try my best to defend him, but if O’Connell eventually fails because the offensive is stronger than expected.

When I succeed him as the hope of Ireland, how desperate and eager will the supporters’ hearts be?

Even if someone attacks me, the Irish people who remember the precedent of O’Connell will grit their teeth and try to protect me.

Either way, I have nothing to lose.

“…I hope O’Connell does better than expected.”

“I hope so too.”

James and I gave our sincere support to O’Connell, who was finishing his campaign with thunderous cheers and applause until the end.

* * *

February 6, 1835, when all the processes of the general election, which lasted for more than a month, were completed.

About 610,000 voters across the UK exercised their right to vote, and all schedules were completed.

The Conservative Party, which was determined to win, and the Whig Party, which was still strong despite that.

And the election of the Repeal Association of Ireland, which broke away from the Whig Party and declared its own path, was a chaotic election, and the results were chaotic.

Neither the Conservative Party, which desperately whittled down the Whig Party by mobilizing all available methods.

Neither the Whig Party, which criticized the corruption of the Conservative Party and loudly claimed that they were the only ones fit for reform.

Neither side reached a majority of 329 seats out of the total 658 seats.

Whig Party 320 seats

Conservative Party 285 seats

And Daniel O’Connell’s Repeal Association has 53 seats.

“The Whig Party and the Conservative Party both failed to reach a majority!”

“A major change! The right to decide on the composition of the majority party has been transferred to Ireland!”

The whole of Britain was shaken by the shocking result that no one had imagined, and the eyes of Westminster [the British Parliament] and Buckingham Palace were all focused on Ireland.

Although it is only the beginning, the wheels of time were gradually changing their trajectory in the direction I wanted.