I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 505

< Alchemist (4) >

From the situation in Denmark to the wedding of the Crown Prince of the British Empire, the Serbian situation, and the subsequent marriage of the Crown Prince of Prussia and the Princess of France, Europe was in turmoil.

While Europe was caught in a whirlwind, the American continent was also experiencing its own upheavals.

1872.

The United States of America was facing another period of divided public opinion ahead of the crucial time to elect the next presidential candidate.

“I don’t think a fourth term is possible. Isn’t it time to step down?”

“Your Excellency, that’s true, but you know that the Vice President is not in a condition to run in the election.”

“Hmph… then we must put forward another candidate.”

“The party convention is just around the corner. There’s no guarantee that we can beat the Democratic Party by putting forward a new candidate at this point!”

A demand for a fourth presidential term, unprecedented and unlikely to ever be repeated.

Lincoln was in a state of constant agony every day due to the demands of those around him.

“Even a third term drew fierce criticism, with claims that it would shake the foundations of this country’s politics. But a fourth term? Are you asking me to become a tyrant who will be forever remembered in the history books of the United States?”

“A tyrant? Your Excellency is the only one who can fix this chaotic situation.”

“…I’m going crazy.”

Why did Johnson have to break down at a time like this, driving everyone mad?

“Wouldn’t he recover if he just rested a little?”

“…The medical staff says he will need to recuperate for at least a year. We can’t run a presidential election with someone who has to lie in bed for more than a year.”

“Then we should put forward another candidate. I personally think that Governor Hayes looks promising.”

“He still doesn’t have enough recognition. Shouldn’t Your Excellency take on this term so that other runners can increase their recognition?”

Originally, the Republican Party planned to push Andrew Johnson as the next president after Lincoln.

He was initially an unpopular vice president, but how many communists had Johnson caught and thrown in jail since he created the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?

The only talent who could end the red dictator Engels of the South.

A freedom fighter whose name alone made the communists tremble.

In fact, a significant number of Northern citizens who firmly believed that the South should be crushed someday supported Johnson.

Of course, not everyone did.

[Democratic Representative Samuel: “Strongly condemns the Republican Party for creating unfounded fear.”]

[Is the South really a threat to the North? Analysis shows that the difference in national power is much greater than during the Civil War…]

The Democratic Party was constantly raising suspicions that the Republican Party was exaggerating the threat of the South more than necessary.

They claimed it was a shallow trick to extend their power by overstating the significance of the South.

In fact, many people agreed with this criticism to some extent, and quite a few people turned away from Johnson’s hard-line policies.

Still, an election is ultimately a fight that you win if your side has even one more person than the other side.

Johnson’s Southern wind mobilization gathered far more supporters than those who felt antipathy, and the expectation was that Johnson would win the next presidential election without difficulty.

Until just last week, when Johnson collapsed in his chair and became unable to get out of bed.

The party convention was also a place where Johnson was virtually guaranteed to win, so those who could be considered next-generation presidential candidates were simply biding their time.

This was because Johnson was not a very popular person, so it would be difficult for him to be re-elected. They had already calculated that they could aim for the presidency in four years as an opposition party within the ruling party.

“Is there really no chance that Johnson will recover quickly?”

“It was good that he went around eliminating communists, but he put too much energy into it. If he had done it moderately…”

“……”

“This is like a natural disaster, so no one will criticize you even if you take care of it, Your Excellency.”

Still, a fourth term.

If he served as president for 16 years with a fourth term, wouldn’t it be no different from reigning as a king?

He had already heard all sorts of insults when he served a third term, but the weight felt different between a third and fourth term.

A third term felt like he was just doing it one more time and stepping down, while a fourth term was like completely deviating from the norm.

“…Honestly, I don’t think any of our candidates will lose to the Democratic Party…”

“Your Excellency, didn’t you pledge to completely suppress the South during your term? The plan was for Vice President Johnson to take over and finish it, but other candidates don’t have the momentum to lead this.”

“Are you telling me to consider not only the next term but also the one after that?”

It is a Republican Party era now, but there was no guarantee that this dominance would last forever.

Isn’t public sentiment something that can be overturned right away if the next president makes a big mistake even once?

It was natural to be anxious about suddenly putting up a candidate who was not prepared for anything.

“…Hoo, I’m going crazy.”

Clearly, the initial goal was to reunite the divided United States and spend his retirement leisurely in his hometown, but how did he end up here?

A sigh naturally escaped him, but Lincoln already knew that the answer was already decided.

History had not yet allowed Lincoln to step down, and once he made up his mind, he was smoothly selected as the Republican presidential candidate.

-The only right answer to overcome the threat of the South: Abraham Lincoln!

-It’s time to break away from the tiresome communist rhetoric and pioneer a new era! Send Samuel J. Tilden to the White House!

Would they allow the first four-term president in history, or would they put new wine in new bottles?

November 5, 1872.

The US presidential election ended with the result that everyone expected.

[Lincoln’s Unstoppable Run.]

[Do they hate the Democratic Party or do they like the Republican Party?]

[First Four-Term, Then Even a Fifth Term? Republican Party’s Great Victory, Perfectly Acquiring Control of the Political Situation!]

Some people criticized him as a dictator, but Lincoln smoothly crossed the threshold of the White House again.

“President! Congratulations on your historic victory!”

“…It’s all thanks to you all.”

Even while receiving the pouring congratulations and joy, Lincoln could not fully rejoice.

The sweetness of victory was always thrilling to enjoy, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease, wondering if this was really the right thing.

What went wrong, and where did it start?

It seemed like there was a trigger, but no matter how much he racked his brain, there was nothing that felt like it.

Then one day.

[Perfect Abolition of Malthus’s Population Theory! Killian, the protagonist of artificial chemical fertilizers and the British Empire’s consort, visits Canada after a long time. What effect will it have on the United States?]

Seeing the large newspaper headline, Lincoln was able to find the missing piece of the puzzle he had been searching for so long.

That’s right, when you think about it, this man was the cause of everything?

* * *

At the point when Lincoln stood up and clapped his knees as if he had made a discovery that would remain in the century, Lincoln was not the only one possessed by Archimedes, shouting “Eureka!” and jumping out of the bathtub.

“…What did that Killian do again?”

“This is it. He made nitrogen into ammonia or something, but to put it simply, the amount of food production will increase dramatically in the future.”

“What the hell is that guy’s identity? He was the first to take the telegraph and telephone, and now he’s getting involved in shipping and even grains? Is he really thinking of ruling the world?”

“But he says he won’t exclusively use that fertilizer in the British Empire. He also announced that he will give as much help as needed for the world.”

“Ha! He’s become a saint.”

Even if he said that, Engels was one of the few people who had clearly felt how scary Killian was in the past few years.

So he could be sure that even if he acts like a saint worthy of the Bible, the biggest benefit will ultimately go to that person.

“Comrade Secretary, still, if that is introduced to our side, we can greatly increase the distribution amount, so you should request cooperation from that side…”

“Did you say that guy is in Toronto?”

“Yes. He plans to stay in Canada for the time being and tour major cities in Canada.”

“There was that traitor in Canada.”

Mikhail Bakunin, who quickly left the South and ran to Canada when a large-scale purge was carried out a few years ago.

It was a bit unsettling that he hadn’t been able to catch and kill that man, but fortunately, he hadn’t seen any movements that were still annoying.

However, the fact that Lincoln was re-elected president in the North was not good news for Engels.

Of course, it was better than the guy who shouted for unification by invading the South and destroying communism becoming president.

If Johnson had become president, he would have seriously planned to prepare for war.

However, when you think about it, Johnson was rampant because Lincoln had condoned it, so Engels could not predict how Lincoln would react.

“I don’t want to talk to that guy, but… I have no choice.”

Until now, he had been avoiding full-scale conflict as much as possible, but the North and South were already recognizing each other as enemies who had to eliminate each other.

If we take one more step from here, it is now the return of the old Civil War.

However, unlike then, both sides now have far more troops to mobilize, and the quality of firepower has also changed.

I don’t know how many people will die if we really fight, but frankly, that level of sacrifice is worth it if the regime doesn’t collapse.

The problem is whether this side’s position can be guaranteed when a full-scale war is waged with the North, but frankly, he wasn’t very confident.

“I don’t really want to see that man’s face again… but I can’t help it.”

The lives of the people, beliefs, and even his own pride.

In order to protect this power, it is only a coat that can be taken off and put on again at any time.

Killian’s tour of Canada and Lincoln’s fourth term.

The spirit of his youth had already disappeared without a trace from Engels’s eyes as he looked at the two articles reported side by side.

* * *

He smoothly took over Cargill and finished preparing to make his cute second son, who he cherished more than anything, the emperor of the world grain market.

It had already been decided that Edward would take over the throne, energy, and shipping industry of the British Empire.

If Adelaide is given a few small things in addition to the business she has built, she will know how to increase her share on her own.

If Alfred firmly grasps the grain market and manages the James Group as my spokesperson, there will be nothing lacking.

Now I have to seriously think about what to do for the remaining two children, but what else is there?

In fact, it would not be easy to bring something else from Europe and the American continent because I have already put too many stakes there.

So now I should slowly turn my eyes to Asia and look for new honey pots, but there was nothing that immediately caught my eye.

Still, I wasn’t particularly impatient.

There was still plenty of time, so why would I be impatient if I just looked at the trends in Asia from a longer-term perspective?

However, when the North and South ambassadors in Canada came to me and sent SOS signals asking for help in turn, I couldn’t hide the urge to go straight back to London.

“…What, a full-scale war? War?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. Secretary Engels is convinced that the day when the North will launch a full-scale military provocation against us is not far away.”

“That’s very strange. I heard the exact opposite story two days ago.”

“Objectively, the North is slightly ahead in terms of population and military power, so why would we launch a military provocation? That is just the North’s unfounded delusion. Comrade Secretary is convinced that war is just around the corner.”

The Balkans have calmed down, and now America is in trouble.

Maybe there is a law of conservation of total war in this world.

I don’t have the energy anymore. Please cooperate so I can rest comfortably.