Chapter 322: American Version of Hongmen Banquet (Bonus Chapter)
On the first day of the outbreak of the Civil War, Fort Sumter fell. The fleet sent by the Northern government for supplies could only watch helplessly from a distance.
The next day, President Lincoln ordered the enlistment of 75,000 state militia to serve for 90 days to suppress the Southern rebellion.
Obviously, the Northern government had not yet realized the seriousness of this civil war, believing that they could easily suppress it as long as there was no foreign intervention.
The Southern government took the initiative and achieved military victory but lost political advantage.
The initially undecided Northern states quickly united under the influence of capitalist manipulation of public opinion, with patriotic young men joining the army one after another.
Stephen Douglas, the Democratic leader who was initially inclined towards the South, also stood on the side of the Northern government at this moment, condemning the Southern government for provoking the civil war.
He publicly declared: There are no neutrals in this civil war, only patriots and traitors.
Almost every Northern state exceeded its enlistment quotas. Lack of training, insufficient weapons and equipment, lack of discipline, and shortage of officers were common problems in the Northern states.
However, none of this mattered much, as they were all considered cannon fodder; as long as they had a fervent spirit, it was enough.
Looking at the assembled armies from all directions, President Lincoln, in high spirits, was already prepared to embrace victory.
The Secretary of War exclaimed angrily, Mr. President, the states of Maryland and Delaware have refused the conscription order and have prohibited federal troops from entering.
These two states are quite interesting; some people support the South, while others support the North. The deadlock between them is why they remain part of the Northern government.
Especially with Washington still surrounded by Maryland, if this state were to lean towards the Southern government, it might not be long before the Northern government became surrounded.
President Lincoln asked, How many more troops do we have to defend Washington?
The Secretary of War replied, Including the newly mobilized militia, we currently have a total of 30,000 soldiers.
President Lincoln asked cautiously, What are our chances if we use force to resolve the situation in Maryland?
The Secretary of War responded, Maryland has already mobilized, with about 30,000 armed individuals supporting the Southern rebels and approximately 20,000 remaining loyal to the government.
Overall, the forces favoring the rebellion have the upper hand. With both sides mutually restraining each other, Maryland still maintains neutrality.
If there are no reinforcements from the South, our chances of victory are as high as ninety percent.
Without reinforcements from the South, how could this be possible? Its important to note that Southern states have long been preparing for war, while the Northern governments preparations have only just begun.
Fortunately, in this era, limited transportation and the vast size of the United States mean that mobilization and assembly take a considerable amount of time.
Otherwise, if the Southern government were to wage a blitzkrieg, the Northern government wouldnt stand a chance. Its likely that before they completed their mobilization, the central government would become surrounded.
Once theres chaos without leadership, the outcome of the war would be decided. As a nation of immigrants, patriotism among Americans during this era would last at most 1-2 months.
As people became rational again, many would not be willing to keep risking their lives. Historically, to win this war, the Northern government resorted to conscripting soldiers into service.
After hesitating for a moment, Lincoln made a surprising decision: I will personally go to Maryland to do some ideological work on them, while you prepare for military action. Once diplomatic efforts fail, you must immediately take military action in coordination with those who support us there, and speed is of the essence.
This was an unavoidable choice. Virginia, the neighboring state to Maryland, had already declared independence. Once the war erupted in Maryland, Confederate troops from the neighboring state would immediately come over.
Despite the Secretary of Wars confident assurance of a ninety percent chance of success, it was based on the enemy being isolated and without support. With the support of Southern government troops, Lincoln didnt believe victory would come easily.
Faced with slim military odds, he would turn to his expertise in political maneuvers.
The Secretary of State reminded: Mr. President, at this time, you must oversee the overall situation. It is not appropriate for you to leave Washington.
President Lincoln shook his head and said, But how can I solve the threat in Maryland without going there myself? As long as this threat remains unresolved for one more day, Washington will be under enemy threat.
Maryland hasnt declared independence yet. As the President of the federal government, they will not do anything to me.
Political strife in the United States was still relatively mild. Even if he went to a Southern-leaning territory, there wasnt much concern about danger.
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History has proven this point. After the defeat of the Southern government, hardly any top officials faced repercussions and remained wealthy.
The Secretary of State wasnt concerned about the Presidents personal safety. Even if the President were to perish, the Vice President would step in. After all, they were all representatives of the capitalist interests, and whoever took office would serve the same purpose.
He was only worried that if the President went to do ideological work and failed to win back support from those leaning towards the Southern government, alienating Maryland, it would tarnish the governments reputation.
Despite the high praise Lincoln received in history books, his abilities were not widely recognized during his time. Particularly in handling Southern issues, his performance left much to be desired.
Of course, those supporting him behind the scenes were satisfied. Many capitalists believed they held the winning hand; once they suppressed the rebellion, they could obtain cheap industrial raw materials and markets.
Essentially, the Northern capitalists wanted to turn the South into an economic colony. Otherwise, the Southern states would not have reacted so intensely.
However, there was no need to clarify this misunderstanding. Politicians were adept at recognizing but not revealing the truth.
On April 20, 1861, just a week after the outbreak of the Civil War, Lincoln hosted a banquet for local social elites in Maryland.
Naturally, the event began with a passionate speech, but while half the crowd applauded, the other half merely watched, creating a very awkward atmosphere.
Such a minor incident couldnt faze President Lincoln; he remained unperturbed even amid such commotion. He had personally experienced situations where banana peels were thrown onto the stage during his speeches.
Americans are very open in this regard; if they dont like something, theyll show it, even if it means disrespecting the President.
Lincoln casually remarked, Gentlemen, to prevent the Southern rebellion from affecting the stability of Maryland, the federal government has decided to temporarily suspend parts of the writ of habeas corpus. We hope everyone will cooperate with the governments efforts.
This was essentially a form of martial law; without the writ of habeas corpus, the governments authority greatly increased, while the influence of these social elites would be significantly diminished.
With this protective order in place, even if they openly supported the Southern government, the government couldnt touch them.
Just prior, a man named John Merryman was arrested for organizing activities supporting the Southern government, then released without charge because of the writ of habeas corpus.
A middle-aged man vehemently refused, Impossible, without approval from the Maryland legislature, the federal government has no authority to abolish the writ of Habeas Corpus.
Thats right! The Constitution stipulates that the president has no right to directly repeal laws!
He doesnt even have a basic understanding of the law, how did he become president?
You ignorant fool, go home and study some more!
People inclined towards the Southern government spoke out one after another, condemning the federal governments interference in Marylands internal affairs as a violation of the federal constitution. Some even resorted to direct insults.
There were even individuals who openly declared that if the federal government dared to interfere in Marylands internal affairs, they would declare independence.
When their own interests are at stake, who cares about the president? Insulting the president was just a part of everyday life for the American people. As for the federal government, who were they trying to scare? Havent they seen people treating government ordinances like toilet paper before?
Just by observing the situation, Lincoln knew that there was probably little hope of persuading these people to abandon the Southern government and switch sides.
Interests determined their stance. Despite the decline of Marylands slave industry, as a state known for exporting agricultural products, the interests of farmers and plantation owners aligned.
Lincoln quietly asked a middle-aged man nearby, Is everyone here?
The middle-aged man replied in a low voice, Most of the influential figures from Maryland are here.
Lincoln nodded in satisfaction, then calmly said, Seeing that everyone is quite agitated, I believe its necessary for everyone to calm down and think things through.
How about we stay here for the night and continue our discussion tomorrow? The host has arranged rooms. I wish you all a good nights rest!
After saying that, Lincoln quickly left under the escort of his bodyguards. Sensing something amiss, the crowd, just stepping out the door, found that the federal troops had already surrounded the place.
Damn it, weve been detained. That bastard dares to disregard the rules!
Its obvious, todays banquet was a trap. The so-called discussion of national affairs was just bait. Lincoln himself came out to lure us!
Its too late to say anything now. Weve become prisoners.
No, he wouldnt dare to do anything to us. The US President doesnt have that much power. If he pulls something like this, lets see how it ends for him!
Lincoln couldnt hear the curses of the crowd anymore. If he had a choice, he wouldnt want to do this. But the situation was dire, and to resolve the Maryland issue as quickly as possible, he had to break the rules.
Today, Lincoln had offended all the social elites of Maryland, including those who supported the Northern government. Now, they would definitely have no goodwill towards him as the president.
It wouldnt be long before he became the most unpopular person in Maryland. If he still wanted to participate in the next presidential election, there was no need to think about the votes from this state.
But for the sake of reuniting the United States, he had no choice. If the Maryland issue couldnt be resolved quickly, once the Southern rebels came over, with the help of these traitors, they would soon be at the gates of Washington.
The federal government still needed time. Before reinforcements from various states arrived, the federal government had to withstand the first wave of pressure.
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