I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 121



Only Noblemtl

Oregon Border Dispute (4)

“How can such an absurd excuse work!”

James Polk felt like blaming the people, but he barely held himself back.

To claim without any basis that the Mexican Empire assassinated its own disciple is not only a delusion, but also a statement that could cause diplomatic problems.

It was hard to believe that Henry Clay, who made such remarks, had a similar level of approval rating as me.

“The claim to the Oregon Territory is real, and what we are bringing is also real. Why on earth do you support someone who makes groundless statements that will cause friction with the Mexican Empire?”

He muttered to himself in frustration, not expecting his aide to answer, but surprisingly, he received an answer from his aide.

“I think it’s because Mexico is easier than England.”

“···What? Are you saying that you support a one-sided suspicion that has no basis or benefit based on that?”

“There is a rumor going around that the Napoleonic Wars were the reason we were able to draw the war with Britain in the past, and that if we fight again now, we will surely lose. Judging by the speed at which the story is spreading, it seems to have been planned by Henry Clay.”

“Ha, that wicked bastard.”

If a politician were to make such a claim directly, it would be detrimental to America’s reputation, so they would probably just let it slide.

This successfully stimulated a complex psychology that supported the expansionist course of action itself, but felt burdened by James Polk’s argument that directly mentioned war with Britain.

It was absurd for him, but that was what the people of a democratic country did.

‘Something more is needed.’

An idea flashed through James Falk’s mind as he sat in his office pondering the matter for a moment.

“There were frictions with the Indians in the Oregon region, too? Were there any casualties in the process?”

“Yes, that’s what happens most often when you pioneer new lands.”

The aide, unable to read his boss’s intentions, added a footnote, but James Polk was already caught up in his own idea.

“No, that’s not it. Didn’t the British support the Indians and attack us Americans even before the War of 1812?”

“Yes? Yes, that’s right.”

The aide answered half-heartedly, but James Polk immediately put his idea into practice.

“It’s a British conspiracy!”

“As in the past, Britain supported the Native Americans in Oregon, and dozens of Americans were killed or injured as a result!”

It was a lie. But didn’t the public believe the absurd suspicion of Henry Clay’s assassination? Britain had already tried to check the United States by supporting the natives, and such an act was one of the causes of the War of 1812. It was a more persuasive argument because there was already a precedent.

“This must be retaliation for our own recent claim to the Oregon Territory!”

“Yeah, I did it once before, so I guess it’ll be difficult the second time.”

As James Polk intended, the public was outraged, and that outrage became his second driving force.

“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”

“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”

Henry Clay did quite well, but his half-baked conspiracy theories were crushed by James Polk’s more realistic ones.

November 5, 1844.

The US presidential election was held.

James Polk was elected amid cheers from many and concerns from a few.

He finally became the 11th President of the United States.

***

“Your Majesty, the results have come out.”

While I was in Chihuahua supervising the construction of a water and sewer system and a second university, the news I was looking forward to received arrived.

“Is that the guy, James Fork?”

“Yes. They say that the gap widened and eventually they won by a large margin.”

“Hmm. So, is it true that the British supported the Native Americans in Oregon?”

“According to the investigation of the Military Intelligence Service, there is no such trace. There was an attack, but the weapons used were typical of those used by Native Americans.”

“I see, that’s what happened.”

I had never heard of Britain supporting the Oregon Natives in the history of the country, so I ordered an investigation just in case.

Because the truth is important. If a guy who threatens war unless we give up all of Oregon goes so far as to spread false propaganda, and if that guy ends up becoming president, it will be difficult for Britain to continue to just sit back and watch.

Because they speak the same language, news from the United States is quickly transmitted to Britain and published in the media.

I returned to Mexico City and summoned the British ambassador.

“Ambassador Bankhead, it’s been a while.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s been almost a year since we last met earlier this year.”

I got straight to the point.

“Did you hear that James Polk was elected President?”

“I heard he was a strong candidate, but I haven’t heard the results yet. I guess he ended up getting elected.”

“I think Britain is also unhappy with the fact that he is spreading such ridiculous rumors. How about a joint response from Mexico and Britain on this matter?”

“Are you talking about a joint response? If you mean an alliance···”

Of course, there is no way Britain will ally with Mexico. I don’t even want it to go that far.

“No, it’s not an alliance, it’s a joint statement. Britain should refute the allegations of supporting the Oregon natives, and we in Mexico should refute the allegations of assassination of Americans, but let’s come together. That alone will put pressure on the United States.”

“Hmm… If that’s the case, I think the home country will also review it positively.”

What I’m trying to do is impress upon the British people that Mexico is a friendlier country than the United States.

Unlike British politicians, who are wary of both, the British public views the United States as a semi-enemy while Mexico is not viewed with hostility.

This does not mean that Britain will give up its balance, but it is intended to make it a little more uncomfortable for Britain to intervene in a way that is favorable to the United States.

The British government also accepted my proposal.

On December 5, 1844, a joint statement by the diplomats of the two countries was issued in Mexico City.

“This statement is issued to clarify the official position of the British Government in response to unfounded rumours circulated during the recent US presidential election campaign that the British Government supported Native Americans in the Oregon Territory and encouraged them to attack the United States.

First of all, the British government makes it clear that these claims are completely untrue. The UK is a country that always acts in accordance with international law and the principles of mutual respect, and we consider any form of interference in the internal affairs of other countries or acts that incite armed conflicts to be extremely inappropriate. These claims are nothing more than groundless rumors and seem like a clear attempt to harm the friendly relations between the two countries.

···(syncopation)

The British government’s position on this claim is clear. We completely deny this rumor and call on all parties to engage in a dialogue based on the truth. Any action that undermines the trust and friendship between the two countries must not be tolerated under any circumstances.

thank you.”

The British statement was followed shortly by a Mexican statement.

“This statement is to clarify the official position of the Mexican government on the alleged assassination of Carter Smith, a political protégé of Whig Henry Clay, in Mexico during the recent U.S. presidential election.

The Mexican government is deeply concerned about these allegations and makes it clear that these allegations are completely unfounded and untrue. Mexico upholds the principle of respect for the internal affairs of all countries and opposes any attempt to influence important political processes, especially the presidential elections of the United States.

···(syncopation)

The Mexican government’s position on these groundless allegations is clear. We completely deny these allegations and call on all parties to engage in a dialogue based on facts. Any action that undermines the trust and friendship between the two countries must not be tolerated under any circumstances.

thank you.”

The statements from both countries were almost identical, except that one side refuted James Polk’s claims, and the other refuted Henry Clay’s claims.

The American ambassador watched the surprise announcement from both countries in Mexico City with a distorted face, unable to control his expression, and I laughed at his candid expression.

‘So who would spread such groundless suspicions?’

Soon every media outlet in America will be writing about this joint statement and will be busy trying to sort this out from the beginning of the term.

We will use this gap to steadily strengthen our internal affairs and prepare for war.

I glanced at the reactions of the diplomats from each country and returned to my office.

“Diego, bring me a map showing the latest status of the railway network from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Now, the railway network is quite densely laid out. Although the degree of this varies from region to region, there is no state without a railway at all.

Even in the Caribbean, most islands larger than a certain size have either railways built or are currently under construction.

“This is enough to connect the entire country, but it would be a good idea to start extending the line towards the border.”

Of course, it is a war business. We do not intend to extend the front line to the end of the border, as this may push the front line back, but only to a certain point.

‘I guess I can crush them in terms of distribution capacity’

The United States had also been actively building a railroad network since the 1840s, but it felt like it was just getting started in earnest. In particular, the main lines were connected from the east coast to the central region, far from our border.

The telegraph network is similar. It has been actively introduced recently, but after its utility was proven in the Comanche War, the telegraph network was built on a large scale in the border region, and it will enable the transmission of information at an overwhelming speed.

***

“A joint statement?”

President James Polk was taken aback by his aide’s report.

I thought Britain and Mexico would respond, but I didn’t think they would announce this jointly.

‘This is tricky.’

The statement itself is not a big deal. Since it also hit the Whigs, the opposing party, there will not be a big change in approval ratings.

Rather, the problem was the supporters. Many people already believed James Falk’s claims and were outraged by the British statement, which they viewed as a “shameless evasion.”

‘It’s really not possible to go to war…’

I was hoping to gain diplomatic advantage by taking a hard-line stance, but it doesn’t seem likely that they will accept negotiations any time soon.

If it takes too long, supporters will turn away. But there is no way to produce results right away.

“Then there has to be something to divert the people’s attention···.”

While he was pondering a response, the Secretary of State came to his White House office in a hurry.

“Mr. President! We heard there was an incident at the border!”

“Are you talking about the border?”

President James Polk, who had been briefed on the details by his Secretary of State, held back a sigh of relief. If this were true, it would completely divert the attention of the American public.

He spoke in a serious voice, although he secretly thought it was good luck.

“Permitting the immigration of fugitive slaves. This is a serious matter. We, the United States of America, must take this very seriously.”

This was a challenge to the United States of America.