I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 153



Only Noblemtl

Episode 153 South and North (7)

The central government of New Granada was unable to control the chaos.

I didn’t have the capacity to do that.

Even citizens of the capital Bogotá have called for the resignation of President Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera, who is in his third year in office.

“The government must take responsibility!”

“How long are you going to blame the former president? You were the ones who decided on war!”

It was a claim that was almost far-fetched. It would be possible to betray an alliance when a war was about to break out while a military alliance was in place, but it was nearly impossible to betray an alliance when it had already broken out.

Doing so would have destroyed the minimal credibility that the New Granada nation had, which would have meant diplomatic and trade isolation. Not only that, but there was also the possibility, though unlikely, that the betrayed United States would later retaliate with force.

Most of these claims are the result of the plots of ambitious people who want to oust the current president and take over central politics.

It was impossible for the government of New Granada to control the provinces when it could not even properly control the capital and its environs.

“This country is also coming to an end.”

“I wonder what country name will change to this time.”

Local residents even openly said such things.

Compared to the days of Gran Colombia, New Granada was shaped like a city with two severed arms, but the country was able to survive because power remained in the capital, Bogotá.

The power to impose sanctions on the remaining regions that are close to the capital and cannot become independent if they cross the line.

After Simón Bolívar’s death, only force was the driving force for the country to survive. The people had neither affection for their country nor trust in their government.

But with the central government, which was supposed to exercise that power, in disarray, it was inevitable that local power holders would begin to have second thoughts.

There was no need to specify a specific region. Elites in all provinces except the capital city had similar thoughts.

“We should be independent too! What has the central government done for us? They just collect taxes and interfere for no reason!”

“It’s not something that can be decided so easily. The government will eventually sort out the confusion. What will happen next?”

What followed, of course, was a civil war.

The central government would not allow any more independence. It was a matter of national existence that they could not compromise on, and it was clear that whoever took power would put all their efforts into controlling the local areas.

Independence of only one province was not independence. It had to be achieved through a union against the central government.

‘But I don’t want to form an alliance with a populous coastal region. I would have to give up the presidency.’

Except for a few businessmen and intellectuals, almost all of those present were owners of large haciendas. However, not all haciendas were the same, and the hierarchy among the haciendas was determined by the size of the farm, the number of workers, and the yield of crops.

In this place, the author who advocates independence is the best, but the moment he unites with a neighboring region, he is not even second in command.

While local elites cooperated, feuded, united, and divided among themselves, the public opinion was turning in a different direction.

“What independence are you talking about? How is that any different from the government of New Granada?”

It didn’t make much of a difference to the general public, unless the very neighborhood they lived in happened to be the capital.

They had a different plan.

“Shouldn’t we join Mexico like Panama did?”

“Would the landlords do that? They would grind their teeth at the thought of central government interference.”

Even if the Mexican government had preserved the property of the landowners, including the hacienda, nothing would have changed.

A common mentality among local large farm owners was their reluctance to even pay taxes, let alone follow the central government’s instructions.

The plantation owners now lived like lords of their own estates. No one was willing to give up all their power and live under the orders of officials dispatched by the central government, unless it was semi-compulsory, as in the case of Panama.

“So we’re the only ones who have to live like this? Panama is already building a railroad.”

“That’s why the landowners there are having a hard time because of that. The people who used to work on the farms are going to the high-paying railroad construction sites. They try to force them back, but the Mexican government blocks them, so they have no choice but to raise their wages.”

“Huh~. That’s right. It’s like a dream!”

The rumor that Panama had joined Mexico was spreading throughout New Granada.

Wages rose and the prices of food and necessities rose, but because wages rose so much, everything became abundant.

It wasn’t just about economic benefits. More important was the establishment of public order and political stability. It was now tiresome to suffer from the conflicts of those in power.

“But, isn’t a republic a country where the citizens are the masters? Don’t we also have the right to choose?”

If it were just a story from a faraway country, I wouldn’t have thought this way. But when the fate of people who had been living in the same country until recently changed so drastically, many felt a sense of relative deprivation.

“Yes. Is there a law that says only the landlords can decide? Decide by voting!”

It was an idea that would have been unimaginable 36 years ago, just after independence. However, the world has changed in that short, if short, or long, period of time.

After independence, the people who slowly began to open their eyes were no longer like serfs who worked in the Hacienda their entire lives without knowing anything and then died of old age.

The liberal ideas that spread explosively during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era were known only to a select few in the Colombian region 36 years ago, but not anymore.

With independence from Spain, the Republic was established, and ordinary citizens had no choice but to hear about liberal and republican ideas at least once through events such as voting, rebellion, civil war, local independence, and revolution.

The steady influx of intellectuals from outside after independence also played a role in changing the people’s thinking. The first business started by intellectuals from outside was a newspaper company.

The difficulty of making a living and the political instability remain the same, but dissatisfaction with the government and relative deprivation are beginning to draw citizens out.

So, protests began around the city.

“Give us the power to decide!”

***

There was growing hostility in the British Empire towards the Mexican Empire.

It was not just a Conservative problem. When news spread that Mexico was threatening Britain with force, public opinion, including that of the Whigs, completely turned around.

“We have to keep Mexico in check. It’s growing too fast.”

“That’s right. Look at that territory.”

The territory of the Mexican Empire, as shown on the world map, could only be described as huge. It wasn’t even mostly useless like Russia. I heard there was some desert, but other than that, it was all usable territory.

“If I had known this would happen, I would not have handed over the Caribbean and South American territories···.”

“Even if we handed it over, we should have left behind at least one island to serve as a base.”

They had no intention of forgetting that the Mexican Empire had dared to threaten the British Empire.

The fact that Britain pursued a pragmatic diplomacy was also possible because, after Napoleon, no one had dared to directly challenge the British Empire.

Only Russia, which had fought together against Napoleon, had the courage to even slightly provoke Britain.

Mexico’s threat in the past to storm the British Empire with the Prussian army and the Mexican fleet was nothing short of a direct challenge to the British Empire.

“Well, at the time, we didn’t know that the relationship between the two countries would turn out like this.”

“That’s true.”

Arthur Wellesley, who had been watching the congressmen conversing with a sullen expression, shouted:

“What do you mean you didn’t know! I told you until I was hoarse that this would happen in the end.”

“No, that’s···.”

Arthur Wellesley was a first-rate soldier, but a third-rate politician.

As he grew older, he was usually one of the most conservative members of the Conservative Party. He often made remarks that could be called ‘old-fashioned’ to the younger generation, which greatly tarnished his image.

It was all his own fault that his strong speech was ignored, but Wellesley did not know that, and he was resentful of the congressmen who were now pretending not to know. However, he could not give up his country because he was resentful.

“We must continue to support the United States. They must recover quickly so that we can properly contain them.”

The British Empire alone could not fight Mexico. Sending a navy across the Atlantic was a completely different story from sending an army.

That’s why we need the United States. Only with the US in charge of the army and Britain in charge of the navy could we fight the Mexican Empire.

“Americans may still have a grudge against Mexico, but do they want to go to war again? After losing so badly?”

The current Whig leader, Lord John Russell, asked skeptically.

“That’s right. They’d be afraid. But if we, the British, were to join, wouldn’t it be a completely different story? Besides, the Americans still think that Mexico was preparing for war and provoking the conflict, so if we use that well, it’s quite possible.”

As Arthur Wellesley responded calmly, the Conservative MPs responded with support.

“That’s right. And isn’t it true that Americans’ beliefs are not wrong? I don’t know if Mexico deliberately provoked the conflict, but it is true that Mexico also took a hard line, and it is absolutely undeniable that Mexico was prepared for war with the United States in advance. What does that mean?”

The United States was not the only country shocked by the unfolding war. Mexico’s swift actions even caught Britain, which had already anticipated Mexico’s early strength, off guard.

“Well, even if that’s true, the United States is now on the verge of a civil war, let alone recovering from the damage caused by the war. Of course, it’s obvious that the North will win, but how many years will it take to recover from the damage caused in the process?”

“That is why we must provide more support. And, in the first place, we did not intend to go to war immediately. If patience is necessary to repay the humiliation inflicted on Mexico, then we must be patient. Is the insolent threat made by Mexico to our British Empire so trivial to you that you can easily forget it?”

“···That’s not it.”

When Arthur Wellesley, the former Tory leader, overthrew the Whig leader, Sir John Russell, support came from the Whigs.

“Even if Mexico is like that, what are you going to do about their ally, Prussia? Our rear is too dangerous to leave them alone.”

Although hostility toward Mexico was greater than ever before, there was still disagreement within the Whig Party about going to war.

It had to be that way.

It is true that the prestige of the British Empire has been damaged, and that the growth of the Mexican Empire is frightening. But all of this is proof that the Mexican Empire is not a simple nation. The British Empire has much to lose, and the risk of war is too great.

“That’s right. I heard that Mexico even gave Prussia an ironclad this time. I guess it’s a return for what happened last time.”

“Ha! If it was compensation, it would have been enough to give you money. Isn’t that really presumptuous? We tolerated it once, so you’re acting so presumptuous. Are you saying that we’ll continue to tolerate it in the future?”

Ironclad ships were expensive, but they were not something that could be evaluated simply in terms of money. They were objects that could be built by less than five countries in the world, and they were a measure of a nation’s naval power.

It was inevitable that they would feel uncomfortable, as they had offended the British Empire and then calmly handed over the ironclad warship.

“···No matter how you say that, if there is no solution to the Prussian problem, it is unreasonable to discuss war. The growth of the Mexican Empire is remarkable, but so is the growth of our British Empire.”

“That’s right! If the Mexicans expand their territory, we can expand our colonies. There’s no need to fight and only do good things for Russia!”

The Whigs’ words were not wrong.

Britain, the world’s most powerful country, was still growing rapidly. It was at the forefront of industrialization, securing raw materials and markets through its vast colonies, and using the wealth it gained there to further expand its military power and colonies, creating a virtuous cycle.

“Then what are you going to do with the Oregon Territory? Will you divide it up as they ask?”

“···”

In the past, the treaties concluded between Britain and the United States clearly stated that they would govern jointly.

Mexico would argue that since it had territories in the western United States, it also had rights to Oregon, but it was ultimately up to Britain to decide whether to recognize that claim.

The problem was that the moment Britain recognized Mexico’s joint sovereignty over Oregon Country, it would appear that it had capitulated yet again.

The Prussian Question and the Oregon Question.

Both sides argued that there were issues that could not be easily resolved, and the meeting that day ended without reaching a conclusion.

But soon,

News arrived that would upset that precarious balance.

“Margrave Metternich of Austria visited England?”

“No, it’s not just the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but the Prime Minister himself who is here…”