IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 121
**Chapter 121**
**The Oregon Boundary Dispute (4)**
“How can such nonsensical, forced arguments hold any sway?!”
James Polk felt like blaming the people, but he barely managed to hold himself back.
Claiming that the Mexican Empire had assassinated his political protege without any evidence was not only delusional but also a statement that could cause diplomatic problems.
He couldn’t believe that Henry Clay, who indulged in such pronouncements, was securing a similar level of support as himself.
“There is a real basis for our claim to the Oregon territory, and it’s realistic for us to take it. Why are they supporting someone who makes baseless accusations and stirs up friction with the Mexican Empire?”
He muttered to himself, not expecting an answer from his aide, but surprisingly, he received a reply.
“Perhaps they find Mexico easier to handle than England.”
“What? Are you saying they support this one-sided accusation, without any basis or benefit, simply because of that?”
“It’s being said that the reason we could only achieve a draw in the war with England was thanks to the Napoleonic Wars, and that if we fight again, we’ll surely lose. Judging by the speed at which this story is spreading, it seems like something Henry Clay’s side planned.”
“Hah, that cunning bastard.”
If a politician directly made such a claim, it would damage America’s prestige, so they’re spreading it behind the scenes.
This was successfully stimulating the complex psychology of those who supported expansionist actions but were wary of directly mentioning war with England.
It was absurd to him, but in a democratic country, if that’s what the people wanted, then so be it.
‘I need something more.’
As he sat in his office, pondering for a moment, an idea flashed through James Polk’s mind.
“Wasn’t there friction with the Indians in the Oregon region? Were there casualties?”
“Yes, it’s common when opening up new land.”
The aide, unable to read his superior’s intentions, added a comment, but James Polk was already engrossed in his idea.
“No, that’s not it. Didn’t the English support the Indians before the war of 1812 to attack us, America?”
“Yes? Yes, that’s right.”
The aide responded hesitantly, but James Polk immediately put his idea into action.
“It’s an English conspiracy!”
“England, as they did in the past, has supported the natives of Oregon this time, and as a result, dozens of Americans have been killed or injured!”
It was a lie. But wasn’t it the public who believed Henry Clay’s sudden accusation of assassination? England had already tried to support the natives to check America, and such actions were one of the many causes of the War of 1812. There was already precedent, making it a more persuasive argument.
“This is undoubtedly their retaliation for our recent claim to rightful ownership of the Oregon territory!”
“Yes, they did it once before, so why not a second time?”
As intended by James Polk, the public was enraged, and that anger became his second driving force.
“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”
“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”
Henry Clay campaigned well, but his clumsy conspiracy theory was crushed by James Polk’s more realistic conspiracy theory.
November 5, 1844.
The American presidential election was held.
Amid the cheers of many and the worries of a few, James Polk was elected.
He had finally become the 11th President of the United States.
***
“Your Majesty, the results are in.”
While overseeing the construction of a sewage system and a second university in Chihuahua, the news I had been wondering about arrived.
“So it’s James Polk, that scoundrel?”
“Yes. He steadily widened the gap and ultimately won a landslide victory.”
“Hm. So, has the truth of his claim that England supported the natives of Oregon been verified?”
“According to the investigation by the Military Intelligence Agency, there is no trace of such support. There was an attack, but the weapons used were typical of North American natives.”
“As I thought.”
In the original timeline, I hadn’t heard anything about England supporting the Oregon natives, but just in case, I had ordered an investigation.
The truth mattered because if he was willing to go to war if we didn’t give up all of Oregon, and if he actually became president while spreading false propaganda, England wouldn’t be able to sit idly by.
Since they share the same language, news from America is quickly transmitted to England 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 nearly a year since we last met, back at the beginning of the year.”
I got straight to the point.
“Have you heard the news that James Polk has become president?”
“I heard he was a strong contender, but I haven’t heard the election results yet. So he won after all.”
“England will also be unhappy about his spreading of nonsensical rumors. What do you think of Mexico and England jointly responding to this?”
“Joint response? You mean an alliance?”
Of course, there’s no way England would ally with us, Mexico. I’m not even hoping for that.
“No, not an alliance, but a joint statement. England would refute the accusation of supporting the Oregon natives, and we, Mexico, would refute the accusation of assassinating the American. We would do it together in one place. That alone would create pressure on the American side.”
“Hmm… If it’s something like that, I think our home country would consider it favorably.”
What I’m aiming for is to make the British people realize that Mexico is a more friendly country than America.
Unlike the British political circles, which are wary of both, the British public views America as almost an enemy, while they have no ill feelings towards Mexico.
This won’t make England abandon its balance, but it’s intended to make it slightly more uncomfortable for England to intervene in a way that benefits America.
The British government accepted my proposal.
On December 5, 1844, a joint statement by diplomats from both countries was issued in Mexico City.
“This statement is being issued to clarify the British government’s official position regarding the baseless rumors that have been circulating recently during the American presidential election, alleging that the British government supported the natives of the Oregon region to incite an attack on the United States of America.
First, the British government clearly states that these claims are entirely false. England is a nation that always acts in accordance with international law and the principles of mutual respect, and considers any form of interference in the internal affairs of other countries or inciting armed conflict to be highly inappropriate. These claims are nothing more than baseless rumors and appear to be a deliberate attempt to damage the friendly relations between our two countries.
…(continued)
The British government’s position on this claim is clear. We completely deny these rumors and urge all parties to engage in dialogue based on truth. Acts that undermine trust and friendship between our two countries should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Thank you.”
After the British statement was released, the Mexican statement followed immediately.
“This statement is intended to clarify the Mexican government’s official position regarding the allegations that Henry Clay of the Whig Party assassinated his political protege, Carter Smith, in Mexico during the recent American presidential election.
The Mexican government expresses deep concern about these allegations and clearly states that these allegations are completely baseless and untrue. Mexico adheres to the principle of respecting the internal affairs of all countries, and opposes any attempt to influence important political processes, such as the American presidential election.
…(continued)
The Mexican government’s position on these baseless allegations is clear. We completely deny these allegations and urge all parties to engage in dialogue based on facts. Acts that undermine trust and friendship between our two countries should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Thank you.”
The statements from both countries were almost identical. The only difference was that one refuted James Polk’s claims, while the other refuted Henry Clay’s claims.
The American ambassador, unable to control his expression, watched the statements being issued from Mexico City with a distorted face, and I laughed at his raw expression.
‘So who told them to spread such baseless accusations?’
Soon, all the media in America would be writing articles about this joint statement, and they would be busy dealing with this issue from the beginning of their term.
We will use this opportunity to steadily solidify our domestic affairs and prepare for war.
I casually observed the reactions of the diplomats from various countries and returned to my office.
“Diego, bring me the latest map showing the national railway network.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The railway network, now quite dense. There are differences in the extent of development in each region, but there are no provinces without railways at all.
Even the Caribbean islands, those larger than a certain size, all have railways or are currently under construction.
“Connecting the entire country is enough at this point, but it’s time to start extending construction towards the border.”
Of course, this is for war. It’s not about extending all the way to the end of the border, as the front lines could be pushed back, but only to a suitable point.
‘We’ll be able to crush them in terms of logistics.’
America has been actively building its railway network since the 1840s, but it still feels like they’re just getting started. The main lines, especially, connect the eastern coast to the central region, far from our border.
The telegraph network is similar. It’s been actively introduced recently, but the large-scale construction of the telegraph network in the border region, after its effectiveness was proven in the Comanche War, allows for information transmission at an overwhelming speed.
***
“A joint statement?”
President James Polk was taken aback by his aide’s report.
He had expected a response from England or Mexico, but he hadn’t anticipated a joint statement.
‘This is awkward.’
The statement itself isn’t a big problem. The opposing party, the Whigs, also received arrows, so there shouldn’t be much change in support.
The real problem is the supporters. Many citizens already believed James Polk’s claims and were furious, calling England’s statement a ‘shameless cover-up.’
‘I can’t actually go to war…’
He had intended to gain diplomatic advantage by taking a tough stance, but it doesn’t seem like they’ll be willing to negotiate right now.
If it drags on, his supporters will turn their backs. But there’s no way to create a result right away.
“So, I need something to divert the public’s attention…”
As he pondered countermeasures, the Secretary of State rushed to the Oval Office.
“Mr. President! An incident has occurred at the border!”
“The border?”
After receiving a detailed report from the Secretary of State, President James Polk suppressed a sigh of relief. If this is true, it could completely divert the attention of the American public.
While he secretly felt lucky, he said in a serious voice,
“Granting asylum to runaway slaves? This is a serious matter. Our United States must respond firmly to this.”
This was a challenge to the United States.