IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 146
## Chapter 146
**The Mexican-American War (19)**
“It had to be. This tedious war is finally over.”
The man in Pittsburgh said with a bright smile, sipping a beer from somewhere.
Hearing that, George, the messenger of the ‘Southern Army’, grabbed the man’s collar without realizing it.
“You, is that true?”
Thud!
The beer glass fell due to the sudden situation, and the man pushed away the arm grabbing his collar.
“What, what is this, you bastard!”
He looked at the messenger’s expression and attire and said as if he had just realized.
“You, you’re a Southerner.”
He chuckled and said,
“Sorry, but the war is over. President James Polk signed the peace treaty.”
George felt a burning rage in his head at the mockery. They had suffered tremendous sacrifices in the South and won a valuable first victory, but all of that was in vain.
“Bullshit!”
Thwack!
George forgot his duty as a messenger and threw a punch. The problem was what happened next. The man who was punched, Sam, shouted.
“Here! A Southerner is hitting someone!”
People passing by gathered.
“You Dixie bastard, do you think this is your plantation?”
Crack-crack-
The men, approaching with their knuckles cracking, began to beat George.
***
“Well···, it’s good news that we won, but it’s too late. It’s all over.”
Sam, a citizen of Pittsburgh, offered George a beer and talked to him after the commotion.
“···St. Louis was captured in a day? Philadelphia couldn’t hold on either?”
“Yeah. The Mexican Imperials reportedly reinforced their troops by 100,000 during the armistice. 50,000 each in the east and west. They even deployed a fleet to St. Louis, so they couldn’t hold on.”
“···Yeah. Thanks for telling me. The beer was good too.”
George had a lot to say, but he swallowed it.
Sam, a Northerner, and George, a Southerner. They were both Americans, but there was an unbridgeable gap between them.
“Take care.”
“Yeah.”
President James Polk, having received the news of the victory from the messenger, felt a pang of regret, but it was too late to turn back.
The United States and Mexico had already signed the ‘Treaty of Pittsburgh’.
The contents of the treaty were humiliating.
—————————
**Treaty of Pittsburgh (Tratado de Pittsburgh)**
This treaty was concluded between the Mexican Empire and the United States of America, and the two countries agreed to the following articles in the spirit of peace and mutual respect.
**Article 1: Acknowledgment of Responsibility and Apology**
1.1 President James Polk acknowledges responsibility for instigating and ultimately waging war, and apologizes to the Mexican Empire and its people.
2.2 The United States Congress adopts a resolution formally apologizing for all damages caused by this war.
**Article 2: Abolition of Slavery**
2.1 The United States shall liberate all slaves within the United States by the end of 1846.
2.2 Those emancipated shall enjoy all civil rights, including freedom of movement.
**Article 3: War Reparations**
3.1 The United States shall pay the Mexican Empire 70 million pesos in war reparations.
**Article 4: Purchase of Territory**
4.1 The United States shall sell to the Mexican Empire the western territory of the new border between the two countries, defined as follows:
– North: Missouri River
– Central: 94° 36′ West Longitude
– South: Existing border
4.2 The purchase price shall be set at 15 million dollars.
4.3 The Mexican Empire shall protect the civil and property rights of existing US citizens who will reside in the new Mexican territory.
4.4 The Mexican Empire shall assist existing US citizens in moving to the United States if they wish.
**Article 5: Transfer of Technology**
5.1 The United States shall transfer to the Mexican Empire patents and technologies designated by the Mexican Empire.
**Article 6: Transfer of Fleet**
6.1 The United States shall transfer all ironclad ships and monitor ships in its possession to the Mexican Empire.
**Article 7: Final Provisions**
7.1 This treaty shall enter into force immediately.
7.2 This treaty shall be drawn up in English and Spanish, both texts having equal validity.
This treaty has laid the foundation for the peace and prosperity of both countries, and both countries promise to faithfully implement the provisions of this treaty.
—————————
The Mexican diplomat proudly took the train to New York and was escorted by the Mexican Imperial fleet along with the Mexican Imperial Army.
It was a scene symbolizing the complete victory of the Mexican Empire.
***
The immediate attacks on New York and the Great Lakes cities were prevented, but the horrific contents of the Treaty of Pittsburgh left deep wounds in the hearts of Americans.
The war was over, but it wasn’t over.
Northerners argued that if they had ended the war earlier, things wouldn’t have been this bad. Before St. Louis and Philadelphia were breached, the amount of reparations was lower, and there were no conditions like technology transfer and fleet transfer. On top of that, tens of thousands more Northerners had died in that short period.
“This war is the responsibility of the South from beginning to end!”
Oliver Brown, an American journalist, wrote such articles every day.
[The South should not resist the abolition of slavery and should take responsibility for the war.]
It was an article that perfectly suited the taste of the Northerners.
‘Don’t try to create nonexistent public opinion. Our job is to slightly adjust the direction of public opinion, not to go against the flow.’
He didn’t forget what he had heard during his public opinion manipulation training.
Northerners are angry, sad, and desperate right now. All you have to do is create a direction for those explosive emotions to be released.
“That’s right. After all, it’s true that the conflict arose in an attempt to protect the slaves of the Southern slave owners.”
“That’s right. The North suffered all the damage except for the early battles, but those people are threatening to secede from the Union if the war ends.”
There were over 100 newspapers in the North, but there were less than five that wrote neutral articles like ‘The North also supported the war.’
Even newspapers in this era had revenue from corporate advertising, but their main source of income was still selling newspapers themselves. Circulation was paramount, and neutral articles were unpopular.
When Oliver Brown took the lead in shifting the blame for the war to the South and writing a blockbuster article that the United States had signed such a terrible treaty because of the South, other newspapers began to publish similar articles.
Federalists also strongly warned the South, which was showing signs of secession.
[It’s a big mistake to think that the federal government will tolerate the South’s secession.]
Former presidents openly hinted that they would use military force if the South did anything rash.
***
“The war is over, so I’m done here.”
Zachary Taylor declared that.
New Orleans, which they had recaptured at a great cost, was certainly a valuable city, but if they were going to surrender to Mexico anyway, why did they have to make that sacrifice?
The Southerners were still proud that they had won the only victory against Mexico, but Zachary Taylor felt a deep sense of emptiness.
Perhaps it was because he had seen so many deaths in a short period of time, from the Second Battle of Memphis to the present. He lost his motivation and, as he had said from the beginning, he relinquished command of the ‘Southern Army’ and returned home.
However, the Southern Army did not disband just because he left.
The strong pressure on the South actually strengthened the South’s unity. Moreover, the South had something to say, so they were even more indignant at the criticism and condemnation of the Northerners.
“Those damn Yankees. What are they bragging about, they lost all the battles.”
The claim that the entire United States had suffered because the South couldn’t surrender faster was just a bunch of cowardly nonsense to the Southerners who had won the Second Battle of New Orleans and recaptured the city.
“The war was just beginning···.”
The areas occupied by the Mexican Empire were too vast, and they couldn’t dig trenches and create obstacle courses on all those fronts. They were now going to start exploiting those gaps.
“Damn it! Can’t we just keep fighting among ourselves? We’re going to secede from the Union anyway, right?”
“No, that’s a bit···.”
There were also those who advocated for continuing the war regardless of the Northerners, but that was impossible, and there was no reason to do so.
“If we really secede from the Union, there’s no reason to fight Mexico.”
Mexico had forced the abolition of slavery, but the entity that created and enforced that law was the United States government.
Their commander-in-chief, Jefferson Davis, agreed.
“Now, the enemy we have to fight is the Northerners.”
Having settled that, Jefferson Davis said.
“We need to start preparing now.”
Their war was not over yet.
***
‘Finally.’
I felt a surge of emotion as I looked at the peace treaty.
“Congratulations, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Diego.”
Diego came to congratulate me.
Diego knew better than anyone how long I had been preparing for war with America.
“You’ve worked hard too.”
“I’ve only done what I had to do.”
While I was in Trinidad City in my military uniform as commander, Diego was also in his military uniform. I had given him a temporary rank so that he could serve as my aide.
The citizens of the Empire rejoiced at another victory. It was only an 11-month war, but unlike previous wars, there were a series of fierce battles, and the number of casualties was much larger, but in the end, the Mexican Empire won.
“Long live the Mexican Empire! Long live the Iturbide Imperial Family!”
“Long live!”
Tens of thousands of citizens gathered in the Constitution Square of Mexico City, waiting for the victory celebration.
Many people received medals.
When I finally took the stage, my father said.
“You’re giving me another gift in my old age. Thank you, my son.”
My father said, gripping my shoulder firmly.
“It’s all thanks to your active help. I am grateful.”
I said sincerely.
“Ha ha, that’s why I’m looking forward to your era even more.”
He said that and looked at my father’s face as he pinned a medal on my chest. When I first saw him, he had the face of a stern and stubborn soldier, but now he was very old.
As my mother had subtly hinted when my father collapsed, he was preparing to abdicate.
“You have to live a long time. Take better care of your health.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll live until I see my great-grandchildren.”
His reign will be remembered not only for independence and founding, but also for expanding the territory tremendously.
After finishing our conversation, I saluted first, and my father returned the salute.
“Woooooo!”
“Long live the Mexican Empire! Long live the Iturbide Imperial Family!”
The citizens, who had cheered every time a medal was awarded, cheered until Mexico City disappeared from sight.
The cheers and applause continued for a long time, and even after the victory celebration ended, the festive atmosphere continued.
I also attended the party and celebrated with the generals who participated in the war, eating and drinking.
“Diego, take a break until tomorrow, enjoy yourself.”
There were mountains of problems to deal with, such as the Oregon territory issue with England, the issue with Colombia, the issue of veterans, and the American Civil War, but I decided to put them aside for today.