IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 147
**Chapter 147**
**South and North (1)**
November 30, 1846.
New York.
“Wow, a person’s face can change so much in a year.”
“Well, what else could he do? He’s been abandoned by his own party.”
Those were the words of Whig Party members.
President James K. Polk, a year ago, or even at the beginning of this year, was a confident and determined man. He was half-crazed by his ambition, but his energy was enough to move America.
But the man who had come to the podium to read his apology was a sorry sight. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, his body was thin, and his expression was like that of a man who was living but not really living.
“The Mexicans demanded it, so the Democrats couldn’t do anything about it. Ugh, why did he start a war in the first place?”
The fellow member of Congress was bewildered to hear him say that, as he had clearly supported the war, but he pretended not to notice. He was doing the same thing himself.
The Mexican Empire’s demand for the president to acknowledge responsibility and apologize, as stated in the Pittsburgh Treaty, was taking place in New York.
Washington D.C., where the presidential residence and the Capitol Building were located, had been completely destroyed, and Philadelphia, which had previously served as the political center, had also been damaged by the prolonged fighting.
President James Polk opened his mouth, looking as if he had given up everything.
“To the esteemed citizens of the Mexican Empire and the United States of America.”
The first words were a common start, but the Mexican Empire came before the United States. It was an apology to them, and the Mexican Empire’s diplomats were listening, arms crossed and legs crossed, at the front.
“Today, standing before you, I am filled with a deep sense of responsibility and a heavy heart. I, as President of the United States and as an individual, offer my sincere apologies for the deep wounds and damage caused by the tragic conflict that has unfolded between our two nations.
During my tenure, I made serious mistakes regarding the border disputes between the United States and the Mexican Empire. Despite having opportunities to resolve the issues through peace and dialogue, I chose a path that escalated the conflict. As a result, both nations were forced to walk the brutal path of war, countless lives were lost, and deep wounds and grief remain between the citizens of our two countries.
As President of the United States, I had a duty to act in the best interests of our nation. However, in pursuing the interests of the nation, I neglected the common values of humanity, peace, and mutual respect. I am now deeply aware of the great damage my policies have caused, not only to our United States, but also to the Mexican Empire.
Today, I publicly acknowledge my mistakes and offer my sincere apologies to all those who have suffered because of me.
To take responsibility for all the consequences of my actions, I have decided to resign from the presidency. I sincerely hope that this decision will be the first step towards restoring relations between our two nations and moving towards a brighter future.”
James Polk read the long apology without taking a sip of water.
After the reading, there was silence in the room, no cheers or jeers, but only the Mexican Empire’s diplomats began to applaud, seemingly satisfied.
Clap clap clap clap clap-
It was a humiliating sight.
That’s right.
The Mexican Empire had written in the treaty that they would “acknowledge responsibility and apologize,” but their actual demand was that they acknowledge responsibility and resign as a sign of apology.
Abraham Lincoln, a young congressman from Illinois who had been elected during the war, lowered his head, unable to bear the sight of that humiliation.
But the time of humiliation wasn’t over yet. After President James Polk stepped down, Vice President and President of the US Senate, George Mifflin Dallas, came up.
He began his speech in silence.
“To the esteemed citizens of the Mexican Empire and the United States of America,
Today, I stand before you as President of the US Senate, at a historic moment. We have passed a resolution of apology to the Mexican Empire today.
This resolution acknowledges the misunderstandings and wounds that have arisen between our two nations due to past conflicts and unnecessary wars between the United States and the Mexican Empire, and expresses deep regret for the pain caused.
This resolution goes beyond a simple apology for the past, and aims for sustainable peace and mutual understanding between our two nations… (continued)
The main points of the resolution are as follows:
First, the US Congress expresses deep regret for the events that occurred during the US-Mexico War.
Second, we sincerely apologize for the pain and loss suffered by the Mexican Empire and its people due to America’s actions.
Third, this resolution reaffirms America’s commitment to responsible behavior in international relations and lays the foundation for future improvement in relations between our two nations.
Fourth, the United States pledges to rebuild its relationship with the Mexican Empire and strengthen cooperation in a spirit of peace, friendship, and mutual respect.
This historic action we have taken today shows that our two nations are ready to move forward towards the future based on mutual understanding and respect. We believe that this resolution conveys a message of peace and reconciliation to the citizens of both nations, and is a step towards promising a brighter and more cooperative future for our descendants.”
Again, only the Mexican diplomats clapped, and the Mexican journalists diligently took notes.
They didn’t seem to care about the US congressmen, sharing information with each other, saying things like “What did he say in the middle?”
It was truly humiliating.
A humiliation never experienced even during the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.
But there was no time to burn with resentment towards the Mexican Empire, the entity that had inflicted that humiliation.
“Whew, is it over now? Let’s go.”
“Hmm, the Southern congressmen didn’t stay until the end. I expected that.”
“…”
Many Democratic congressmen and some Whig congressmen were absent from today’s session. They were not absent because this humiliating session was a hardship.
It was a sign that the country was truly starting to split.
***
The joyous victory celebration party was short-lived.
There was too much to do to rest for long.
They needed to properly manage the newly acquired northern and southern territories, deal with the Oregon territory in the north and Colombia in the south, and continue to pay attention to the problems between the north and south of the United States.
“The North-South problem is serious.”
“Yes?”
Diego reacted to my musing.
“No, let’s look at the issues related to the newly acquired territories first.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Administrative officials and police officers were sent to the south and north. It hadn’t been long since they were sent, and already reports about countless problems were coming in.
“Lack of administrative capacity is natural, there are still indigenous tribes left, there are many murderers and gangs, so security is terrible, and there are many people claiming land without any basis, so ownership is unclear…”
“In short, it’s a lawless land.”
“That’s right. Security is the responsibility of the police department, but for new territories, we’ll work with the military to clean things up as quickly as possible. As for the policy towards indigenous tribes, we’ll continue to persuade them as best as we can to become subjects of the Mexican Empire.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The territory acquired in the north was over 2 million square kilometers. They also gained 75,000 square kilometers in the south, so even for our Mexican Empire, it was not easy to digest.
“Because of the lack of administrative capacity and manpower, we tried to accept as many existing Americans as possible, but the land ownership issue… In these cases, it will be difficult to guarantee property rights. In the Mexican Empire, the principle is that all land without clear evidence of ownership is government property. If they can’t accept that, we have no choice but to send them back to the United States.”
“Yes, we’ll take care of that. Your Majesty.”
The Pittsburgh Treaty did say that it would protect the civil rights and property rights of existing American citizens, but how could they know and protect them if there was no basis? If they didn’t want to follow the laws of the Mexican Empire, then they could be considered to want to live in the United States.
“But if we push too hard, no one will stay. We’ll explain well to the newly incorporated citizens of the Mexican Empire about ‘pioneer migration,’ ‘urban migration,’ and other administrative, technical, and business migration, and help them receive benefits.”
“Yes, but I think the lack of administrative capacity will be a problem here too.”
The lack of administrative capacity was linked to the Mexican Empire’s chronic manpower shortage.
“There’s a way to alleviate that too.”
***
A wind of change was blowing through Kansas, now part of the Mexican Empire.
“No, how can this be? This land is our family’s land! My grandfather personally settled this land!”
“Well, we have no choice but to reclaim all land that doesn’t have legal grounds.”
“Legal grounds? Everyone lives like this! Isn’t that right?”
The man was right. Territories that weren’t official US states were almost lawless. It was common for people to draw lines on the land or build fences and live there. Unless it was a fairly large town, there were no sheriffs, and they had to organize their own vigilante groups to fight against crimes like theft.
“That’s right! We settled this whole town! What right do you have to take it away from us?”
The villagers were furious at the announcement of the Mexican Empire official who had suddenly appeared.
“That’s the law of the Mexican Empire. If you don’t want to follow it, we’ll send you back to US territory.”
“What, what kind of nonsense are you talking about!”
He wanted to slap the Mexican’s face, but he couldn’t. ‘Police’ officers, who looked like regular army cavalry, stood behind the Mexican official with stern expressions.
They weren’t pointing their guns, but they were holding them in their hands, ready to shoot if necessary.
Gulp-
The villagers also brought out their weapons, but it was pointless to resist. But they couldn’t just be robbed of everything without putting up a fight.
A tense atmosphere hung between the two groups.
In that tension, the Mexican Empire official spoke again.
“In our Mexican Empire, we have a system called ‘pioneer migration.’ You have definitely settled this land, so we will recognize 640,000 square meters, or 160 acres, for each household. This is the Mexican Empire government’s final offer. What do you say?”
“One, one hundred sixty acres…”
Mumble mumble-
The villagers began to talk amongst themselves about the Mexican Empire official’s proposal.
“Could you give us some time to discuss?”
“Of course.”
It didn’t take long.
“I think it’s better to get 160 acres.”
“…I think so too. Otherwise, they’re going to kick us out of here with nothing. One hundred sixty acres isn’t bad.”
When the two influential men in the village said that, most of the residents agreed. There were also households using more than 160 acres of land, but they weren’t using hundreds of acres either.
There were no large-scale farms in this remote settlement. Almost everyone was a small-scale farmer, farming with simple tools without any fancy machinery.
“Well, they said they’ll send officials and police too. They said a traveling judge will come here occasionally.”
It was a basic thing in the Mexican Empire’s territory, but it was a big benefit compared to the US government, which was practically neglecting them.
As the villagers’ opinions gathered, the village headman said.
“Alright. We’ll accept 160 acres for each household, as you said. But you’ll definitely recognize ownership of that land, right?”
“Of course. We’ll issue documents, so keep them safe.”
The distribution of land was entirely decided by the Mexican Empire official. That was the law. Land was distributed fairly to all households, including the village headman.
After completing the land distribution, the official said to the village headman.
“If you want to continue to be the village headman, learn Spanish quickly.”
“Spanish, you say?”
“Yes. I can speak English, but the officials who will be assigned here in the future may not be able to speak English. The same goes for the police and judges. New immigrants or migrants will be assigned to this village in the future, and it will be inconvenient if there are any who can speak both English and Spanish.”
“Hmm, definitely…”
The Mexican Empire was implementing a strong assimilation policy, and even small positions like the village headman were given only to those who could speak Spanish. But it was also inefficient to completely overturn the existing relationships, so they advised the village headman first.
“Also, if you can speak Spanish and do simple arithmetic, you can become an official like me. If you get old and find it difficult to farm, you can rent out the land you received now and work as an official.”
“…I should educate my son too.”
“Good.”
The official gave the villagers a hint about the Mexican Empire’s severe administrative shortage. It was in accordance with the higher-ups’ instructions to recruit as many administrative personnel as possible locally.
The villagers had witnessed the power of the Mexican Empire official, so many of them began to study Spanish or buy books to teach their children Spanish.
The Rios Express carried books for studying Spanish every time it set out for a new village.
And so, the Mexican Empire began to stabilize its new territories, but there were still many problems that remained unsolved.