IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 153
**Chapter 153**
**South and North (7)**
The central government of Nueva Granada couldn’t resolve the chaos.
It lacked the capacity.
Even the citizens of the capital, Bogotá, demanded the resignation of President Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, who had been in power for three years.
“The government must take responsibility!”
“How long are you going to blame the former president? You were the ones who decided to go to war!”
It was a claim that was half-forced. It wouldn’t be a problem if it were before the war broke out, when they had a military alliance, but it was almost impossible to betray an ally after the war had already begun.
If they did that, Nueva Granada, as a nation, would lose whatever little credit it had, which would mean isolation in diplomacy and trade. Not only that, there was also a possibility, albeit low, that the betrayed United States would retaliate with force later.
Most of these claims were spread by ambitious individuals who were scheming to overthrow the current president and take control of the central government.
The Nueva Granada government, which couldn’t even properly control the capital and its surrounding areas, had no chance of controlling the provinces.
“This country is at its end.”
“I wonder what this country will be renamed this time.”
Local residents were openly making such statements.
Nueva Granada, which looked like it had lost both arms compared to the Gran Colombia era, had managed to remain a nation because the capital, Bogotá, still held power.
The power to sanction the provinces, which were close to the capital and hadn’t declared independence, was still there.
After Simón Bolívar’s death, only power was the driving force behind maintaining the nation. The people had no affection for the country or trust in the government.
Now that the central government, which wielded that power, was in chaos, it was inevitable that local power brokers would start harboring different intentions.
There was no need to specify a particular region. The elites of all provinces, except for the capital province, were thinking similarly.
“We need to declare independence! What has the central government ever done for us! They just collect taxes and meddle in our affairs unnecessarily!”
“You can’t make such a decision so easily. The government will eventually resolve the chaos. What will you do then?”
The next step was naturally civil war.
The central government wouldn’t allow any more independence. It was a matter of their own survival, and whoever took power would undoubtedly dedicate all their efforts to controlling the provinces.
Independence for one province wouldn’t be independence. They had to form an alliance and resist the central government.
‘But I don’t want to ally with the coastal provinces, which have a large population. I’d have to give up the presidency.’
Except for some businessmen and intellectuals, almost everyone present was the owner of a large estate (hacienda). But not all hacienda owners were the same. The hierarchy among them was determined by the size of their estates, the number of employees, and the yield of their crops.
The person advocating for independence here was the most powerful, but the moment they allied with neighboring regions, they wouldn’t even be second in command.
While the local elites cooperated, feuded, allied, and fragmented, the opinions of the common people were heading in a different direction.
“What, independence again? What’s the difference between that and the Nueva Granada government?”
It wouldn’t make much difference to the general public unless their immediate neighborhood became the capital.
They had a different solution in mind.
“We should just join Mexico like Panama?”
“Do you think the landowners would agree to that? They’re terrified of the central government’s interference.”
Even if the Mexican Imperial government promised to protect the property of the landowners, including their haciendas, nothing would change.
The common sentiment among the local hacienda owners was that they didn’t want to pay taxes, let alone follow the central government’s orders.
The hacienda owners were currently living like lords on their own estates. Unless it was a case of semi-coercion, like Panama, no one wanted to give up all their power and live under the orders of a bureaucrat sent by the central government.
“So, we just have to live like this? Panama is already building a railroad, I hear?”
“That’s right. I heard the landowners there are having a hard time because of it. The people who used to work on farms are going to work on the railroad construction sites, where wages are higher. Even though they’re trying to force them to stay, the Mexican Imperial government is stopping them, so they have no choice but to raise wages.”
“Wow. That’s a dream come true!”
The rumors about Panama, which had joined Mexico, were spreading across Nueva Granada.
Wages had gone up, and the prices of food and necessities had also increased, but wages had risen much more, making everything abundant.
It wasn’t just about economic benefits. More importantly, there was law and order and political stability. They were tired of suffering from the conflicts of the powerful.
“But isn’t a republic a country where the citizens are the masters? Don’t we have the right to choose?”
They wouldn’t have thought this way if it had been just a distant story. However, when the fates of people who had lived in the same country until recently were so drastically different, many felt a sense of relative deprivation.
“That’s right. Why should only the landowners decide? Let’s decide by vote!”
It was an idea that would have been unimaginable just 36 years ago, right after independence. But in that short time, the world had changed.
The people, who had slowly begun to open their eyes after independence, were no longer like serfs who lived their entire lives on the haciendas, working and growing old, unaware of anything.
The liberal ideas that had spread explosively through the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era were still only known to a few high-ranking officials in the Colombian region 36 years ago, but not anymore.
A republic was established when they gained independence from Spain, and ordinary citizens had experienced events such as voting, rebellion, civil war, local independence, and revolution, so they had heard something about liberal and republican ideas.
The constant influx of intellectuals from outside after independence also contributed to the change in people’s thinking. The first business that the intellectuals who came from outside started was newspapers.
It was still the same as before, difficult to make a living and politically unstable, but dissatisfaction with the government and a sense of relative deprivation began to draw the citizens out.
And so, protests began, centered in the cities.
“Give us the right to decide!”
***
In the British Empire, those who expressed hostility towards the Mexican Empire were increasing.
It wasn’t just the Conservatives. When news spread that Mexico had threatened England militarily, the Whigs’ opinion, as well as public opinion, completely reversed.
“We need to contain Mexico. They’re growing too fast.”
“That’s right. Look at their territory.”
The territory of the Mexican Empire, as shown on the world map, was simply enormous. It wasn’t even mostly useless like Russia’s. They heard there was some desert, but apart from that, it was all usable land.
“If we had known this would happen, we wouldn’t have given up the Caribbean and South American territories···.”
“Even if we gave them up, we should have kept at least one island for its strategic role.”
They had no intention of forgetting the audacity of the Mexican Empire in daring to threaten the British Empire.
The fact that Britain had pursued a pragmatic foreign policy was also possible because, in truth, no one had dared to challenge the British Empire directly after Napoleon.
Only Russia, which had fought against Napoleon alongside them, had the courage to slightly irritate the British.
Mexico’s past actions, threatening the British mainland with the Prussian army and the Mexican fleet, were tantamount to a direct challenge to the British Empire.
“Well, at the time, we didn’t know the relationship between the two countries would become like this.”
“That’s true.”
Arthur Wellesley, who had been watching the members’ conversation with a sullen expression, shouted.
“What do you mean, we didn’t know! I’ve been saying until I was hoarse that this would happen.”
“No, that’s···.”
Arthur Wellesley was a first-rate soldier but a third-rate politician.
As he grew older, he had become one of the most conservative members of the Conservative Party. He often made statements that would be considered ‘old-fashioned’ by the younger generation, ruining his image.
The fact that his strong statements were ignored was entirely his own fault, but Wellesley didn’t realize that, and he was resentful of the members who acted as if they didn’t know. But resentment couldn’t make him abandon his country.
“We need to continue supporting America. They need to recover quickly so we can properly contain Mexico.”
The British Empire couldn’t fight Mexico alone. Sending a navy across the Atlantic and sending an army were completely different stories.
That’s why they needed America. Only if America handled the army and England handled the navy could they stand a chance against the Mexican Empire.
“The Americans still have a grudge against Mexico, but would they go to war again? They were defeated so miserably.”
Lord John Russell, the current leader of the Whig Party, asked in a skeptical tone.
“That’s true. They’d be afraid. But wouldn’t things be completely different if we, Britain, stood with them? Besides, the Americans still think that Mexico deliberately provoked the conflict, so if we exploit that well, it’s a very plausible story.”
As Arthur Wellesley calmly replied, the Conservative Party members provided supporting fire.
“That’s right. And the Americans aren’t wrong in their belief, are they? I don’t know if Mexico deliberately provoked the conflict, but it’s true that they responded harshly in Mexico, and they absolutely cannot deny that they were preparing for war with America beforehand. What does that mean?”
It wasn’t just America that was shocked by the unfolding of the war. Mexico’s swift actions had also taken England, which had already anticipated Mexico’s early dominance, by surprise.
“Hmm, even if that’s true, America is on the verge of civil war, not even recovering from the war damage. It’s obvious that the North will win, but how many years will it take them to recover from the damage that will occur in the process?”
“That’s why we need to support them more. And, we weren’t talking about going to war right away. If we need to be patient to avenge the insult Mexico inflicted on us, then we need to be patient. Are those arrogant threats that Mexico made to our British Empire something you can forget so easily, Mr. Member?”
“···That’s not true.”
As Arthur Wellesley, the former leader of the Conservative Party, put Lord John Russell, the leader of the Whig Party, in his place, the Whigs provided supporting fire.
“Even if we set Mexico aside, what about their ally, Prussia? It’s too dangerous to leave them alone. Our rear is too vulnerable.”
Hostility towards Mexico had increased beyond comparison to before, but within the Whig Party, there was still disagreement about whether to even discuss war.
It was inevitable.
It was true that the British Empire’s prestige had been damaged, and the Mexican Empire’s growth was frightening. But all of that was proof that the Mexican Empire wasn’t an easy target. The British Empire had a lot to lose, and the risks of war were too great.
“That’s right. I heard Mexico gave Prussia an ironclad this time. It’s probably a reward for the last incident.”
“Ha! If it was a reward, they could have given them money. What an arrogant idea! They’re acting so arrogant because we put up with it once. They’re going to keep doing this, are you going to keep putting up with it?”
Ironclads were not only expensive but also couldn’t be simply valued in terms of money. They were the benchmark of a nation’s naval power, with less than five countries in the world capable of building them.
It was infuriating to them that they had rubbed the British Empire the wrong way and then calmly handed over an ironclad.
“···Even if you say that, if there is no solution to the Prussian problem, it’s unreasonable to discuss war. The Mexican Empire’s growth is impressive, but so is our British Empire.”
“That’s right! If the Mexicans expand their territory, we can expand our colonies. There’s no need to fight and do Russia a favor!”
The Whig members’ words weren’t wrong.
Britain, the strongest nation in the world, 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 to create a virtuous cycle of increasing military power and colonies.
“Then what about the Oregon Territory? Will you divide it as they demand?”
“···”
In the treaty that Britain and the United States had made in the past, they had clearly agreed to jointly govern it.
Mexico had gained territory in the western United States, so they would claim that their rights to Oregon were included, but whether they would recognize that claim ultimately depended on Britain’s will.
The problem was that the moment Britain recognized Mexico’s right to jointly govern the Oregon Country, it would once again look like they were giving in.
The Prussian problem and the Oregon problem.
Both sides had issues that couldn’t be easily resolved, and the meeting that day ended without a conclusion.
However, soon,
News arrived that would upset that precarious balance.
“Prince Metternich of Austria visited England?”
“No, not just the Foreign Minister, but the Prime Minister himself came···.”