The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 702 Gentlemen, your national defense cotton has worked!
Charleston, early morning.

A black carriage with the O'Hara family crest rolled over the cobblestone streets, and its wheels came to a sudden stop in front of the iron gate of the French Consulate in the city center.

"Stop here!" Xianfeng shouted to the coachman, straightened his tailcoat, picked up a bowler hat and put it on his head, then pushed the door and got out of the carriage holding a British-imported cane.

The eagle emblem of Napoleon III's empire was hung on the cast iron gate of the consulate. A French guard looked at the oriental visitor suspiciously until the special pass issued by Napoleon III appeared in front of him. This was the second time he had seen such a high-level pass! The last time he saw it was just one day ago, from the hands of the Countess of the Temple Mount.

"I'm here to see the Countess of Temple Mount." Xianfeng spoke in fluent English, then limped into the French Consulate in Charleston with a cane.

"Bishop Zhao, please take a look at this first."

In a reception room, Xianfeng saw Rinko, who was wearing a well-made French-style dress. She first poured him a cup of tea, and then handed him a small book. Xianfeng took it and saw that it contained a classical Chinese article. Xianfeng read it in a low voice: "First, publicize its evils and arouse public anger. Spread the manifesto in the market and report the rednecks in the countryside, so that people know that Lincoln's victory was not the will of the people, but was actually caused by the bribery of the northern factory owners and the fraud of the Republican Party. They bought votes with gold dollars to intimidate voters. How is this different from banditry?
Second, gather the militia and go to Washington. All states should quickly mobilize the militia, organize the troops, and gather in Washington. Rednecks lined up with guns, surrounded the Capitol in the name of "protecting the Constitution", and forced the congressmen to change the rules of the vote count so that "the one with the most votes wins" and return power to the people. If Congress does not follow, then Vice President Breckenridge, who is the presiding officer of the vote count, should directly declare Douglas the winner on the grounds of "conforming to public opinion" and seize Lincoln's false edict!

Third, seize the Union and prepare for war. If Lincoln disobeys orders, the factory owners in the North will threaten him with guns and cannons. However, the slave states in the South are vast, with abundant food and brave people who are good at fighting. Why should they be afraid of the Northern invaders? Now first seize Washington and seize the Union's famous weapons, then the wartime dispatch will be justified. If Lincoln takes the throne, he will hold the treasury and recruit troops from the North, and the South will be in danger! "

"Bishop Zhao!" The Countess of Temple Hill whispered, "Tell those Southerners that only if they follow this method will Britain and France support them. In addition, a batch of French arms will soon be shipped to Richmond, a total of 10,000 Minié rifles and 24 Napoleon cannons. It is enough to arm a French-equipped division of militia in the South!"

In the southern slave states of the United States, everyone had a gun, and there were more guns than people. So the arms that Rinko got from Napoleon III were nothing, but the fact that they were all French weapons was different.

This shows that the French support these French guys who shout "Long live cotton" every day!

Unlike the capitalists in the north who were always thinking about imposing tariffs on Europe, the plantation owners in the south believed in "the national guardian cotton" and hoped that the European powers, who could not do without American cotton, would come to their aid. Now that there were French weapons, it meant that France was going to fall. If France fell, how could the British Empire not fall?

In the lobby of the O'Hara family's Oak Manor, a large group of radical Southern politicians were drinking and complaining. As soon as Emperor Xianfeng IV stepped into the lobby, he heard Vice President Breckinridge's Kentucky accent ringing through the room: "Lincoln, that bastard, can't even do nigger arithmetic!"

Scarlett O'Hara walked through the crowd carrying a silver hip flask, still cheerful and unrestrained, unaware that her country was on the brink of civil war.

The "radicals" who were a little drunk were venting their dissatisfaction by saying things like "quit the federation," which seemed very satisfying to them.

"Gentlemen!" Xianfeng suddenly snatched the wine jug from Scarlett's hand and smashed it against the fireplace. The splashing bourbon whiskey burst into blue light in the flames, instantly startling the Southern politicians who were drowning their sorrows in alcohol. All eyes were focused on Xianfeng, who was seen waving a newly published "Charleston Courier" - the word "fraud" on the front page headline was so glaring.

"Forty to forty-seven!" Xianfeng poked the vote tally with his finger. "Forty wins, are you ready to acknowledge this election result?"

An elderly senator shook his white beard and said, "Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution clearly states."

"The Constitution also says that all men are created equal!" Xianfeng sneered, "If you admit that 40% can lose to 47%, then the next step is that Lincoln will use the Constitution to free the slaves in your homes!"

"Slavery is necessary to the survival of the Union," roared Vice President Breckenridge.

"You are wrong!" Xianfeng sneered, "Only the federal government can help you preserve slavery, and now is the best time for you to preserve the federal regime! You have 47% of the votes, while Lincoln only has 40%! Public opinion is on your side! Moreover, you currently control the federal government!"

"But there are rules," another federal congressman said in a hoarse voice.

"There is public opinion, there is the government, and there is..." Xianfeng slowly pulled out the Colt Spinner and slapped it on the tray Scarlett was holding, "Why can't the rules be changed? If you still choose to retreat under such favorable conditions, then what reason does Lincoln have not to press on step by step?"

Vice President Breckenridge's cigar fell on the carpet, but his eyes gradually became sharp: "Bishop Zhao, tell me, how should this rule be changed?" "Organize 50,000 southerners to march into Washington, surround Capitol Hill, and peacefully petition the congressmen." Xianfeng's next words made everyone's necks cold, "Organize another division of militia to 'protect' them as they enter Washington! If the congressmen are unwilling to amend the Constitution, then the Vice President can still announce the counting results."

A South Carolina senator suddenly started coughing violently: "This is a coup."

"This is a revolution!" Xianfeng said, "If it fails, it's a coup d'état, but if it succeeds, it's a revolution!"

The room was silent again
"Gentlemen, democracy is not a dinner party." Zhao Si suddenly said, "When the rules of the game allow cheaters to always win." He picked up the revolver from Scarlett's tray, "honest people have the right to overturn the card table. And the French emperor has decided to support you for cotton! Equipment enough to arm a division has been shipped to the warehouse in Richmond Port!"

Hearing the words "the French Emperor supports" and "French arms have arrived", a group of American Southerners who believed in "the national divine cotton" all had their eyes shining!

With France's support, there is nothing to fear.

When their grandfathers followed Washington to fight against Britain, they were able to win in the end only with the support of France!

Davis suddenly raised his glass and shouted: "For cotton, for America, march to Washington, to Capitol Hill!"

At the same time, San Francisco, California.

The Pacific Ocean breeze swept across the Golden Gate Bay, and Huang Shiren used his ivory pipe to lift the seal on the wooden box. "Look, Mr. Huntington," he said in fluent but slightly out-of-tune English, "These are all top-quality silk shirts, just like British and French ones. If anyone likes custom-made shirts, underwear and skirts, we also have top-quality silk fabrics ready, all 'Made in California', pure American products!"

There is no such thing as pure "American raw silk" these days, but most of the silk fabrics and silk garments sold in the American market are indeed made in the United States! This is not only true in the United States, but also in other countries. Because the cost of producing raw silk by each country is too high, but in the process of turning raw silk into fabrics and even clothing, each country will use tariffs or other methods to keep as much of it as possible.

Such unfree trade caused great losses to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Charles Crocker opened a wooden box and held up a piece of Hang satin to examine it in the sun. The silk surface shone with a pearly luster under the hot California sun, and the wooden box was labeled "Sacramento Textile Factory". "God," Carney, who had just been elected as a U.S. Senator from California, crossed himself, "This is ten times better than what those Irish women in Boston weave."

"Is this really made in a textile factory in Sacramento?" Congressman Murrieta touched the label on the box and suddenly lowered his voice: "Could it be smuggled from China?"

At the dock, a clipper ship from Shanghai was unloading cargo. Wooden boxes were unloaded by dock workers, loaded onto horse-drawn carriages, and transported to the dock, to a factory building with a sign that read "Sacramento Textile Mill." These wooden boxes did not have any labels when they entered the factory, but were labeled "Made in the USA," "Made in California," and "Produced by Sacramento Textile Mill" when they left the factory.

"No, no, this is not smuggling, this is completely in line with the Tariff Act of 1857," said William Smith, the governor of California who was a customs official. "As long as it is not discovered by California customs, it is completely legal! Moreover, the prices in California have always been the most expensive in the United States. As governors and congressmen, we cannot let our voters go hungry because of the high tariffs of the federal government!"

Everyone present nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a long whistle blew from the dock. Hopkins looked at a steamboat entering the harbor and laughed out loud: "Gentlemen, guess who this ship is registered under?" He took out a cigar and played with it, "California Mail Steamship Company, registered capital of $200,000, shareholders include two federal senators, two federal congressmen, four justices and eleven state prosecutors."

"And God." Senator Carney made the sign of the cross on his chest, the sun shining on his diamond ring, "The True Testament God. That way everyone can make money!"

Everyone present laughed.

Huang Shiren whispered to his clerk in Cantonese to change the label, then turned around and put on a warm smile: "Would you like to see our new workshop?" He deliberately raised his voice, "Specializing in the production of 'purely American-made' Mississippi rifles!"

(End of this chapter)