Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 360 The dust has settled
"Father"

"Come, Muhammad, I have something to tell you."

Muhammad sat beside his father, who had been constantly busy since his birth. His father spent most of his time with his mother and servants, which fostered his interest in history, literature, and religious books. Such a situation was truly rare.

Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?

Muhammad immediately said, "I want to travel the world like Ibn Battuta and then write a book."

This traveler wrote about the human geography of hundreds of places in his book, from the Far East to Mali, from the sea breeze of the Indian Ocean to the scenery of Granada. He wrote about them all, and Mohammed really wanted to see these places. He was still saving money, waiting to save up 10 riyals before he planned to travel around the world.

"Okay, very good. So, would you like to go see your uncle now?"

Upon hearing this news, Muhammad was overjoyed. He had heard that his uncle owned a piece of land in Southeast Asia. He was getting a little bored staying in the Gulestan Palace, and it would be nice to be able to go out and explore.

"Of course, you're also going out on my behalf to meet your uncle. Don't wander off, and be good."

Muhammad would grant any request as long as he could get out of the country. Finally, he could write his own travelogue; the thought alone filled him with excitement.

"Thank you, Father. I like it very much."

"That's good"

Naserdin left the room after a while, intending to write another letter to his brother. Muhammad was a good child in every way, except that he was too quiet; he would be better if he were more active.

At this point, the negotiations in the United States finally yielded results. Amidst the fierce competition, the United States of America was ultimately preserved, but its territory was reduced to only Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, and 66 counties in western Virginia. This was the only territory they were able to retain.

The Confederate States of America possessed the territories of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas. They inherited one-third of the United States territory and almost all of its cotton-growing industry.

New York State and New York City have declared independence, forming the Republic of New York. To prevent New York from becoming the sole superpower, the capital has been moved to Albany. They are also sending ambassadors to various countries to establish diplomatic relations.

In the western region, the French-occupied territories formed New Louisiana. The British-occupied territories were incorporated into British Columbia, and New England was incorporated into Lower Canada.

Urged by Britain, France, Austria, and Spain, the Northern government reluctantly signed the armistice treaty on September 30, 1862. On the same day, the Kingdom of Minnesota, the Principality of Michigan, and the Grand Duchy of Wisconsin were established, ruled by prominent local families who had reached agreements with local congressmen, expressing their willingness to work for the betterment of their respective regions.

Missouri, not wanting to align themselves with either side, formed the Republic of Missouri. They used German as their primary language and attracted a large number of people of German descent to settle there.

With this, the partition of the United States was complete. As the president's pen drew the final stroke of ink on the Treaty of Permanent Neutrality, a strange flag now fluttered atop the flagpole where the Stars and Stripes had once hung outside the window—a Union Jack with a miniature American flag sewn into its upper left corner, like a shameful patch.

Stepping into the White House again, Hamlin seemed to have aged twenty years. Everywhere was broken walls and ruins; the former political center had become a wasteland.

In this two-year civil war, the Northern government suffered nearly 50 casualties, and this only includes military losses, not civilian casualties. However, he hadn't anticipated that, apart from the states that remained loyal to the US government, the others, including New York, seceded from the Union. Those that remained were embroiled in conflict over various issues. After experiencing a civil war, if some states were to secede again, would the federal government still be able to organize a military crackdown?

Now, due to the civil war, the prestige of the federal government has greatly diminished, and its control over the states has further weakened. Without the cooperation of the states, the Washington government even has difficulty mobilizing domestic troops, let alone organizing them.

The defeat in this war made Lincoln and his Republican administration the target of widespread criticism. There are already calls to prosecute the former president and imprison him. While a pardon could be granted, the specifics will depend on the final outcome.

The threat to the United States has now been completely eliminated. Although there are still important industrial bases like Pennsylvania and Ohio, the loss of New York is still a blow to its economy.

President Hamlin's boots clattered softly on the charred pages of the Declaration of Independence. He bent down to pick up a shard of porcelain bearing the national emblem and suddenly noticed dried bloodstains on the back, undoubtedly left by an unknown guard.

"Mr. President!" The communications officer came running, breathless, the telegram in his hand smelling of coal dust from the Pittsburgh steel mill. "The Pennsylvania legislature has just passed the Militia Autonomy Act; they're refusing entry to federal officers into the state!"

"The steelworkers of Ohio have sent an ultimatum." Secretary of War Stanton unfolded a letter blackened with gunpowder. "Unless the federal government pays the $900 million owed for goods purchased during the war, they will export their entire production capacity to Britain and Canada."

"Why can't you let go?"

At some point, Secretary of State Seward appeared behind Hamlin.

The other person shook his head and said, "No, when I first came here, I knew it was a mess. It's just that I thought President Lincoln could handle it and reunite the country."

However, we all underestimated the enemy. Now we have to slink away, and perhaps I'll end up in prison with former President Lincoln.

Seward reassured him, "Don't worry, the worst outcome is that the next president signs a pardon. The Republicans won't let us go in; that's the rule of the game."

Because of the Southern independence movement, the Democratic Party was severely weakened and had no way to compete with the Republican Party in the short term. The next president would most likely still be a Republican; no party wants its president to be convicted and imprisoned, making history. The Republican Party would naturally do everything in its power to protect Lincoln and Hamlin.

The calls for prosecution are just a political maneuver for electioneering. Activists are being used; politicians won't break the rules.

"Alas, it still turned out this way in the end. I wonder if all of this was a test from God; I'm afraid no one knows."

(End of this chapter)