North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 303 Swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger
Compared to the eastern United States, the number of enslaved people in most parts of the West was not large, and the conflict between slavery and abolitionism was not the main social contradiction.

However, in a few Southern states, such as Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas, the issue of slavery remained widespread.

According to census data, the total number of enslaved Africans in the western states was approximately over 100,000.

Texas accounted for the majority, totaling over 100,000.

Most western states either legislated against slavery or against the settlement of free Black people, each with its own arguments and policies, and their attitudes toward slavery differed greatly.

Overall, the attitude towards enslaved people in the West was one of rejection and resistance.

Upon hearing Edgar Allan Poe's question, Azu pondered for a moment and replied, "I have always been a staunch abolitionist, that's beyond question!"

"As a politician, one must be trustworthy and not go back on one's word; otherwise, one is nothing more than a shameless and despicable politician."

"Although I am an abolitionist, I also believe that racial differences are an objective reality."

"Many of the shortcomings of Black people are also undeniable objective realities."

"In our future nation, there will be no environment or foundation for Black people to exist."

Upon hearing this, Edgar Allan Poe seemed to understand a lot, yet he didn't quite grasp anything, so he could only continue to ask, "So, BOSS, what do you mean...?"

Azu smiled slightly: "There are only a little over 100,000 Black people in the entire West right now. After we take over the entire West, our first priority is to pass legislation to abolish slavery."

"At the same time, legislation should be passed to prohibit the settlement of Black people, whether they were slaves or free citizens."

"The outside world is so big, it can definitely accommodate a mere hundred thousand or so Black people."

“We can spend some money to buy a piece of land, preferably a remote island, and send these black people there, giving them land and complete freedom.”

"As for whether these black people live or die afterward, that's none of our business."

"Whether they want to establish their own country or whatever they want to do, that's their freedom."

At this point, Azu spread his hands and laughed, "I should be considered quite merciful and have done my utmost, right? After all, I went a step further than Lincoln, not only giving them freedom but also land."

"Tell me, who in this world has a heart as compassionate as mine?!"

"Pfft...!"

Vivian, Daisy, Victoria, Yuma, and the other women present almost burst out laughing when they heard this.

Most of the others smiled without saying a word, but Edgar Allan Poe nodded emphatically, "Boss, your method is indeed the best solution; there is nothing more merciful!"

Then, Edgar Allan Poe continued, "The problem of the Negroes is easy to solve, but what about the Indians?"

"According to statistics, the number of Native Americans in the entire West is close to one million, which is a large number, and they were the original owners of this vast land."

"Most Native Americans are brave and skilled in battle, and if this is not handled properly, it will inevitably lead to social unrest and constant warfare."

Faced with this problem, Azu already had a plan in mind: "The same way California dealt with Native Americans is to demarcate land for them and give them full national treatment."

"Most Native Americans originally lived by fishing and hunting, so they needed extremely large areas of land to barely survive."

"But as the population in the western region grows, the conflicts will become more and more prominent. The original hunting and fishing way of life of the Native Americans is unsustainable."

"Therefore, we should preach to all Indian tribes, just as we preached to the Blackfoot, and turn them to agriculture as their primary means of livelihood."

"At the same time, we must vigorously recruit Native Americans into all industries, including the military, factories, and mines, so that they can truly integrate into modern society."

"We must also vigorously promote modern education among the various Native American tribes."

"For Native American tribes that are experiencing temporary difficulties due to the transition, the government can provide certain food and material subsidies to help them gradually get out of their predicament."

"As for those stubborn Native Americans who are determined to be our enemies and the times, we must also resolutely punish them, or even eliminate them."

"Only by taking a multi-pronged approach can the problem of Native Americans be completely solved."

After listening, Edgar Allan Poe couldn't help but exclaim, "Boss, your multi-pronged approach is indeed the only correct way to completely solve the Indian problem!"

"It's all thanks to your vision, strategic thinking, and foresight, boss! I doubt anyone else could have solved the Native American problem perfectly."

Ah Zu smiled and waved his hand: "Let's get back to the main point!"

"After taking control of the West, we must abolish the state governments and adopt California's governance methods to establish an efficient governance system as soon as possible."

“Repeale the various constitutions and laws promulgated by the states, and make California’s current constitution and laws the standard.”

"The government teams in each state are almost all in place, and they are just waiting to take office."

"At that time, our federal central government should also improve it as soon as possible."

"In addition to the existing California government, we will also establish a foreign affairs department, an intelligence department for both domestic and foreign affairs, a military intelligence department, a central bank, an immigration administration, and so on."

Azu continued, "The soldiers fighting on the front lines certainly bear heavy responsibilities."

"But the relevant personnel responsible for establishing the government in the rear also have heavy responsibilities and arduous tasks."

"Ellen, the government team you lead must shoulder this heavy responsibility!"

Edgar Allan Poe nodded solemnly: "Boss, rest assured, we in the government have been preparing for this day for a long time."

"But I still have one question...!"

"What questions?"

Edgar Allan Poe hesitated for a moment before asking, "Boss, after we conquer the West and then reclaim China, where will you establish your capital?!"

Azu replied, "That's a good question!"

"I hesitated a lot, after all, our future country spans the Pacific Ocean and has such a vast territory that it is unprecedented."

"Where to establish our capital in the future is an extremely crucial and important decision!"

"After much deliberation, I have finally decided that the future capital will still be the current capital of the Qing Dynasty!"

Edgar Allan Poe and many white people showed inexplicable disappointment upon hearing this.

For these white people, the future capital would naturally be in America, ideally in present-day San Francisco. If the capital were in China, it would mean that North America would be marginalized to some extent, at least not become a center of development.

These white officials, living on the ancient land of China, would more or less feel out of place and find it difficult to become the core of power.

It's hard to imagine that these white people would govern 400 million Chinese people.

That's basically impossible; these white people will be weakened or even marginalized to some extent.

Ah Zu glanced at the disappointed expressions on their faces and simply smiled slightly: "Aren't you all a little disappointed?"

"At the same time, aren't you also curious why I didn't choose California, specifically San Francisco, as the capital?"

Edgar Allan Poe nodded in agreement: "Boss, California and San Francisco have always been your base over the years. I really don't understand why you chose that ancient land of China as your capital?"

Azu replied, "No matter how the entire western region, led by California, develops in the coming decades, the constraint of a sparse population will ultimately remain its biggest weakness."

"The western region only has a population of seven or eight million. But the population of China is a full four hundred million!"

"Can you imagine a capital city built far away from 400 million people, on the other side of a distant ocean?"

Upon hearing this, everyone realized that even a fool could see that this situation was utterly absurd and completely impractical.

Forcing the capital to be located in California, specifically in San Francisco, will inevitably lead to endless troubles in the future.

Azu continued, "We want to build an unprecedented great empire, and the four hundred million Chinese compatriots are the foundation."

"Without the peaceful and prosperous lives of our 400 million compatriots, the foundation of our country in the future will not be stable, and it will only be a castle in the air."

"Therefore, the core of our future governance will definitely be that ancient and vast land of China."

"North America is certainly very important, and it will remain one of our key development areas in the future."

"As for why the old capital was chosen, this involves human geography and some metaphysical aspects, which I will not elaborate on here."

Although Azu didn't say it at the meeting, in his heart, it was firstly because the capital city was strategically located and its position was irreplaceable. Whether in the north or south of China, it would be difficult to find another capital city with the same strategic advantage.

The capital city is strategically located, backed by a range of mountains and facing the vast North China Plain. It is also not far from the ocean, making both sea and land transportation very convenient.

The capital city has neither the prosperity and gentleness of the south nor the harshness and coldness of the further north; its climate and culture are just right.

Azu added, “San Francisco is nice, but it is located on an earthquake zone and will always face the threat of earthquakes in the future, so it is not a suitable choice for a capital city.”

"Secondly, it is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the threat from the sea is too great. Historically, the capital of an empire would not choose such a coastal city."

"Thirdly, San Francisco is rich in gold, which has driven up prices too high, making it an unsuitable capital city."

Abundant gold reserves would normally be a huge advantage, but if the capital were to be established here, it would undoubtedly become a disadvantage.

Around San Francisco, too many people made their fortunes through the gold rush. These nouveau riche, who suddenly became wealthy, squandered their money and indulged in a life of extravagance, which not only drove up prices but also led to an excessively decadent social atmosphere.

Azu continued, "There is absolutely no need for you to worry. After the capital is established, you will all have no place to use your talents."

"The country we are building is so large that as long as we remain loyal, diligent and honest, I guarantee that everyone will have the opportunity to make great strides."

As soon as Azu finished speaking, Edgar Allan Poe once again took the lead in expressing his opinion: "Boss, we understand what you mean, and we support you unconditionally and absolutely!"

"No matter where you lead us in the future, we will all follow you to the end without hesitation."

"Hehe!" Azu reached out and patted Edgar Allan Poe on the shoulder: "It is precisely because I believe in everyone's loyalty that I am so open and honest with them."

"Just go for it! There's plenty of room for us to make a difference!"
-
Following this crucial meeting, the various groups immediately went their separate ways.

Two large armies, led by Zuo Zongtang and Feng Zicai, totaling 300,000 men, set off one after another, splitting into several arrowheads and heading towards their respective objectives.

Starting in late July, the entire western region was engulfed in flames of war, with the fighting continuing unabated.

Towns and states fell into the hands of the California military one by one.

Two massive armies, one in the south and one in the north, spread rapidly across the vast lands of western North America, like two winding dragons, devouring everything in their path!
Everything that stood in the way of these two giant dragons was crushed into dust and reduced to ashes.

The militias and National Guard in the states and towns offered negligible resistance, crumbling at the first touch and proving utterly ineffective.

Only when Zuo Zongtang's Southern Army advanced into Texas did they encounter some decent resistance.

A resistance force of over ten thousand Texas militia members attempted to halt the advance of the Southern Army.

But after what was only a relatively mild battle, more than 10,000 Texas militiamen were killed or wounded, and the survivors scattered and fled, falling into the hands of the rampaging Indian cavalry.

Starting in late July, in just over three months, by the end of October, almost the entire western region had fallen into the hands of the California military.

As originally agreed, the first thing to do after capturing a state is to dissolve the state government and repeal its state constitution and other messy laws.

Government officials who followed the army's lead immediately began to rebuild the ruling institutions.

Despite ongoing resistance and protests across the country, all efforts were in vain in the face of overwhelming force.

After capturing the entire West, the Northern and Southern Army Groups did not stop on the west bank of the Mississippi River, but instead crossed the river and captured several major cities on the east bank.

Before the two governments and armies in the east could even react, the outcome was already decided.

Both sides, exhausted from fighting for more than three years in the Civil War, were eager to defeat the California army and reclaim the vast West, but were powerless to do so.

At this point, both sides in the Civil War had already suffered enormous casualties, numbering in the millions, in the brutal war.

The two ferocious beasts were already wounded and on the verge of death from tearing each other apart, so they had no strength left to deal with the newly emerged opponent.

Aside from lodging the strongest protests, they could only watch as this new adversary relentlessly devoured everything that originally belonged to America.

After a long and brutal war, the Northern Army, which was initially at a disadvantage, is now beginning to gain the upper hand thanks to its deeper foundation and strength.

Perhaps in another year or two, the Southern Army, having bled to death, will have no choice but to surrender.

But at this critical juncture, California, this long-suffering behemoth, suddenly leaped out and swallowed half of America whole.

In desperation, the Northern Union had no choice but to urgently negotiate a ceasefire with the South.

(End of this chapter)