The war has broken out!

For more than 30 million Americans, this is indeed big news, but for people outside the United States, it seems to have little effect, especially for those in South America who are accustomed to military coups, conflicts, and chaotic times, it has no effect at all, for them, the war in the United States is just a newspaper article. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

Even for the people of New Grenada, their country is already in the grip of war – last year because of the incumbent President Ospina's attempt to rig the presidential election, which led to a lot of discontent in society, coupled with dissatisfaction with the 1858 constitutional reform, when the governor of Cauca, Thomas Brown, was in the middle of the war. Cipriano? Morality? Mosquera and former President José? Illario? López rebelled against Ospina and declared its secession from the federation, with the support of several states, and after more than a year of war, the Conservative Party, which controlled the government, was already at a disadvantage, while the Liberal Party was marching to Bogotá and had the momentum to take over the world.

Panama newspapers were undoubtedly more concerned with the civil war in their own country than with the war in the United States, such as the Liberal Party, which was about to win the war.

But for Panama City's Isthmus Railway Co., Ltd. Chairman Henry? For Aspinwal, the war in the United States had the most direct impact on him - he was an American, after all.

"What a headache!"

Smoking a Havana cigar, Henry said with a headache.

"Now, as soon as the war breaks out, it will inevitably affect the income of the railway!"

That's why he's worried, for businessmen, the most important thing is profit, and as for war...... Wars on his own soil are secondary, whether in the South or in the North, the most important thing for him is interests.

"I don't think the most important problem right now is this one!"

John sitting next to him? Stevens said,

"The most important thing now is that according to the information we have, it is very likely that the Chinese will pursue our use of Chinese workers!"

"Chinese workers? Any questions? ”

Henry asked, puzzled.

"It's no problem to use Huagong, but don't forget how we use Huagong!"

Henry? Chauncey's words made Henry? Aspinwal's brow furrowed suddenly, and he immediately realized that if the Chinese pursued this issue, I am afraid that this is really a problem.

"We have a contract with them, we just use labor within the contract......"

Henry? Aspinwal himself emboldened himself, but he himself knew that if the United States fell into war, then he realized that the American government could no longer give any help in this matter!

More than ten years ago, in order to build the Panama Railway, Henry? Aspin Wall recruited about 1,000 Chinese laborers from California to Panama.

In the following years, in order to speed up the construction of the railway, the company recruited Chinese workers from Guangdong and Fujian provinces in Chinese mainland through various channels, and about 20,000 Chinese workers came to Panama via Hong Kong or Macau. It was thanks to the efforts of the Chinese laborers who were equal to slaves that the Panama Railroad was quickly completed.

But only the parties know what those Chinese workers paid for the construction of this railway, and that kind of evil has always been unknown, and if the Chinese are determined to pursue it, what should they do?

...... the name of the town "Matachin", it is an abbreviation of the word "Mat-achino", after the fact that the number of Chinese laborers who could not bear the enslavement committed suicide here. ”

Wang Guozhong, as the Chinese consul in Panama City, once again protested to the governor of Panama Province in front of him, whether it was far-fetched or fabricated, all he needed was a reason.

"Mr. Consul, I must reiterate once again that we are deeply sympathetic to the plight of the laborers in your country, but you must note that this has nothing to do directly with the Government of New Grenada or with the Province of Panama, after all, it is the railroad companies that use indentured Chinese laborers, not the Province of Panama!"

In the face of the protests of the Chinese, Pintos directly chose to play the ball, in his opinion, this is simply the Chinese creating problems, after all, it is never the government that uses Chinese workers, but an American company.

"What about the law? Where are the laws in your country? I do not see your country exercising its laws to protect our diaspora! Protect them from abuse, bullying! ”

After unceremoniously pointing out the other party's inaction, he said sternly.

"After three months of suffering at sea, Chinese workers from Chinese mainland arrived at the Bay of Panama, landed on Taboga Island, then moved to Panama City to stay, and then collectively moved to the town of Mat-achin after the towns of Gamboa and Gorgona, and began to participate in the construction of the western half of the railway. According to the testimonies we have now, there is ample evidence that the Chinese laborers once asked your country for help, but their requests were ignored and ignored, and it was your country's connivance that led to the unscrupulous enslavement and even killing of our nationals by the railway companies, and no normal country would sit idly by while its nationals were enslaved and killed in other countries, as the Consul General of the Chinese Empire in Panama, In accordance with the powers conferred on me by the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this Consul General hereby lodges the strongest protest against your country......"

While protesting, Wang Guozhong took a deep breath and made conditions.

"And demand that the government of New Grenada and the Province of Panama compensate each of the deceased Chinese workers 10,000 pesos, and other Chinese workers 1,000 pesos each!"

Hearing the protests and demands made, Pintos could hardly believe his ears, ten thousand pesos! 1000 pesos!

On the surface, this compensation may seem like a small amount, but in fact the total amount is as high as tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of pesos, which is obviously not something that the New Grenada government can afford, and of course, they cannot afford to pay compensation.

"Mr. Consul, this is blackmail!"

In the face of such blackmail, Pintos, as a Conservative, naturally does not want to be in this special period for Bartolomé, who has just taken over as president? Calvo added trouble, so he suppressed the anger inside him and said in an impassioned tone.

"No, it's justice!"

Faced with the Panamanian governor's questioning, Wang Guozhong said in a calm tone.

"This is the just demand of the graves of thousands of Chinese laborers along the Isthmus Railway! Mr. Governor! ”

"This is blackmail! This is by no means justice! This is the blackmail of one country against another! Any sane nation would reject this blackmail! ”

Again, he emphasized the words of no acceptance, but in the face of this rejection, Pintos raised the corners of his lips.

"Your Excellency, you must be clear that if you refuse to compensate the Chinese workers, then it is very likely that our country will take all necessary measures to protect the interests of overseas Chinese! It may even include the possibility of occupying the Isthmus of Panama. ”

Finally, when the other party said this, Pintos was stunned for a moment, and then he immediately understood that all this was just an excuse! At the same time, linking all this to the war that had just broken out in the United States, he suddenly realized that no country could stop the Chinese's ambitions for the isthmus.

"Mr. Consul General, this is your real purpose, all you are doing is to seize the isthmus!"

The so-called compensation of the Chinese is just to make them more "civilized" in seizing Panama, and when he understood the other party's intentions, he immediately felt an unprecedented anger, and he glared at the consul general in front of him and said in an angry tone.

"When you insist that we pay for a responsibility that does not belong to us, and we must go against the grain, it is obviously extremely unfair and tyrannical, and a people who tolerate such humiliation do not deserve to live! Mr! We will never accept this kind of blackmail! Perhaps, now New Grenada is at war, but sir, whether Conservatives or Liberals, they are first and foremost Grenadians! They are all patriotic! When you try to occupy Panama, it will be the time when we raise the sword of patriotism! ”

In the face of the "threat" of the governor of Panama, Wang Guozhong only smiled, and his understanding of the situation in New Grenada made him very clear that those politicians who had fought for power and profit for a year could not choose peace talks when victory was imminent! Power is like an aphrodisiac, they will never give it up! Like the civil war they are fighting now.

"So, your Excellency, is this your final answer?"

"Yes, Mr. Consul General, this is our final response!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Pintos gave the answer that a qualified politician should give directly, in the face of blackmail.

"When you try to take this place, I'll guard it like a warrior!"

Contacted the Chinese warship that was visiting Panama City, and at this moment finally understood the Chinese idiom "deliberate".

"Well, that's a shame! Excellency! ”

Standing up politely, as a resident in Panama City, he looked at the governor and said,

"It was really an unpleasant meeting, I want to see you next time, maybe we can put aside each other's preconceptions and have a pleasant communication!"

Looking at the back of Wang Guozhong's departure, Pintos only felt a wave of anger welling up in his heart, although his heart was full of anger and dissatisfaction, but he had no way to stop what was about to happen in Panama - the Chinese warship was in the harbor!

He could not even stop the consul from leaving, and if he did, the incident would only worsen, and the detention of diplomats would only lead to an escalation of the conflict!

"Your Excellency, Chinese, Chinese......"

At this moment, a customs official hurriedly ran over.

"Chinese sailors have captured the port!"

A pool of blood on the ground and a few corpses on the side reminded people of what had just happened here, after a short "fierce battle", the Panamanian military police guarding the port rationally put down their weapons, faced those marines who pounced like tigers and wolves, faced with the grenades they threw and the fast-firing rear-loading guns, these military policemen with front-loading guns made the most rational choice -- surrender.

However, when they laid down their arms, more than half of the dozens of military policemen guarding the port had been killed or wounded, so that the Panamanian military policemen who survived all looked at these Chinese soldiers in black military uniforms with a frightened expression, and even some of them hurriedly lowered their heads because of their eyes, for fear of eye contact, only one captain officer still said proudly to the Marine officer in front of him.

"Mr. Captain, this is a sneak attack! is a very shameless act! ”

Shameless indeed!

With a rifle in his hand, when he entered Panama City, Katsu Haizhou, who had gone ashore as an armed sailor, still had this in mind, and the visit turned into an occupation, and the port was seized almost bloodlessly, and then hundreds of sailors marched directly into the city.

As for these Panamanians...... Looking at the Panamanians on the side of the road, looking at their blank appearance in the face of all this, Sheng Haizhou suddenly had an inexplicable sympathy,

"Do you know what a weak country is?"

Again, Nagai's words came to his mind.

"The weak country doesn't even have the power to sign the alliance under the city, the weak country is just meat on the board, and it is bullied!"

This is the weak country!

Looking at the Panamanians on the side of the road, Sheng Haizhou understood what a weak country is, and a weak country does not even have the right to resist in the face of bullying, just like now, just like Panama, when facing aggression, it can only watch all this.

"Welcome Master Wang!"

At this moment, the shouts on the side of the road made Sheng Haizhou stunned, and he saw a group of Chinese dressed as Westerners, who were Panamanian Chinese, and there were even local wives standing beside them, that is, whites, natives, and mixed-race children.

Many of them were railroad labourers, and now a considerable number of them are scattered to various places along the railroad line to earn their own livelihoods. According to the information learned from the ship, the total population of Panama Province is now 128897, and the total number of pure Chinese accounts for about 16% of the total local population, including their families and wives, and the population exceeds 30% of the local population.

And this 30% is the biggest motivation for the consulate to decide to act, 30% of the population, even through the form of voting, let this place gain independence, no, it should be said that it has become a vassal or overseas province of China, as for their actions, it is only to protect the interests of overseas Chinese, not aggression.

But what about Panamanians?

Although many Panamanians had pistols at their waists, they did not resist, but stood on the side of the road and watched as the Chinese soldiers marched in the direction of the governor's residence, which was already in chaos.

The servants in the mansion were carrying things to the carriage, and the governor Pintos, who had sworn to protect Panama, was standing by the carriage and was giving orders to Major Alain, who was beside him.

"Major, the Chinese will soon occupy here, I need to go to Santa Fe Bogotá and report to Mr. President what is happening here, remember Major, what you need now is to protect the people here, as for the rest, leave it to the diplomats to solve!"

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