These demonstrative Americans came to the White House to ask for war. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

After the news of the "Monaken" cruiser captured by the Chinese Navy was transmitted back to the United States, various relevant "details" quickly circulated through various media, starting with Washington's parade, various states launched demonstrations from the capital and then affected the county and port cities, including excessive violence, such as the bloody incident in San Francisco in which Americans stormed a Chinese residential area, causing many injuries, and then the US police intervened and sheltered more than a dozen wounded Chinese. However, no Americans were arrested for the operation, and after the incident, there were demonstrations and riots against the Chinese in various places, especially in the southern states, and the US government had to send troops to maintain law and order for fear that the situation would expand beyond control.

With regard to the "Monaken" incident, unlike the ordinary American people, the attitude of the US government is very unclear. After the truth of the "Monaken" incident gradually surfaced, the attitude of the US Government became more cautious.

"Declare war on the hateful Chinese!" I don't know who shouted in the crowd.

"Declare war!" Immediately, someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Declare war! Declare war! More people shouted.

"Declare war! Declare war! Declare war! More and more shouts joined in, merging into a rolling torrent that seemed to knock the White House down. The military and police officers in front of the White House clearly felt uneasy and shook their rifles in their hands.

In the White House conference hall, senior officials of the US Government and several Navy and Army generals were sitting at a rectangular conference table, waiting for the meeting to begin.

The reason why the meeting has not yet begun is because the main person of this meeting, US President Ulysses? Simpson? Grant has not yet arrived.

General Sherman, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Federal Forces, looked up at the ceiling of the conference room, which had been rustled by the roar of "declaration of war" outside, and his eyes flashed with annoyance.

As far as the US Government is concerned, the truth of the "Monaken" incident has already been revealed, but due to the previous media adding fuel and vinegar and the preconceived ideas of the American people who do not know the truth, the "Monaken" incident has continued to ferment and gradually evolved into a political storm that has swept the whole country.

Amid the people's cries of "declaring war on the barbaric Chinese," the Senate and House of Representatives of the US Congress also quarreled. Just today, US President Grant was ordered to go to Congress for questioning, and he has not yet returned.

"The president hasn't come back yet, is there something wrong with Congress?" Secretary of the Interior Columbus? Draenor said worriedly.

"No matter what resolution Congress passes, I will not agree to a war with China." Secretary of the Navy George? Robertson said with a grim face, "Neither morally nor in the interests of the United States allow me to do this." ”

"If Congress does pass the bill that those lunatics have put forward to declare war on China, we can't count on your U.S. Navy, George." War Secretary William? "As far as I know, the Monaken was a pretty good cruiser, the largest warship we sent to the Pacific, but it surrendered in less than half an hour under the fire of the Chinese warships. ”

"We have bigger and better warships than the Monaken!" Robertson replied with some annoyance,

Robertson was not very clear about the current state of the U.S. Navy, and in fact he cared more about his own savings than the U.S. Navy under his control, which had less than $20,000 in personal bank balances at the time of his appointment, has now risen to $300,000.

"Come on! Mr. Minister! Those warships of yours may not be able to sail to the shores of China and will sink! Rather than sinking in vain, it is better to dismantle it directly as a chopping wood. Bernap continued to mock the U.S. Navy under Robertson.

Hearing Berknapp's words, the other ministers also burst out laughing.

"This is the necessary price to pay for this great country to end the war and pursue peace!" Robertson casually endured the ridicule of his colleagues, knowing that he was not alone in the responsibility of the U.S. Navy to become like this.

After the end of the American Civil War, it became an inevitable choice to reduce the national strength of armaments and recuperate, and the first to be largely dismantled was the US Navy, and a large number of steam-powered wooden warships and inland ironclad ships built by the North and the South during the war were all decommissioned, and the personnel were also greatly reduced, and the students of the Naval Academy were classified as unemployed as soon as they graduated. In this atmosphere, the strength of the US Navy has also dropped to a terrible level.

"So I don't think it's wise to go to war with China at this time." Robertson continued.

"You're right, George." A tired voice came from the doorway.

Hearing this, all the attendees stood up from their seats.

U.S. President Grant appeared in the chamber. The general, who had been a leader on the battlefield, was now dressed in a suit and bow tie, and he was not very tall, with curly brown hair, thin lips, delicate hands, ten slender fingers, and a long beard. Because of his experience, he has a strong physique, muscular muscles, and neat manners, and anyone who looks at him will think that he is a professional soldier.

But now Grant has a tired and tired expression on his face.

After handing his coat to the White House servant, he sat down in his seat and threw a stack of papers on the table.

"As for the truth about the 'Monaken' incident, the group of lunatics in Congress just refuse to believe it!" Grant said angrily, "They think I'm committing perjury!" How unreasonable! ”

"I just got a report here. A detailed account of the incident was given by officials in China's Fujian province, with testimony from people on board British and French warships who watched the battle. "Secretary of State Hamilton, who hasn't spoken? Fish said, shoving a report in front of Grant, "We've all seen it before. Mr. President. ”

"What's the difference from previous reports?" Grant didn't immediately look at the report, but rubbed his temples with his hands and asked with his eyes closed.

"It is certain that the 'Monaken' fired first at the Chinese warship, not as reported in the previous newspapers, and there is no doubt that they were shelled by the Chinese while trying to rescue the Japanese sailors who had fallen into the water." Fish quickly exchanged glances with several ministers and said, "And there is a surprising fact in this report. ”

"Oh? What is it? Grant asked.

"When the 'Monaken' attacked the Chinese warship, it lowered the Union flag and raised the Confederate flag." Fish said in a deep voice.

"What did you say?!"

Grant's body shook violently, and he straightened up from his chair, and his eyes opened in flames of rage.

"The Monacon flew the Confederate Southern Cross flag during the battle." Fish replied in the affirmative.

"Damn bastard!" Grant slammed the table and stood up, the muscles of his face contorted with anger, "If this bastard comes back alive, I'll hang him in Constitution Square with my own hands because of the disaster he has brought to the Federation and me personally!" ”

"His name is Albert? Masson, from South Carolina. Secretary of the Navy Robertson replied, "When I learned the news, I also wanted to kill this bastard with my own hands, but unfortunately he is dead." ”

"He's dead?" Grant sat down angrily, "It's better to die!" ”

"But the troubles he left behind are not over." "China's foreign minister sent a sternly worded protest to our legation in Beijing, demanding that the U.S. government explain the incident and compensate the Chinese Navy for the damage caused by the Monaken during the battle," Fish said. ”

"Damn South Carolina shit!" Grant cursed fiercely.

Hearing Grant scold the South Carolinans, several ministers gave him strange looks.

Sherman, however, knew that it was not for nothing that Grant scolded the South Carolinians so badly.

After Grant was elected as the 18th president of the United States, the biggest national issue facing the federal government led by the former battlefield hero was how to deal with the political status of the former rebel states in the South. After the end of the American Civil War, the vast majority of Southern states were held by radical Republicans. Radical Republicans support giving blacks citizenship and suffrage. But by the late nineteen-sixties, radical Republicans began to lose ground in the South, and many radical Republicans were not re-elected, and they were defeated by the Democrats. And Democrats don't want to give blacks any rights at all. The first radical Republicans to lose ground in the South were in Virginia, where the changes were still peaceful. But this is not the case in other states, such as Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, where Democrats have used threats and violence to win elections. These elections are usually led by Ku Klux Klan. Soon, the Ku Klux Klan was popping up in every southern state, and by 1871, radical Republican members of Congress were calling for a law to eliminate the Ku Klux Klan. So a committee headed by radical Republicans was formed, which investigated and heard a lot about the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan in the southern states. After several debates, Congress passed a bill to control the Ku Klux Klan. The new law gives the president the power to declare martial law in the southern states. The bill made many Southerners hate the North even more, with South Carolina being the most opposed. Similarly, the passage of the bill angered moderates in the Republican Party, who argued that the federal government should not help radical Republicans take control of power in the South. There are moderate Republicans who disassociate themselves from President Grant and radical Republicans who call themselves liberal Republicans and form a new party. All this has brought the United States to the brink of division again.

And the behavior of the captain of the "Monaken", who was born in South Carolina, flown the Confederate flag to provoke a conflict with a Chinese warship, in Grant's view, is an out-and-out act of treason. It was only Grant who said that he wanted to hang him with his own hands.

"Are all the sailors on the Monaken all South Carolinese?" Grant asked again.

"Oh, let me think about it...... "Secretary of the Navy Robertson hastened to recall, "yes, the sailors on the Monaken were the most South Carolinas, followed by Virginians and Tennessees, and only a few officers were from the North. ”

"No wonder trouble always comes from South Carolina!" Grant hatefully flipped through the documents in front of him, took out a piece of paper, and threw it directly to Vice President Henry, who had been silent? Wilson, "Look at it! This is an ultimatum given to me by that madman of Wade! ”

The "madman Wede" in Grant's mouth is the Hampton? Weed, born on March 28, 1818, in Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from South Carolina College in 1836. From 1852 to 1861 he was a state legislator and formed the Hampton Regiment, where he served as colonel and led the unit in the First Battle of Bull Creek. He was promoted to brigadier general in May 1862. On May 31, he was wounded in the Battle of Qikesong. In July, he was transferred to the cavalry unit, and in September he was appointed deputy to General Stuart. Participated in the Battle of Antitum and was wounded three times in the Battle of Gettysburg. In August, he was promoted to major general. In May 1864, he became commander of the Northern Virginia Regiment Cavalry Corps and participated in the Battle of the Wasteland. He later gained fame for his performance at the Battle of Trewilliam Station.

Weder never had the military training that a soldier should have, as his performance at the Battle of Trewilliam Station was described by General Lee as "a beautiful success", and he later became General Lee's main cavalry commander and participated in the Petersburg Defense. During the Sherman Legion's march to South and North Carolina, he launched a series of attacks on the Sherman Legion and was promoted to lieutenant general. Later in the war, he tried to prevent Confederate President Jefferson? Davis's attempt to capture him was unsuccessful. After the war, he was a strong opponent of the North-South merger and reconstruction, and was now elected governor of South Carolina, which has the strongest independence leanings.

Wilson took the piece of paper and looked at it, and his face immediately turned pale. Still not speaking, he handed the piece of paper to Secretary of State Fish.

“…… Mr. President, I hereby state that if the federal government turns a blind eye to the tragedy of the Monaken and refuses to take strong measures against the yellowskinned nation, then South Carolina, whose supreme purpose is to preserve the rights of the states, will declare independence, withdraw from the federal government and declare war on the yellowskins itself! Because the federal government has not been able to defend the rights of South Carolina, and the rights and interests of South Carolina have been harmed, it must be compensated satisfactorily! We will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal! ……”

When Fish finished reading this ultimatum written by South Carolina Governor Wade to Grant, everyone's faces changed.

"The madman has finally waited for the opportunity he has been waiting for for a long time." Vice President Wilson said in a deep voice, "Their purpose is obvious, and we must not allow their plot to succeed!" ”

"It looks like we made a mistake by not disarming South Carolina the year before last." War Secretary Berknapp looked at Grant and said, "We've been so merciful to them. ”

With the Ku Klux Klan raging in South Carolina, Grant had intended to impose martial law in parts of South Carolina under a new bill that was passed but was abandoned by opposition from moderates within the Republican Party. Bernapp's words refer to this past.

"What do you think? William? Grant turned his head and asked Sherman.

"You're asking me? Ulysses? Sherman looked at Grant, spread his hands, and said in a relaxed tone, "I, I don't mind burning Colombia again!" ”

Hearing Sherman say this resounding remark, the other participants couldn't help but shudder.

They all remember Sherman's unprecedented sweep in the Civil War!

Grant certainly understood what Sherman's words meant.

In the Civil War, it was Grant who gave General Sherman the famous order not only to destroy the enemy's army, but also to destroy the enemy's economic base and the enemy's inhabitants to fight!

It was he, Grant, who explicitly demanded that Sherman carry out a devastating, reckless, and cost-effective destruction of the South!

In the fall of 1864, Sherman, then a major general, was appointed Supreme Commander of the Western Front. He led 100,000 Union troops and 254 artillery pieces to defeat the forces of Confederate Generals Johnson and Hood, invaded Georgia, and on September 1 captured the southern city of Atlanta, which had made no resistance.

After the occupation, Sherman issued a proclamation to the local population, demanding that all militia lay down their arms and that all citizens leave the city. After that, the Northern Army was ordered to set fire to the entire city before leaving in November. At the same time, the residents of Atlanta who evacuated from the city were sternly warned that anyone who tried to put out the fire would be killed! The fire lasted for half a month. At night, the churning flames rose more than 100 meters high, burning the entire sky as if it were day, and the sky could be seen red from 20 miles away from Atlanta. During the day, a huge cloud of smoke billows up the city, making it seem like night for 200 square miles around Atlanta...... Outside the city, countless terrified and desperate Atlanta residents watched their city, their homes and their loved ones being relentlessly consumed by the flames...... The priests of Atlanta stood silently in front of the burning city, desperately facing the fiery sky, making crosses and praying incessantly to see off their city and the souls of those who had perished in the flames.