Chapter 322: Chapter 9, The American Version of the Hongmen Banquet
On the first day of the Civil War, Fort Sumter fell. The fleet sent by the Northern government to supply the fort could only watch helplessly from a distance.

The next day, President Lincoln ordered the recruitment of 75,000 state militia for 90 days of service to suppress the Southern rebellion.

Clearly, the Northern government had not yet realized the severity of the civil war; they believed that without foreign intervention, they could easily suppress it.

The Southern Government struck first and achieved military victory, but lost the political advantage.

Initially undecided Northern states quickly united under the influence of capitalists manipulating public opinion, with waves of patriotic youths enlisting in the army.

Even Democratic Party leader Stephen Douglas, who was inclined towards the South, now stood with the Northern government’s position and vehemently condemned the Southern Government for instigating the civil war.

He publicly proclaimed, “In this civil war, there are no neutral parties, only patriots or traitors.”

Almost every Northern state exceeded its recruitment quotas. Lack of training, insufficient weapons and equipment, no discipline, and not enough officers were all common problems for these states.

But none of that mattered; they were just cannon fodder, and all that was needed was their enthusiasm.

Looking at the troops gathered from all directions, the spirited President Lincoln was ready to embrace victory.

The Secretary of War said angrily, “Your Excellency the President, Maryland and Delaware have refused the recruitment orders and have forbidden Federal Army troops from entering.”

These two states were very interesting; some supported the South, others the North, and only after a deadlock did they remain with the Northern government.

Especially since Washington was encircled by Maryland, if this state sided with the Southern Government, it wouldn’t be long before the Northern government would be captured.

President Lincoln inquired, “How many more troops are needed in the Washington area?”

The Secretary of War replied, “Including the newly mobilized militia, we currently have a total of 30,000 soldiers.”

President Lincoln asked carefully, “What are our chances if the government decides to resolve the Maryland issue by force?”

The Secretary of War responded, “Maryland has mobilized, with approximately 30,000 in support of the Rebel army and about 20,000 still loyal to the government.

Overall, the forces inclined to rebellion have the upper hand. With both sides holding each other in check, Maryland remains neutral.

If no Southern reinforcements join in, our chances of victory are as high as ninety percent.”

No Southern reinforcements? How could that be possible? After all, the Southern states had been preparing for war for a long time, while the Northern government had just begun their preparations.

Fortunately, in this era, constrained by transportation and with the United States being vast, it would take a considerable amount of time to mobilize and assemble forces.

Otherwise, if the Southern Government launched a blitzkrieg, the Northern government would not be able to withstand it. It is likely that before their mobilization was complete, the Central Government would have been captured.

Once headless, the outcome of the war would be decided. As an immigrant country, the patriotic fervor of Americans in this era would last at most for a month or two.

Once people returned to rationality, many would be unwilling to continue risking their lives. Historically, to win this war, the Northern government did not hesitate to forcefully conscript soldiers.

After some hesitation, Lincoln made a surprising decision, “I will personally go to Maryland to work on their mindset; prepare for military action.

If our diplomatic efforts fail, you must immediately join those who support us and take military action. Speed is crucial.”

This was a choice made out of necessity, as Virginia, right next to Maryland, had already declared its independence. Once war broke out in Maryland, the neighboring Southern Army would immediately come over.

Don’t be fooled by the War Secretary’s confident assurance of a ninety percent chance of success; this depended on the enemy being isolated and without support. With the backing of the Southern Government’s army, President Lincoln was not confident about winning easily.

If there was little military guarantee of success, he would resort to the political tactics he excelled in.

Secretary of State Saffar reminded him, “Your Excellency the President, at this time you must oversee the big picture, and it’s not appropriate for you to leave Washington.”

President Lincoln shook his head and said, “But how can I resolve the threat of Maryland if I don’t go there myself? As long as the threat exists, Washington is under the enemy’s threat.

Maryland has not yet declared independence, and as the President of the Federal government, they won’t do anything to me.”

American political conflicts were still relatively moderate, and even if he ventured onto territory leaning towards the South, there was no need to worry about danger.

This had already been proven in history; after the defeat of the Southern Government, the higher-ups faced almost no retribution and remained immensely wealthy.

The Secretary of State was not worried about the President’s personal safety, as in the event of the President’s death, the Vice President would take over, and ultimately, they were all spokespeople for capitalist interests. Whoever assumed power would be no different.

His concern was that if the President went and tried to persuade them and not only did he fail to win back those supporting the Southern Government, but he also pushed Maryland into opposition, then the government’s reputation would be completely ruined.

Don’t be swayed by the high praise for Lincoln in history books; at the time, his abilities were not widely acknowledged. Especially when it came to handling Southern issues, his performance had not been satisfactory.

“`

Of course, this pleased the interest groups backing him. Many capitalists believed that victory was in their grasp, and that once the rebellion was suppressed, they would gain access to cheap industrial raw materials and markets.

Essentially, capitalists from the North wanted to turn the South into an economic colony, which is why the Southern states reacted so intensely.

However, there was no need to clarify this misunderstanding. Not everything seen needs to be spoken; that is a basic quality of politicians.

…

On April 20, 1861, a week after the outbreak of the Civil War, Lincoln was hosting the local social elites in Maryland.

The opening was naturally an impassioned speech, but while half the audience clapped, the other half were just there for the spectacle, making the scene rather awkward.

Such a small scene certainly couldn’t frighten President Lincoln; he had even experienced people throwing banana peels onto the stage during his speeches.

In this regard, the American people were very open; if they disliked you, it showed, and they wouldn’t give the president any slack.

Lincoln casually said, “Gentlemen, to prevent the Southern rebellion from affecting the stability of Maryland, the Federal government has decided to temporarily suspend the ‘Habeas Corpus Act’ in certain areas. I hope everyone can cooperate with the government’s work.”

This was tantamount to military control. Without the Writ of Habeas Corpus, the government’s power increased significantly, and the social elites’ influence would be greatly reduced.

With the protection of the Act, they could blatantly support the Southern Government without fear of repercussions from the government.

Before this, a man named John-Merriman, who had organized activities supporting the Southern Government, was arrested and then released without charge under the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

A middle-aged man flatly refused, saying, “Impossible, without the approval of the Maryland State Congress, the Federal government has no right to abolish the Writ of Habeas Corpus.”

“Correct, the constitution stipulates that the president has absolutely no right to directly abolish a law!”

“How can someone without even a basic knowledge of law become president?”

“You stupid pig, go home and study!”

…

Those inclined towards the Southern Government fiercely criticized the Federal government for interfering with Maryland’s internal affairs and violating the Federal Constitution. Some were so radical that they resorted to direct insults.

Some even boldly declared that if the Federal government dared to interfere with Maryland’s internal affairs, they would seek independence.

When their own interests were compromised, what did the president matter? Insulting the president was also part of the daily life of the American people. As for the Federal government, who were they trying to scare? Hadn’t their decrees been treated like toilet paper before?

Seeing the mood of the crowd, Lincoln knew that it was probably hopeless to persuade them to abandon the Southern Government and turn to the light with just words.

Interests determine one’s stance. Despite Maryland’s livestock industry being nearly extinct in name, as a farming produce export state, farmers and plantation owners stood together in terms of interest.

Lincoln whispered to a middle-aged man next to him, “Has everyone arrived?”

The middle-aged man replied quietly, “Essentially all influential figures from Maryland are here.”

Lincoln nodded in satisfaction and then said unhurriedly, “Seeing that the mood is quite agitated, I think it would be best for everyone to ponder calmly.

Why not rest here for the night, and we can continue to discuss this matter tomorrow. The host has already arranged the rooms; I wish you all sweet dreams!”

With that, Lincoln swiftly left escorted by his bodyguards. Sensing something amiss, the guests stepped out to leave only to find that the Federal Army had already surrounded the venue.

“This is bad, we’re under house arrest. Damnable scoundrels, they actually dare to break the rules!”

“It’s pretty clear now, today’s banquet was a trap. The so-called discussion on national affairs was just bait to lure us here, and that rascal Lincoln personally made his move!”

“It’s too late now to say anything; we have become prisoners.”

“No, he wouldn’t dare do anything to us. The president of the United States doesn’t have that much power. After doing this, I’d like to see how he’d end it!”

…

The President Lincoln could no longer hear the curses of the crowd. Given the choice, he wouldn’t wish to take such actions. However, the situation was critical, and to quickly stabilize Maryland, he had to break the rules.

Today, Lincoln had offended all the social elite of Maryland, including those who supported the Northern government; now they would certainly harbor no fondness for him as president.

He probably wouldn’t be long before he became the most unwelcome person in Maryland. If he planned to run for the next presidential election, he could write off this state’s votes.

But for the sake of reuniting the United States, he had no choice. If the Maryland issue wasn’t resolved quickly, once the Southern Army arrived with the help of these traitors, they could soon reach Washington.

The Federal government still needed time; before reinforcements from other states could arrive, it had to withstand the initial pressure.

“`