America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 550
The fighting in Roswell is lively but not intense.

The first wave of soldiers led by Big Beard on the farm had no power to resist.

Wiltord and his second wave of soldiers fought against the militiamen in the cornfield for a while, but were quickly beaten by Niu San's grenades and spray guns.

The federal soldiers who took off their pants and surrendered were quickly handed over to the state government by Chen Jianqiu as bandits who attacked the local area.

According to Chen Jianqiu's intention, he did not kill them purely because he and the local residents of Roswell are good peace-loving citizens, but these bandits who attacked citizens' property should all be prosecuted.

Regardless of how the state government will deal with these dejected remnants and defeated generals, Chen Jianqiu is prepared for an overreaction by the federal government.

He knows that whether it is Congress or those big capitalists, there are many hawks who are dissatisfied with himself and the Chinese.

Whether their starting point is jealousy of their own wealth or a natural white supremacist mentality, these people can't see the growing power of themselves and the Chinese.

This friction with the federal border guards will probably give them excuses, or even some extreme targeted actions.

They may put the nature of this battle on the line, incite public opinion, and exaggerate the threat of the Chinese.

They will use all media resources to attack Chen Jianqiu and smear him as an ambitious man.

They may even find President Cleveland and let him issue a mobilization order to organize an army to carry out military operations against Chinese settlements in New Mexico and Oklahoma.

All of this was within Chen Jianqiu's consideration.

After all, with the development of Chinese power, it is unrealistic for you to expect everything to be safe.

Chen Jianqiu is ready.

He knows that the United States is now a country where business spirit is paramount. As long as the cost of doing something is greater than the benefit, it will not be so easy to succeed.

However, the development of things was beyond his imagination.

There was no movement at all!

A month has passed.

Whether it was Washington or New York, Congress or Wall Street, there was no reaction at all!

Judging from the news from the Frontier Detective Agency, the Chinese Suffrage Alliance, and the Finance and Legal Center, there is no news of this battle from the east.

Chen Jianqiu was a little puzzled.

This is somewhat abnormal.

He decided to go to New York to see what was going on.

A few weeks later, Chen Jianqiu's train stopped at Brooklyn Railway Station.

Surprisingly, after stepping out of the train, he saw a familiar figure.

Theodore Roosevelt, wearing his recognizable round glasses, waited for him on the platform.

"Holiday told me that you will be here today." Roosevelt and Chen Jianqiu walked side by side, "It happens that I haven't seen you for a long time, so I told him not to come, I will pick you up."

"The chief of the New York police came to pick me up in person, I'm so proud of myself." Chen Jianqiu said with a smile.

"I am no longer the chief of police in New York, but I am working in the Navy Department." Roosevelt pointed to his casual clothes, "Look, isn't it that I don't even wear police uniforms anymore?"

"Hey, look at my memory." Chen Jianqiu patted his head, "If you don't tell me, I'll forget it, but this is a rising and falling, right?"

Roosevelt had a helpless smile on his face:
"Maybe the citizens of New York would like a more lenient police chief. But for me, things are not so bad. I have always been interested in the Navy."

Chen Jianqiu nodded.

He suddenly remembered something, and asked Roosevelt in a low voice:

"Teddy, I just want to ask you something. Do you know about the conflict between the New Mexico militia and federal soldiers on the border two months ago?"

When Roosevelt heard this, instead of becoming serious, his smile became wider, with a look of gloating.

He glanced around, then leaned over with his head sideways:

"I'll tell you in detail when I get on the carriage."

The two left the station.

A carriage has stopped at the gate of the station.

The driver waved at Chen Jianqiu.

"Master! Because Mr. Roosevelt said he would come to pick you up, so Madam and Master will stay at home and wait for you." The coachman said.

"How many times have I told you, John, don't call me Master, just call me 'Mr. Chen'." Chen Jianqiu walked to the carriage.

This coachman was his full-time driver in New York. He used to work for Little Astor's family. After Chen Jianqiu bought the mansion, he started working for Chen Jianqiu's family.

The young man is pretty good in other things, and his driving skills are also good, but he is a little stunned.

He handed a copy of the New York World to Chen Jianqiu as usual:

"Yes, sir."

Feeling helpless, Chen Jianqiu took the newspaper and boarded the carriage with Roosevelt.

"Come to my place first?" Chen Jianqiu and Roosevelt sat down face to face and asked.

"That's exactly what I mean," Roosevelt said with a smile.

"You moved your family to Washington now?" Chen Jianqiu asked.

"No, like you, my wife and children are still in New York. I come back every other month. For example, today, I just came to see you." Roosevelt replied.

He took out a cigar from his clothes, cut off the tail, and handed it to Chen Jianqiu.

"Try it, it's from Cuba. There's been a lot of chaos there recently, and the roads are not smooth. It's in stock."

Chen Jianqiu took the cigar, lit it and held it in his mouth:
"By the way, didn't you say you wanted to tell me about the incident at the border? Is there any inside story?"

Roosevelt lit his cigar and smiled:
"Chen, your attack is really a bit ruthless."

Chen Jianqiu shrugged his shoulders:

"The state militia did it. I happened to be in Lincolnshire those few days. I heard that the Roswell farm was attacked by a gang of bandits, so I taught them a lesson, but I later heard that it was the American federal frontier army."

"Teach the gangsters not to use heavy machine guns and grenades." Roosevelt gave Chen Jianqiu a meaningful look, "Others don't understand, I don't understand you yet."

"It's all the same. Although that place is small, it is a place where everyone has devoted their efforts. The citizens there have legal identities, pay taxes and abide by the laws and rules there. Any provocations and attacks There is a price to pay, unless the attacker is prepared to pay in blood."

Chen Jianqiu looked out of the car window and said quietly.

New York City in autumn looks a bit bleak, and the higher latitude determines that the city will enter winter earlier.

A gust of autumn wind blew up, rolled up the yellow fallen leaves on the ground, and brought up a cloud of dust.

"Chen, I like your spirit." Roosevelt blew out his cigar, "I agree that this is the spirit that Americans should have. Today's politicians and businessmen pay too much attention to the gains and losses of interests, but lack the ability to open up borders when they move westward. Takuto's courage."

"What? The army is preparing to retaliate?" Chen Jianqiu looked back from the window and glanced at Roosevelt.

Roosevelt laughed.

"Retaliation? Haha, do you know why there is no movement in Congress until now? This matter was suppressed by the Ministry of War itself."

Chen Jianqiu thought he didn't hear clearly:

"Press it down? Why did they press it down?"

After all, it was a U.S. colonel who died, not some low-level military officer; the owner of those hundreds of corpses was also a genuine U.S. Federal Army.

"Because the War Department itself felt so ashamed!" Roosevelt laughed.

On the night of the quarrel with Wiltord, Burke knew that the latter would cause trouble, so he left in advance with most of the cavalry.

They headed east along the railway line, first arrived at a small town, and rested there.

And he himself took the train to Austin, the capital of Texas.

There, he reported everything to the high level of the military region, and passed the news to the Ministry of War through the high level.

Burke put all the blame on Wiltord.

Marching across the border, the incompetence of the subordinates led to the mutiny of the soldiers under his command, and later the robbery of the vertical department.

Of course, he also made it clear about the militia's attacks in the desert.

According to his inference, although the opponents are all dressed up in the Mexican army, judging from their combat literacy and firepower, they are by no means a border army.

If the Mexican army had that ability, they would have reached Austin long ago.

In short, it was Wiltord and Chen Jianqiu who flirted with each other, and it had nothing to do with him.

Thornton, the Deputy Secretary of the Army who received the news, knew the seriousness of the matter, and hurriedly sent someone to contact New Mexico to inquire.

A week later, the message came back.

A group of men in Army uniforms were brought to court in Santa Fe on charges of attacking towns posing as Army soldiers.

The most terrible thing is that some of these people actually pleaded guilty!
After Thornton received the telegram, his entire face darkened.

His first reaction was to press this matter first, and not let the outside world know the news.

But there is no impenetrable wall in the world.

Soon, the Admiralty next door also knew about this incident, and Roosevelt also knew the ins and outs of the whole incident at this time.

The two sides did not deal with each other.

The War Department was quickly reduced to a laughing stock.

The dignified regular army went to attack the border town, and was beaten to annihilation by the local militia, and even brought to court and tried as criminals.

This is simply an unprecedented shame for the military since the founding of the United States.

Although people from the War Department have repeatedly explained that the Roswell militia is not an ordinary militia, but the border elite of the National Guard of New Mexico.

But no one except the War Department believed it.

They believe that this is just a unilateral excuse of the army, which cannot cover up the chaos of the army's military management and its low combat power.

But they tacitly kept it a secret.

Because family ugliness cannot be exposed.

If the dead hero in Mexico knew that the army of his neighbor to the north was so weak, he might climb out of his coffin and point his sword at Washington.

As for how to deal with Chen Jianqiu and Roswell's militia, there were two opinions within the Ministry of War.

One thinks that the Chinese have such a strong armed force on the border that they are a threat, and they must be removed or disarmed as soon as possible.

The other thinks that the Chinese militia is also the militia of the United States, and is part of the American national armed forces. As long as there is no rebellion and independence, there is no need to provoke them.

The two sides engaged in head-to-head discussions in the War Department's domed conference room.

But the latter silenced the former with a single sentence:

The National Guard was originally responsible for the defense of the state's homeland. If they didn't rebel, you sent an army to disarm them. What's the matter? Are the federal troops attacking the mainland?Civil War?Where is the face?

This can only be done by politicians.

But this matter can't be spread, otherwise the army will face the verbal criticism of those congressmen.

Thornton felt excited just thinking about it.

So the final result is nothing.

Roosevelt laughed while talking, and almost choked on his own cigarette.

"If they are like them, if they really fight with the Spaniards, I'm afraid they will be driven directly into the sea." Roosevelt said.

"Spanish?" Chen Jianqiu raised his eyebrows.

He keenly grasped the key words.

"Are you sure you want to start a fight with the Spaniard?"

Roosevelt did not rush to answer this question, but pouted at the newspaper in his hand.

Chen Jianqiu picked up the newspaper in his hand.

Pulitzer in order to save costs, so the "New York World" used a yellow low-quality paper.

This is also the reason why this newspaper is called "Yellow Tabloid".

Chen Jianqiu opened the newspaper.

The above news content quickly attracted his attention.

"'The Butcher' Viller-Nicolaou is carrying out a brutal massacre in Cuba, can we really sit back and watch?"

"Plantations are captured, our assets are burning! Our interests are being violated!"

"Just men! Hold up your chests! It's on our doorstep! Say no to the Spaniards!"

The contents of the newspaper mainly described how the Cuban rebel army was brutally suppressed by the Spanish Governor-General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau (Governor-General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau).

And how the interests of the United States have been damaged.

The article expounds the author's point of view in extremely inflammatory words, that is, the United States should intervene in the uprising in Cuba.

"The uprising in Cuba has been going on for more than a year?" Chen Jianqiu closed the newspaper and raised his head.

"Well, the rebel army is fighting bloody battles with the Spaniards. The new governor is very vicious, and the two sides have reached a stalemate." Roosevelt said, "But the rebel army is exhausted. If we don't give them assistance, they may not be able to survive. go down."

"What does the government mean?" Chen Jianqiu continued to ask.

"Cleveland wants to mediate, but as we all know, the Spaniards are not fools, and the possibility of successful mediation is very slim." Roosevelt shook his head, his face full of sarcasm, "too childish."

"As for the parties, there are also differences. Many people are afraid that the war will affect the stability of the economy. After all, the impact of the financial crisis is still there, and many people are very worried."

"However, they forget that if the overseas interests of the United States are ignored, this kind of stability is simply a false proposition!" Roosevelt became more and more angry, "These people lost the glory and enterprising spirit they had when they went west. doorstep!"

"Without this courage and vision, the United States will never be able to become a first-class power!"

"So, you are the main fighter?" Chen Jianqiu was thoughtful.

"What about you?" Roosevelt asked back, "What do you think?"

"I'm a businessman." Chen Jianqiu's answer was the same as before.

A trace of disappointment flashed in Roosevelt's eyes, but what Chen Jianqiu said next made the disappointment disappear instantly.

"But he is an arms dealer." Chen Jianqiu added, "I like war."

"I'm still a banker. I like to lend money to others, such as the federal government. War needs money, so I like war."

In the carriage, Roosevelt and Chen Jianqiu smiled knowingly at each other.

They both have other plans that they haven't told each other but are tacit.

Roosevelt wanted to gain more prestige and more voice in the Republican Party; while Chen Jianqiu was eyeing Cuba.

However, it is estimated that the war will not be realized under the current president of Cleveland.

Chen Jianqiu glanced at the date on the newspaper. This year is 1896, which is the year of the new general election.

A new U.S. president and government is about to be born, and the bets are on again.

And this time, he will also be one of the players.

(End of this chapter)