1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 87 America has achieved peace!

"President Taylor was a national hero during the Mexican-American War. He made outstanding contributions to the United States. I personally admire President Taylor very much.

But as a politician, and the new president of the United States, I don't agree with some of President Taylor's political approaches. "

That's the attitude of Fillmore.

Fillmore, who had just ascended the presidency, was ecstatic, but he did not lose his mind. He understood that the United States is now a powder keg.

And the first thing he has to do is to prevent this powder keg from being ignited.

Fillmore believes that when a country faces a crisis, compromise is a good solution.

And he himself knows how to compromise.

"Mr. President, I strongly recommend that you disband the former president's cabinet! They are a group of militant lunatics! If they preside over the cabinet, sooner or later the United States will be pushed into the abyss of civil war!"

Secretary of War George W. Broughford suggested to Fillmore.

When President Taylor was still alive, he rejected the president's request to send troops to Texas under pressure. In his opinion, President Taylor's sudden death was not such a sad thing.

For the United States, it is a blessing.President Taylor is an excellent general, but he is not a qualified president.

"Minister Broughford, as far as I know you are also a member of the cabinet," Fillmore said.

"If the United States can be prevented from falling into war, it doesn't matter if I am the Minister of War, it's fine to go back to my hometown to farm and hunt." Crawford said.

His time as Minister of War had been exhausting, and he could do no harm in being a happy country squire at home.

"I pay you my respects."

Fillmore tipped his hat to Crawford.

"Mr. President, the establishment of California is an urgent matter. Whether it becomes a free state or a slave state, Mr. Gerwin and I have no opinion. The people of California will also support you and the decision of the federal government."

Fremont followed closely behind Fillmore and said.

"There is another matter, that is, the issue of California's land grant from the Mexican government. If this matter is not handled properly, California may very well become the next Texas."

Ge Wen also followed Fillmore panting.

The arrival of a new president was a huge boon to them, and they were thankful that Fillmore had gotten along well with him when he was vice president.

Fremont and Girvan did not disagree on whether California should be a free or a slave state, nor could they decide whether California should be a free or a slave state anyway.

The most urgent task is to set up the government team in California first.

"Mr. Fremont, California will soon enter the federal government as a free state. As for the land grant from the Mexican government, it is too early to discuss this issue."

Fillmore put on his hat and walked into the White House.

"Mr. President, California successfully defeated cholera. This is the experience of local gentry and doctors in defeating cholera. There is a problem with the water source of the White House. For your health, I suggest you not to drink the water from the White House."

As he spoke, Fremont handed Fillmore the summary of California's experience in cholera prevention and control and the manual.

Fillmore stopped in his tracks, and took the documents and manual from Fremont.

"Mr. Fremont, and Mr. Gerwin, please come to my office."

At this time, cholera was rampant in major cities in the east, and neither the government nor doctors could do anything about it.

Including President Taylor, at least two presidents have been confirmed to have died of cholera, which is a very difficult issue.

Not only the United States, but even the United Kingdom, which has more advanced medical technology, is helpless against the epidemic.

The medical conditions in California are far behind that of the eastern United States and the United Kingdom. It has to be said that it is a miracle to be able to defeat cholera.

Fillmore quickly browsed through the experience summary and manuals of cholera prevention and control, then put down the manuals in his hand and said.

"Two days ago, I saw the news about California's victory over cholera in the Washington Post, but I, like most people, doubted the authenticity of the news, thinking it was an exaggerated exaggeration by the media to gain public attention .”

"I assure you of my political career, absolutely without exaggeration, that I know the local squires and doctors of the land," Fremont assured Fillmore.

He believed in Liang Yao's character and Robinson's medical ethics. They would not cheat on such matters.They also knew the consequences of lying about cholera.

"Liang Yao and Robinson are California squires and doctors?"

Fillmore asked, pointing to the two signatures on the summary of experience in cholera control.

"Yes, Dr. Robinson is a doctor with excellent medical skills and ethics. Liang Yao is a very responsible country gentleman. When California was still anarchic, it was he who maintained order in California and greatly reduced the number of homicides in California."

"I get it, this lesson learned is very valuable, and I think if this approach works, it will save countless lives in the East as well. Mr. Fremont, Mr. Gawan, I have other things to deal with now, we See you later," Fillmore said.

Freemont and Gerwin left the White House contented.

Fillmore believes that Congress can no longer afford to bicker endlessly.

In order to avoid war, Fillmore dismissed the old president's cabinet, including the Secretary of War Crawford who made a good impression on him.

Fillmore decided to support the compromise bill without reservation, and he made it clear in Congress.

In order to allow the compromise bill to pass through Congress more smoothly, Fillmore decided to vote on the various proposals in the bill separately.

Facts have proved that this is a very smart decision. The representatives of the North and the South are only on the left of some proposals in the bill, not against the whole bill.

Fillmore lowered his posture and lobbied northern Whigs, promising them that California would join the Union as a free state and that he would outlaw the slave trade in Washington, D.C., a move that won the support of the Whigs.

Similarly, Fillmore told the southern representatives that the federal government recognized the legality of slavery and that slaves were part of private property, and that if any slaves fled to the north, the government would return them to their original owners.

Fillmore also promised the Southern representatives that territories near the South would not immediately establish states, let alone establish free states.

In order to appease the southern representatives' dissatisfaction with the tax policy, Fillmore gave some financial compensation to the southern states in the form of government bonds, and promised to increase the railway construction in the southern region during his tenure, so as to benefit the southern cotton. Transport for export.

Facing the tariff issue, Fillmore did not choose to evade. He adjusted the tariff to 24.31%, making representatives from both the North and the South feel that they did not suffer too much.

After Fillmore and the muddle between the North and the South, Congress officially began to vote on the compromise agreement.

The new Senate President, Douglas, is less prim than his predecessor, the old-fashioned Clay.

Douglas, as much a pragmatist as Fillmore, took Fillmore's advice and broke down Clay's comprehensive compromise bill article by article, proposing a series of separate bills to be voted on one by one.

Southern opposition to California becoming a free state was also less vocal.

Soon, the California statehood proposal was passed by Congress.

Proposals for the New Mexico and Utah territories to have governments for administration, but not states, and still exist as territories were also passed.

The proposal temporarily resolved a territorial dispute between Texas and New Mexico.

Faced with the proposal that was still controversial between the two sides, the young Fillmore quickly revised it so that representatives from both the North and the South could accept it.

In just two months, all the terms of the compromise agreement were passed!

A national crisis was temporarily resolved, and Fillmore succeeded in bringing America back from the brink of civil war.

Most of the American people rejoiced at this, thinking that they had gained peace.Members of Congress also cheered and praised this is a great victory.

Of course, the compromise did not satisfy everyone, because the compromise agreement only temporarily eased the contradictions between the North and the South.

Extreme abolitionists and ultra-slavery advocates stood firm against the proposal, seeing liberty and slavery as irreconcilable institutions that could not exist at the same time.

It's just that under the sound of great harmony, their voices were temporarily drowned out.

A bigger crisis is brewing.

(End of this chapter)