1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 574 Lincoln’s Basics

There were about a hundred people in this carriage convoy, all of whom were carrying guns, and the wounded and sick were lying on the horses. There were not only whites but also blacks on the team.

Those blacks who had just regained their freedom and had not yet been sent to the sweatshops of the North had bright smiles on their faces and greedily breathed the air of freedom.

Obviously, this is a northern armed group that has withdrawn from the Kansas area for training.

Not long after, Liang Yao's special train slowly stopped at the Omaha train station.

Lincoln's reputation and influence in politics were not as good as those of Seward and Bates in the Republican Party. Cameron et al.

However, Lincoln's influence and appeal among the northern people was unparalleled. Many people at the bottom who had very low educational levels and did not care much about politics even knew about Lincoln before they knew about the Republican Party.

In other words, these people supported the Republican Party in order to support Lincoln. Lincoln's personal charm is evident.

This was due to Lincoln's extraordinary speaking ability and his long-term tireless giving of speeches in various places, which constantly enhanced his sense of presence.

Even if you are someone who doesn’t know much about politics but is very interested in it, you often hear or even see a tall, ugly-looking person dressed similar to you coming to give a speech near your residence. You will also have an impression of him, remember his name, and vote for him in the next election.

Unlike other politicians of the same period, most politicians who came from a privileged background and were pampered since childhood basically only gave speeches to promote their political views in medium and large cities with convenient transportation and dense population.

But Lincoln was often able to ride a horse with only a few people or even alone, and go deep into Illinois and the surrounding sparsely populated villages to conduct inspection lectures, and take out the notebook he carried with him to record the needs of the people, rain or shine.

Because of his long-term experience as a circuit court judge and lawyer in the frontier areas in his early years, Lincoln did not feel that this kind of life of living in the open was very difficult.

Lincoln's political opponents criticized Lincoln several times for showing off, but Lincoln paid no attention to these voices and did not even bother to respond.

Regardless of whether it was a show or not, his pro-people actions have truly attracted him a large number of loyal supporters.

In addition, Lincoln was born in a humble background, dressed plainly, and always presented himself as a working man. With calluses on his hands, Lincoln was naturally easier to build relationships with the people at the bottom than those social elites who looked aloof and arrogant in suits and ties. distance.

Omaha is a large city in the frontier region (the American frontier region in the 19th century did not refer to the frontier region, but the vast central and western regions with a low degree of development were also called frontier regions.) with a permanent population of four to five thousand.

However, due to Lincoln's speech here today, this city with a permanent population of four to five thousand people suddenly had an influx of tens of thousands of people, making it very crowded.

Especially the square in downtown Omaha was already so crowded that it was difficult to even turn around.

Obviously, many people heard that Lincoln was giving a speech in Omaha today and came here specifically to listen to Lincoln's speech.

Nebraska's population is not large, with only about 30,000 people living in it. It is a typical frontier area. Even excluding the die-hard supporters who came from places like Iowa and Illinois, the proportion of people in the Nebraska Territory who came to hear Lincoln speak was staggering.

Perhaps this is why Lincoln stood out from the crowd of competitors as a dark horse and sat on the throne of the presidency despite being not favored.

To a certain extent, this is also a victory for the common people. Although the individual power of the common people is very weak, once the common people are united into a whole, the energy they will burst out is unpredictable.

Because the square in the center of Omaha was too crowded, Liang Yao had no intention of going to the city square to listen to Lincoln and the Republicans' speeches after getting off the train. Instead, he walked in the opposite direction toward the outskirts of Omaha and observed the city while walking.

You can still see many Chinese at the train station in Omaha. These Chinese are employees of the California Railroad Company, the New York Central Railway Company, and the Atlantic Railway Company, as well as Chinese businessmen from the West Coast region who came to visit and do business.

After leaving the train station, it is harder to see Chinese people. Basically, the people you encounter on the street are white people and a small number of black people who fled north.

The convoy that we met in the suburbs just now had entered the city and was welcomed by the citizens of Omaha, enjoying the courtesy of a hero.

Slogans like emancipate the slaves, long live freedom, and kill the southern barbarians are endless.

Of course, not all Omaha residents supported abolition.

Just as there were supporters of abolition in the South, there were supporters of slavery in the North.

"Sir, are you a slave owner?" With strong curiosity, Liang Yao approached an Omaha resident who was out of tune with the people around him. He had been silent and secretly spat at the convoy entering the city, and asked in a low voice.

Clearly, this maverick Omaha resident was a Northern supporter of slavery.

"No, sir, black slaves are so expensive, I can't afford them." The young Omaha resident looked at the strong black men in the cavalry. He looked at the newly freed slaves like a piece of merchandise. Black people.

The black people who were able to successfully escape to the north were the same as the black people who were able to successfully survive the triangular trade and set foot on American soil alive. They all went through harsh elimination, and their physical fitness was definitely the best among black people.

In the South, the starting price of such a black product is at least US$1,300, which is indeed not affordable for ordinary people.

"Since you are not a slave owner, why don't you support the abolition of slavery?" Liang Yao asked with interest.

He wanted to know what these northern supporters of slavery were really thinking.

"Sir, just because I can't afford it now, doesn't mean I won't be able to afford it in the future." The Omaha resident replied, "Slaves are the most dazzling and magnificent private property in the world!

Even if you have a lot of land, gold, and bank balances, when you walk on the street, you are no different from anyone else. You can never wear the land deed on your body, walk with gold in your arms, or write your savings balance on your face. But if there is an obedient black man next to you, then the situation is different. Unless it is dark at night, everyone can see that you have a slave!

Just like you, I am sure that you are the richest and most powerful man on this street, not because of how fancy your uniform is. A bumpkin like me can't see how much your uniform is worth. . But the guards behind you, who are burly and with fierce expressions, look like they are beyond the reach of ordinary people. "

Liang Yao understood the thoughts of these northern supporters of slavery.

Just as the reason why the people's Maybach is different from other Maybachs is not because the ownership of the people's Maybach belongs to the people, the general only has the right to use it 24 hours a day.

Instead, they are the "BTS" who run beside Maybach and dare to block bullets with their flesh and blood at critical moments. This is the essential difference between the General and ordinary Maybach owners, a difference that can be seen at a glance.