1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 661 Don’t talk if you can’t reach an agreement

"Mr. Blair, you keep saying that you come to negotiate with us with full sincerity. Sincerity is not just words."

The negotiators from the west and the north have been negotiating for some time, but still no substantial progress has been made. Liang Yao is tired of arguing with the representatives of the Northern Federation. In other words, he is ready now.

If the Lincoln administration is really sincere about peace talks and is willing to cede South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska, Liang Yao is also willing to temporarily resolve the disputes in the central border area through peace talks and use the saved military expenses. Develop the central border areas.

It is a pity that both he and Lincoln knew the importance of the central border region, and neither one was willing to compromise on the ownership of the central border region. This was a core interest and there was no need to discuss it.

Since we can't reach an agreement at the negotiation table, let's talk while fighting.

The current situation faced by the American Republic is much better than that of the Northern Federation. The battlefield in the central border is far away from the west coast, and the supply line is too long. This is a disadvantage, but it is also an advantage. At least currently, no force can threaten the American Republic. core area.

In contrast, the situation Lincoln faced now was much worse. Three Confederate troops led by Joseph E. Johnston, Pierre G.T. Beauregard, and Robert E. Lee 70,000 Confederate troops have gathered near Manassas, and it is only a matter of time before they launch an attack on the Northern Army.

The Southern Army is currently standing still, most likely waiting to see what happens in the central border areas, hoping that Liang Yao and McClellan will start fighting first. Once fighting begins in the central border area, and Liang Yao restrains McClellan's second batch of 100,000 mobilization troops, the Confederate Army will definitely take action.

Although Davis was more indecisive than Lincoln, he was a political elite in the South after all. He was not stupid, but he lacked courage and decisiveness. He was not an outstanding politician. As an ordinary politician, Davis was still qualified.

"Our president and you have established a deep friendship very early. I think you should understand who he is." After receiving Liang Yao's personal interview, Montgomery Blair seemed to see hope and played the emotional card with Liang Yao.

The love between politicians is even more unreliable than the love between a client and a prostitute.

The personal relationship between Liang Yao and Lincoln is indeed not bad. If they were not in different camps, Liang Yao would be happy to make Lincoln a friend. Many of his and Lincoln's political concepts and views are consistent, and they have a lot in common. . It’s not easy to find a soulmate in this day and age.

Unfortunately, the two men now have millions of people supporting them, and their personal friendship can only give way to their political stance.

"It is precisely because I know what Lincoln is like that I know that we have nothing to talk about." Liang Yao sighed with emotion and murmured, "Politics is politics, and friendship is friendship. If Lincoln was really sincere in resolving disputes through negotiation, I won’t let McClellan go south to capture Kansas and Missouri and raid my flank.”

It was not that McClellan did not provide support to Mason's brigade guarding Kearny's forts, but McClellan did not directly increase troops to the forts. Instead, he led his troops into Kansas and Missouri, where the Confederate army was relatively weak, to defeat the outnumbered. , occupied Casas and most of northern Missouri, threatening the Western Army on the flanks.

"Then you still let your negotiators have contact with us for so long?" Blair couldn't help but muttered. It felt uncomfortable to be seen through and used as a tool.

"Lincoln also knew that we had nothing to talk about, but he still sent you here, didn't he?" Liang Yao pointed out Blair's intention, "Go back and tell Lincoln that I hope we can have the opportunity to watch the opera together in the future. This is my personal gift It’s a gift for Lincoln. Could you, the Postmaster General, please drop by and deliver it to Lincoln for me?”

Zeiss brought a gift box that had been prepared and handed it to Blair.

Blair did not refuse. He was the postal minister, but he did not expect that he, the postal minister, would personally deliver mail.

After Blair took the gift box, Zeiss ordered someone to bring out several pieces of customized Dehua white porcelain, and said to Blair: "Mr. Blair, we can't let you and your assistants go in vain. These are for you and your Gifts from my assistants, small gifts, are not disrespectful.”

"It seems that my job as a postman was not in vain, and I still have to pay for errands." Blair laughed at himself, accepted the gift from Liang Yao, then left immediately and boarded the special train to Washington.

When he first met Liang Yao, Blair felt that he had underestimated Liang Yao too much. Although Liang Yao was young, only 32 years old, he behaved more calmly than some politicians in their 50s and 60s.

Lincoln's concerns were not unreasonable. Perhaps the West was a more formidable opponent than the South.

Blair boarded his special train with gifts and returned to Washington. When his special train had just driven out of Fort Gosenberg, the Union Army outpost closest to North Platte, he heard a loud bang behind him.

Blair and his party stuck their heads out of the car window to check the situation, and saw that a section of railway track behind them had been blown up by a group of Northern troops wearing blue military uniforms.

Blair's accompanying assistant was puzzled: "Why did Gosenberg's troops blow up the railroad tracks?"

Blair couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth a few times, and asked: "Which company does this section of railway belong to?"

"The Pacific Railroad section of the railroad west of Omaha belongs to California Railroad." The assistant thought for a moment and said.

The Pacific Railway is bounded by Omaha. The section east of Omaha belongs to Vanderbilt's New York Central Railway Company, and the section west of Omaha belongs to the California Railway Company.

"In other words, what was destroyed just now was the assets of the West." Blair retracted his head, and he seemed to have figured out something, "Those people were just wearing the uniforms of the federal army, they may not be our federal army."

Although Nebraska is the focal area of ​​the confrontation between the West and the North, the telegraph lines in the Nebraska area have always remained unobstructed.

Mason and McClellan knew very well that this was Liang Yao's deliberate act. Liang Yao had enough cavalry, and there were also pro-Western Chinese people in the local area. As long as Liang Yao was willing, he could completely destroy the local telegraph lines and cut off the communication of the Northern Army.

The news of the bombing of the Pacific Railway was quickly transmitted to Mason, who was stationed in Fort Kearny, and McClellan, who was stationed in Omaha, through the developed telegraph lines in the Nebraska area.

McClellan was solemn when he learned the news, and ordered all departments to strengthen their vigilance to prevent the infiltration of the Western Army.

Mason felt as if the sky was falling when he heard the news.

As for the mysterious Union cavalry unit that was rumored to have destroyed the railway, McClellan and Mason did not waste time to trace the origin of this unit.

Although the Union Army had poor military discipline, no cavalry unit was bold enough to openly destroy the Pacific Railway section belonging to the California Railway Company at this critical juncture.