My America-Chapter 35 - : The Father of the Union

"I am the heir to the Sheffield family!" Sheffield grumbled as he sat in the carriage, with Lady Anne, the daughter of a countess, by his side. Their destination was nowhere in particular; they were just wandering around.

Anne secretly observed the stern-looking Sheffield. This boy wore a tall hat, and there was a gold chain on his left chest. He was very sensitive about time, having checked his pocket watch several times while with her. His face was full of seriousness, seemingly unapproachable, and he hadn't spoken since getting into the carriage.

Sheffield naturally wasn't feeling comfortable, and the reason was simple—he was the heir. Being kicked out of a crucial negotiation session would make anyone uncomfortable. However, everyone present seemed to be important, so he couldn't embarrass the old man. He had to leave with a smile and was even handed the countess's daughter.

"Why do you dress so maturely?" Anne figured that continuing this way wouldn't prompt Sheffield to speak, so she broke the silence herself. If men weren't going to take the initiative, she had to.

"Because I'm young, so I need to dress more maturely. If I were older, it would be the opposite." Sheffield leaned back against the seat and politely answered. When others posed no threat to him, he was always polite, regardless of gender.

"In fact, I'm not much older either. My mother says we're the same age," Anne said with a charming smile. "I understand my mother's intention. She wants me to be friends with you."

"We already are!" Sheffield unconsciously made a small gesture, pulling out his pocket watch to check the time. Suddenly realizing it was impolite and inconsistent with his pretentious demeanor, he reluctantly put it back. Thinking he should find a topic, he asked, "What are the identities of the people who went to the apartment today?"

"Paris Interior Minister Adno, Police Chief Palmo, Treasury's Fulde, and Justice's Morny. They all have enterprises and financial backing!" Having frequently accompanied her mother in high society, Anne was familiar with these figures and spoke openly to Sheffield, though her English was somewhat average, making Sheffield listen awkwardly.

Interior, police, treasury, justice? Just hearing these terms, Sheffield knew the old man had considerable connections in Paris. These departments were typically powerful ones.

For no apparent reason, Sheffield felt a slight rise in confidence about achieving his goals. He didn't believe that the so-called republican system could eradicate corruption.

In Sheffield's eyes, even the most capitalist Union was like that, and Europe's situation was certainly no better. It might even be worse. Families like his relied on collusion between officials and businessmen to dominate, so he wasn't opposed to it.

France had more interest groups than the Union because, apart from merchants and political parties, there was also a faction called the Royalists, always revolutionizing France, yet still harboring strong support for the monarchy.

The pro-monarchy group had significant influence in the Third Republic until events like the Boulanger affair a few years ago and the Dreyfus case this year caused new changes in French society, visibly shifting to the right.

This change was due to the French licking their wounds after the Franco-Prussian War and beginning to harbor thoughts of revenge. In this era, the French were similar to the Union, both scrutinizing outsiders. However, while the Union rejected immigrants, the French mainly hated Britain and Germany. Sheffield knew that this fire would likely spread to the Germans.

The old man had thrived in Paris for many years, proving he had some remarkable qualities. Though sacrificing virtue might sound bad if spread, compared to Sheffield starting with interests, it saved costs. Perhaps the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

Hearing what the countess's daughter said, Sheffield thought for a moment and asked Anne, "Your family should be part of the Royalist faction? But it's been over twenty years; the current Royalists shouldn't be as strong as before."

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The Royalists were very powerful in the early days of the Second French Republic, and most people believed France would return to monarchical rule. However, the republic eventually stabilized. The Royalists' mistakes need not be elaborated on, but the result proved that monarchical rule wouldn't return. By the end of the century, even the Royalists inwardly acknowledged this.

"My mother used to have a good relationship with President MacMahon!" Anne nodded. MacMahon was a staunchly pro-monarchy president, but the girl clearly didn't want to dwell on this topic and changed the subject. "I wonder how the Union compares to France?"

"Better than France!" Sheffield declared decisively. Was the beacon of world capitalism joking? He could immediately see the flourishing prostitution industry in France. With vast territory as a backdrop, the common people of the Union lived far better than the lower classes in France.

Including his own family, the Rockefellers, Morgans, Duponts, and other major families combined wouldn't hold more than fifty percent of the Union's wealth, but in France, who knows?

Although French finance developed rapidly, catching up with the British Empire, it had little practical relevance to ordinary people. Not to mention, French capital output was directed abroad. Could loan-shark imperialism benefit all French people? That was impossible.

"The Union is an excellent place for investment, no doubt about it," Harry Sheffield declared firmly. "Only by boarding the fast train of the Union can France progress further. And you all know that currently, relations between the Union and Britain are poor. Both you and I understand that the Union's successful independence relied on great France. Today's freedom of the Union was forged by the French. The Statue of Liberty is the best evidence. Great France and the great Union have a long-standing and unbreakable alliance. Every citizen of the Union knows this fighting friendship."

Facing the powerful figures of France—Interior Minister Adno, Police Chief Palmo, Treasury's Fulde, and Justice's Morny—Harry Sheffield loudly praised the historical alliance between France and America, deeply expressing that without France, there would be no Union today, and condemned the meanness of the British.

Now, the Secretary of State of the Union was visiting Paris, lobbying regarding the Venezuelan crisis. Although one was in public, the other in private, one was the Secretary of State, and the other a playboy, their narratives were consistent: France was the father of the Union.

(End of Chapter)