Chapter 292: The US Presidential Election
American Ambassador Jones, seeing the two men about to leave with the pamphlets, suddenly recalled the Crown Prince of France's instructions. He quickly called out to them, stating earnestly, "I trust you now have some understanding of the current situation. Preserving Poland and countering Russian ambitions is the top priority, so I hope you will support the King. After all, he can rally more Polish people to resist Russia.
"Oh, and you'll need to temporarily set aside your religious demands... I don't mean to stop you from spreading Catholicism, but that should wait until Poland's crisis is resolved.
"If the Bar Confederation can make outstanding contributions in resisting the Russian invasion, I believe the Polish people will come to appreciate Catholicism more."
Upon hearing the words "Bar Confederation," the two men instinctively pulled back and glanced nervously around.
Indeed, they were among the few remaining members of the Bar Confederation in Poland. Seven years prior, a group of patriotic Polish nobles, seeking to uphold the nation's political and diplomatic independence and oppose Russian infiltration, formed the Bar Confederation.
Initially, the Confederation assembled an army, expelling Russian forces throughout Poland and expanding into Lithuania and Ukraine during the Koliivshchyna uprising. Additionally, the Confederation actively instigated the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Russia, to some extent contributing to the Fifth Russo-Turkish War.
However, as the Confederation grew, its policies began to shift.
First, it declared opposition to the King of Poland. After all, Stanisław II was Catherine II's former lover, and his election as King of Poland was partly due to the Russian Tsar bribing the Polish parliament. Therefore, the Bar Confederation strongly opposed this king, declaring their intention to depose him, and even briefly kidnapped Stanisław II.
Next, the Confederation fell into religious fanaticism, aggressively promoting Catholicism throughout Poland and persecuting Protestants and Orthodox Christians.
The Bar Confederation could not withstand the might of the Russian army for long before being routed. However, the combined Russian, Prussian, and Austrian forces did not halt their advance, instead occupying the Polish territories they coveted.
This marked the beginning and end of the First Partition of Poland.
After the war, most of the Bar Confederation's leaders and their families were imprisoned in concentration camps built in Lithuania, while a smaller number were exiled to Siberia.
Although the Bar Confederation had failed, Joseph knew that they were the most resolute anti-Russian group in Poland, and as long as they didn't succumb to religious fanaticism, they also enjoyed significant support among ordinary citizens and the military.
They were perfectly suited to promoting Polish national consciousness.
Fostering national consciousness would greatly enhance Poland's internal cohesion and simultaneously reduce the room for pro-Russian Polish traitors to operate. It was well known that Russia, Prussia, and Austria could easily partition Poland largely because the nation was internally divided among Polish, Lithuanian, Slavic, and German ethnic groups, with differing languages and independent policies, often undermining each other when faced with foreign invasion.
Given Poland's population and land area, if they could truly unite, it would be difficult for Russia, Prussia, and Austria to conquer it quickly.
Furthermore, if the situation in Poland were to become irreversible in the future, the Bar Confederation's influence could still be leveraged to raise a resistance movement among the Polish populace and wage guerrilla warfare against Russia, Prussia, and Austria for several years.
The next day.
At the Tin-Roofed Palace.
This was the residence of Prince Poniatowski, the nephew of the King of Poland.
Jones was currently strolling with several Polish noblemen in the garden behind the house, engaged in what seemed like an ordinary afternoon chat.
"In reality, the major families are concerned that abolishing the liberum veto would restrict the parliament's power," said an elderly nobleman, around sixty, looking at the American ambassador to Poland. "Therefore, it would be best to first pass a constitution with a separation of powers, and address the liberum veto issue concurrently."
The "liberum veto" he referred to was Poland's infamous system of unanimous consent—any member of parliament could single-handedly veto parliamentary decrees, thereby preventing Poland from undertaking any reforms or progress.
"Yes, I am very familiar with such political wrangling," Jones nodded, speaking in Polish. "The American Congress is often the same; it's quite a headache.
"At such times, we need a leader with extremely high political prestige to unify disparate opinions."
Prince Poniatowski sighed helplessly. "His Majesty the King, well, you know, he's always so agreeable..."
Jones turned to him. "Perhaps you could represent His Majesty in rallying those parliamentarians."
The elder nearby immediately shook his head. "The Potocki family won't listen to Your Highness, and neither will the arrogant Czartoryski family."
He was an elder of the Poniatowski family, whose surname indicated their connection to the King of Poland, though it was far from being the largest family in the nation.
Currently, Polish politics was largely dominated by fewer than ten aristocratic families, making it impossible to pass anything in parliament without their involvement.
Jones recalled the French Crown Prince's letter and said gravely, "Poland is on the brink of great danger. At this point, perhaps less-than-gentlemanly methods are called for. Currently, Your Highness is in charge of recruiting and training the army; you must utilize this to your advantage.
"As for the Potocki family, perhaps they've committed some reprehensible acts. If other families were to learn of this, they would certainly be eager to carve up their influence."
Several high-ranking members of the Poniatowski family exchanged astonished glances. The elder lowered his voice and said, "'This could cause serious turmoil!'"
"Therefore, Your Highness needs to mobilize the army at the appropriate moment to stabilize the situation. Once the Potocki family is dealt with, the Czartoryski family will undoubtedly become more cooperative."
Prince Poniatowski frowned. "Perhaps such drastic measures aren't necessary. The conditions the Potocki family proposed are actually open to negotiation."
Jones sighed internally. As the mouthpiece for the French Crown Prince, this was all he could do. "The decision rests with you, Your respected Highness, but I can guarantee that I will provide you with evidence of the Potocki family's treason within three months."
He had no criminal evidence against the Potocki family in hand, but the French had assured him that it would materialize.
Joseph knew very well that while the Poles were historically notoriously slow, they eventually passed a constitution three years later—the Constitution of May 3.
This constitution abolished the liberum veto, eliminated the elective monarchy in favor of hereditary succession, and established a system of separation of powers for the Polish government, paving the way for national development.
However, the Constitution of May 3's restrictions on noble power infringed upon the interests of several families, led by the Potocki family. They immediately colluded with the Russian general Potemkin to form the Targowica Confederation, requesting Russian military intervention.
Subsequently, the Targowica Confederation's forces, allied with the Russian army, defeated the Polish government troops. At the same time, Prussia and Austria, in accordance with their secret treaties with Russia, invaded Poland from the west.
The Second Partition of Poland began.
The Potocki family had always been in league with the Russians, so evidence would surely be found if one looked for it.
Of course, Joseph was also prepared for the possibility of not finding genuine evidence; in that case, he would "manufacture" some. Once the Potocki family was overthrown, someone would naturally confess.
With the Russo-Swedish War raging fiercely, Russia could not spare the resources to intervene in this matter.
If the Constitution of May 3 could be successfully implemented for a few years, Poland's national strength would greatly increase. Moreover, without the Potocki family as internal collaborators, Russia's pretext for intervention would disappear, making the partition of Poland extremely difficult at that point.
If Prussia and Austria, especially the latter, believed that invading Poland would severely deplete their strength, they would likely reconsider whether to join the conflict.
Because both Prussia and Austria harbored desires to unify Germany, they would undoubtedly begin wars to dominate Germany if there was no shared interest in partitioning Poland.
In that scenario, the strategic pressure on France would be significantly reduced. It would at least buy France several more years for development.
Prince Poniatowski hesitated for a long moment, then bowed to Jones. "Thank you for your assistance to Poland, Ambassador. I will seriously consider your suggestions.
"Oh, the banquet is about to begin. Let's head inside."
...
United States.
New York.
"The votes are in!" A middle-aged man in a black waistcoat burst excitedly into the room. Under the anxious gazes of everyone present, he deliberately paused for two seconds before bowing respectfully to George Washington, hand over heart. "Congratulations, Mr. President!"
The dozen or so people in the room immediately cheered, crowding around Washington to offer their congratulations.
Washington's already flushed face became even redder. He took a deep breath and looked at the messenger. "Mr. Thomas, can you tell me the specific vote count?"
"You received 50 votes, an overwhelming advantage!"
Washington immediately felt a wave of relief. 50 of the total 69 electoral votes was certainly a landslide victory.
He secretly congratulated himself, too, grateful for the assistance provided by the French Crown Prince. Otherwise, given Hamilton's astonishing popularity before the election, he would likely be celebrating his election right now.
It was worth noting that even with French support, Hamilton still secured 33 electoral votes!
Joseph had once brought Hamilton the political achievements of eliminating pirates in the Mediterranean Sea and sending them back to America for public trial, making the latter's prominence unrivaled for a time, even surpassing Washington, the commander of the Continental Army during the War of Independence.
'There was no helping it; people were forgetful. The War of Independence had passed several years ago; how could it be as memorable as hanging pirates just a few months prior?'
However, Joseph soon realized that Hamilton was a very radical hawk, and he held a particular obsession with the military.
'If he were elected President of the United States, he would likely re-establish a standing army – currently, America only had militias, no professional soldiers – and this would greatly accelerate America's westward slaughter of indigenous peoples and its annexation of North American land.'
'An America of just thirteen states was not a concern, but an America occupying half the continent would become a nightmare for all of Europe.'
Joseph, of course, had to prevent such a situation from arising.
So he sent people to America to support Washington, whose overall style was more moderate. At least during Washington's presidency, America still relied on its militias.
His method was quite simple: provide Washington with some campaign funds and simultaneously establish a newspaper in America, "The American News," selling it at a very low price. Thanks to France's cheap wood pulp paper and printing technology, the newspaper could be sold for 60% less than its American competitors and still yield a 10% profit.
Coupled with the exclusive American publication rights for "Battle Through the Heavens," The American News quickly unified the American newspaper market in a very short time.
What followed was daily reports in the newspaper about the War of Independence, constantly recounting Washington's great contributions, while attributing the achievement of crushing the Barbary Pirates to the Federal Congress. The representatives, in turn, praised The American News for its objectivity and fairness.
Meanwhile, Washington, arranged by the French campaign team, delivered speeches and made various public appearances and displays across America, and his public approval rating quickly surpassed Hamilton's.
Naturally, Washington, in turn, reciprocated the favor; Ambassador Jones, dispatched to Poland, was his trusted confidant and carried out his duties with utmost dedication.
Just as Washington was celebrating his election as president, a meeting was being held in the manager's office of The American News discussing the establishment of branch offices.
"According to His Royal Highness's instructions, a traditional publication like The American News isn't enough to cover all Americans. We also need to launch an entertainment-focused newspaper to attract the lower strata of American society."
'In the upcoming American congressional elections, the newspaper agency needs to "guarantee" the election of at least 10 representatives. What a daunting task!'
...
Traveling in a carriage through Baden, Talleyrand smiled at the Crown Prince across from him and asked tentatively, "Your Highness, have you received some good news?"
Joseph pushed a report, sent from Nancy before he left the French border, towards him. "Take a look. These are the sales figures for the United Steam Engine Company last month.
"Our High-Pressure Steam Engines are already selling in Britain, and orders continue to pour in."
The Foreign Minister, evidently not fully grasping the significance of the steam engine, offered a conciliatory smile. "Oh, selling one for 11,000 livres, that truly is a fine business."
"Indeed, probably the best business there is." Joseph nodded with a smile.
It was worth noting that low-pressure steam engines produced by the Watt Company also sold for 480 pounds sterling, or 12,000 livres, yet their power output was only 60% of the French model.
If not for the United Steam Engine Company's production mostly supplying domestic French demand, the Watt Company would likely be out of business...
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