Chapter 23: No One Loves Nature

Was it necessary for Bogood to state the obvious—that the United States was no match for Great Britain? The elite class was well aware of this reality. They were not ignorant masses swayed by public opinion, rushing to the streets only to become cannon fodder. Many were willing to sacrifice themselves for America's Manifest Destiny—what was a few lives in the grand scheme of things?

In this matter, Anna Bell could do nothing, not even exert influence over the Democratic Party. The Democrats had never been proponents of peace. This was the 19th century, and until around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Democratic Party had consistently been the party of war. The doctrine of Manifest Destiny—the belief in America's divine right to expand—was championed by Democrats and their supporters to build an agricultural empire. More land was always better; there was never enough.

Contrary to many other nations, the supporters of U.S. expansion were farmers, particularly the Dixie planters of the South. Even before the Civil War officially began, many plantation owners believed that if the Confederacy were to split from the Union, they should conquer Mexico, push their borders to the equator, and establish a vast agricultural empire.

Thirty years had passed since then, and Anna Bell now understood the overwhelming advantage of industry over agriculture. She no longer harbored such ambitions. However, she remained deeply interested in expanding U.S. influence across the Americas, as it would benefit the Southern states. Latin America lay to the south of the United States, and the Southern states would gain significant advantages due to their geographic proximity. Her ultimate goal was to restore the status the Dixie states had held before the Civil War.

At this point, the Sheffield family's friendship with Great Britain was irrelevant. As her precious heir had pointed out, by now the United States' economy—excluding cutting-edge industries—was on par with Britain's in scale, backed by a population of seventy million. In terms of sheer domestic strength, the U.S. was no longer inferior to Britain. For a long time to come, relations between the two nations were unlikely to improve.

Beyond considering the geographic advantages the Southern states held over Latin America and the potential benefits for the Sheffield family, there was another factor at play. The plantation owners who had immigrated to Brazil after the war were now watching the Venezuelan crisis closely. If the United States achieved its objectives, their resolve to return would only grow stronger.

The Democratic Party's ideals, the interests of the Southern states, and the returning Brazilian plantation owners—all these factors outweighed the traditional friendship with Great Britain.

Bogood left Anna Bell's estate without obtaining the desired outcome, but he wasn't particularly disappointed. This was merely a predictable move in a larger game. He believed that even if it came to the worst-case scenario, Great Britain could easily deal with its unruly former colony.

With its weak navy and even weaker army, any detachment fleet Great Britain dispatched from anywhere in the world would suffice to teach this presumptuous nation who truly ruled the world.

"God help the Americans come to their senses," Bogood muttered as he left the Sheffield estate. He casually picked up a few newspapers from a nearby stand. Unsurprisingly, every article mentioning Venezuela was filled with hostility toward Britain.

This puzzled Bogood. Why was this country so hostile toward Britain? Did they not see how weak their military was?

"Madam, the police just called to inform us that our guest has boarded a train and left Arlington," a servant reported, bowing slightly as he entered the room where Anna Bell sat on the sofa.

"He left? So be it!" Anna Bell adjusted her glasses, completely unfazed. "We are merely merchants. The esteemed British guest overestimated us."

Her dismissive tone rivaled that of the Big Bad Wolf. How could a merchant like her not be involved in politics? Where did the Democratic Party's campaign funds come from? It was precisely because of her deep political entanglements that she knew which side offered greater benefits.

"I'm in a foul mood. Inform the Agricultural and Livestock Association: if the North's procurement numbers don't decrease, raise the prices of meat and grain shipped to the North," Anna Bell said, rubbing her dry eyes. "Keep raising them until the Northern states start planting crops again, following Congress's policies. Once the harvest season ends, flood the market. Use this economic downturn to teach Northern farmers a lesson."

"The Yankees think manufacturing goods is the greatest wealth. This year, let them understand that having enough to eat is the true wealth. Keep an eye on Latin American countries and send telegrams to our clients. Don't cause trouble during this time, or else the slave-hunting teams will pay them a visit." Anna Bell raised her head proudly. "Don't forget what I did before I married."

The Sheffields were plantation owners, but Anna Bell was not—or at least, not entirely. Her family had originally been in the transportation business, shipping African laborers to the Americas. Even after the Civil War, this trade hadn't ended. Brazil was still an option, though it carried some smuggling implications at the time.

Anna Bell's slave-hunting teams maintained client relationships with many plantation owners in Latin America. If U.S. agricultural prices rose, the North might resort to imports, especially since the Democratic administration had lowered tariffs. If Southern agricultural products became more expensive than imports, price suppression could occur.

She wanted to prevent this situation in advance and conveyed her intentions through her servants.

"Now the British are bullying the United States. International tensions are escalating, and domestic climate anomalies are causing some unscrupulous merchants to hoard goods. This is hardly surprising," Anna Bell said slowly, calling back the servant who was about to leave. "It's undeniable that some may not comply. Make a list of those who refuse to follow the Agricultural and Livestock Association's recommendations and bring it to me later."

In her eyes, anyone who didn't cooperate with the price hikes or align with the Texas Agricultural and Livestock Association was an unscrupulous merchant. The rise in domestic agricultural prices was attributed to these individuals, and they deserved severe punishment.

"That's all," Sheffield said, setting down his pen and looking at his graduation thesis with satisfaction. Reading a passage made his teeth ache—it was a masterful compilation of environmentalist rhetoric, incorporating elements distilled from modern leftist ideologies, firmly occupying the moral high ground.

The essay began with the plight of the American bison, condemning humanity's cruelty in driving wildlife to extinction. It called for action to protect the nearly extinct bison, a native species of North America.

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"William, how did you become interested in this issue? It does seem quite serious. It would indeed be a shame if such a native species went extinct," Carter said, passing Sheffield's essay to a few club members. They exchanged glances, incredulous that Sheffield—a lover of nature? It didn't seem to fit!

"My grandmother often taught me to revere nature. She loved nature deeply," Sheffield lied smoothly, his face showing no hint of guilt. Loving nature and loving people within nature were two different things. Carter had misunderstood.

Loving nature did not include loving the humans within it. Just as environmentalists protected Africa's environment while ignoring human famine, in their eyes, animals were far more important than people.

(End of Chapter)