“Your Highness, may I ask why you’re personally traveling to England?” Diego, my assistant, asked curiously as he boarded the ship beside me.
“I already told you.
I’m going to strengthen our relationship with Britain and sign a non-aggression treaty.”
England—the country that had consolidated its position as Europe’s strongest power after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and would soon become synonymous with the British Empire.
“If that were your only reason, you could simply send a diplomat.
“From watching you until now, Your Highness, I’ve noticed you rarely act unless there’s more than one benefit involved.”
Diego stared at me with undisguised curiosity.
‘It’s nice that he pays attention, but this is starting to become slightly unsettling.’
When he first asked to become my assistant, I hadn’t realized quite how intensely interested he was in everything I did.
“All right.
I’ll tell you the truth.
Diplomacy is only the official reason.
There’s another purpose.”
“I knew it!
What is it?”
“It’s a secret.”
“Ahhh…”
“I’m joking.
“I’m actually planning to establish an immigration company in London.”
“An immigration company?”
Immigration was important enough to justify personally traveling to England.
“Diego, who do you think will be our greatest enemy in the future?”
“Without question, the United States.
“Spain is no longer a serious rival to the Mexican Empire, and we don’t have major conflicts of interest with Britain or France.”
“Exactly.”
The United States was precisely why immigration mattered.
Encouraging immigration didn’t merely increase Mexico’s population—the most direct foundation of national power.
It also denied potential immigrants to our future enemy.
‘Every immigrant we attract is one less immigrant who goes to the United States.
‘That means the benefit is effectively doubled.’
People who were satisfied with their lives generally did not abandon their homes, cross the Atlantic, and start over in a distant country.
If we could attract immigrants to the Mexican Empire, many would likely be people who, in the original history, would otherwise have gone to the United States.
‘In 1820, the population gap between Mexico and the United States was only around three million.
‘By the 1840s, it exceeded ten million.
‘Immigration was one of the biggest reasons for that growth.’
The vast territory of the United States allowed the rapid expansion of small family farms, which contributed enormously to population growth.
But immigration was the direct fuel behind its demographic explosion.
‘We absolutely cannot let the Irish and Germans slip through our fingers.’
In modern America, after people of British ancestry, Germans and Irish formed some of the largest ethnic-origin groups.
The broad British category included people from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Cornwall.
The fact that German and Irish communities could rival such a broad category showed just how many had emigrated.
The Great Irish Famine of 1845 would accelerate Irish emigration, but even before then, large numbers of Irish people were already leaving for the United States.
At this point in history, the Irish suffered severe oppression, discrimination, religious persecution, and poverty under British rule.
Most were Catholic.
That would make integration into Mexico relatively natural.
German immigrants practiced different religions depending on their home regions, but many were Catholic as well.
Political instability and poverty pushed large numbers of Germans toward the United States.
‘If we can attract even thirty percent of those immigrants to the Mexican Empire…’
At least in population, we might begin catching up with the United States.
To carry out the plan, I decided to establish an immigration company and sign a contract between the company and the Mexican imperial government.
The arrangement would resemble the empresario contract Stephen F.
Austin—the “Father of Texas”—had made with the government.
For every one hundred immigrant families my company successfully brought into the country, it would receive a cash incentive.
The immigrants would be required to cultivate vacant land.
Once they did, they would receive a plot free of charge along with a five-year tax exemption.
The agreement became possible largely because Agustín I personally pushed it through.
Stephen Austin’s arrangement already provided a precedent, and the conservatives did not strongly oppose foreign immigration, so resistance was limited.
Depending on the number of immigrants, however, the agreement could eventually cost the government a tremendous amount of money.
I couldn’t ask for that kind of arrangement without giving something in return.
‘After the victory over Spain and the diplomatic gains I secured, I have to make sure this contract succeeds.’
In truth, Agustín I had granted me the favor because I was his son.
If one thought about it strictly, the Crown Prince contributing to the Empire was simply part of his duty.
Even so, Father had worked to secure the agreement almost as a reward.
“Diego, you said you studied English?”
“Yes, Your Highness.
At university I was taught mainly Latin and French, but I studied English as well because I believed it would be useful.
“Good decision.
Teach me too.”
“Of course, Your Highness!”
I already possessed some English ability, but the language of this era differed somewhat from the English I knew.
So during the voyage, I devoted myself to studying the English of the period intensively.
***
“I hope you enjoy your stay in England.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.
Thank you.”
King George IV of England graciously allowed me an audience after hearing of my arrival.
True to his position as monarch of the world’s strongest nation, he carried himself with the arrogance one might expect.
He spared me barely five minutes, exchanged a few formal words, and withdrew.
‘Well… considering he doesn’t have much longer to live, I suppose it was worth seeing him in person.’
George IV was sixty-six years old and would die the following year.
Unlike the King, however, the British government did not dismiss the Mexican Empire so casually.
My more serious discussions were with the Prime Minister.
“…His Majesty is elderly and lacks energy these days.
I hope you’ll understand, Your Highness.”
“I understand.”
“Incidentally, we heard about your magnificent victory over Spain.
“I’m told you handled the diplomatic settlement with considerable skill as well.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister.”
Arthur Wellesley.
The man who had defeated Napoleon Bonaparte and served as Britain’s twenty-fifth and twenty-eighth Prime Minister.
“I found the manner in which you defeated the Spanish army in a single battle particularly interesting.”
Apparently, he had studied the details of my victory.
“The circumstances happened to favor us.”
“Hahaha!
You’re very modest.
“I know it wasn’t that simple.
I have some familiarity with military tactics myself.”
“You’re the one being modest, Prime Minister.
You’re the great commander who defeated Napoleon.”
“That was little more than a fortunate series of circumstances.
“Napoleon Bonaparte was, in truth, the superior strategist.”
For a moment, he seemed lost in memories of his old rival.
Then he returned to the matter at hand.
“I believe it’s time we came to the point.
“What brings you to England?”
The Prime Minister naturally guided the conversation toward the main subject.
“The Mexican Empire would like to sign a non-aggression treaty with the United Kingdom.”
“Hmm… Is such a treaty truly necessary?
“As I understand it, relations between our countries are already quite good.”
“Ever since Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States, that country has continued expanding without restraint.
“I understand Britain also has territorial disputes with the Americans in North America.
“Wouldn’t it be useful to have at least one power capable of restraining them?”
Britain and the United States had fought a war not very long ago, so their relationship was hardly warm.
Even so, Britain still tended to view the Americans less as a serious enemy and more as insolent former colonists.
Only after the United States seized territory from Mexico, expanded to the Pacific, and later demonstrated its strength during the Civil War would Britain begin treating American power with greater seriousness.
‘It’s too early to propose joint action against the United States.
‘But a non-aggression treaty that also serves as a subtle warning should be reasonable from Britain’s perspective.’
The Mexican Empire was a “loyal” British customer, faithfully paying the inflated interest imposed on us.
During the recent settlement with Spain, we had also demonstrated our willingness to cooperate with Britain.
I had calculated that they would accept.
“The United States does not pose a direct threat to us,” Wellesley said, “but as Your Highness suggests, having another power capable of restraining them would not be undesirable.
“I accept.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister.
“I hope our nations continue to enjoy friendly relations.”
“Hahaha!
Don’t worry, Your Highness.
Britain and the Mexican Empire will make excellent partners.”
***
The official purpose of my visit—the non-aggression treaty—was successfully concluded.
“Now the real work begins.”
In truth, the treaty had largely been my justification for coming to England.
In this era, it was unusual for royalty—especially the heir to a throne—to travel unofficially to another country.
I needed a legitimate public reason to be here.
Peter the Great famously traveled incognito and worked as an ordinary laborer to learn shipbuilding and naval technology.
‘But that was an extremely unusual example.’
And even Peter’s identity had hardly remained secret.
The man had been more than two meters tall.
He was not exactly easy to overlook.
‘Anyway, I need to move forward with the immigration project.
‘But I can’t recruit immigrants personally.
‘I need an intermediary.’
Unlike Mexico, where I had built a large network of contacts over the years, I knew almost nobody in England.
I had considered bringing someone from Mexico to handle the business.
But when the work depended on dealing with local people, a local intermediary would be far more effective.
So I decided to find someone suitable in England.
“Ambassador, a pleasure to meet you.”
“Your Highness, it’s an honor to see you here in England.
“I heard about the recent battle.
I must say, it filled me with pride.”
“Hahaha.
Thank you.
“As you may already know, the Mexican Empire and Britain have signed a non-aggression treaty.”
“Yes, I heard!
A tremendous achievement, Your Highness!”
“Ambassador, before I leave England, I intend to establish a new enterprise.
“Could you introduce me to someone who might be able to help?”
“Of course, Your Highness.
“Since arriving in England, meeting people is practically all I’ve done.
“What sort of project do you have in mind?”
The man was Dr.
José María Luis Mora, Mexico’s diplomat in England.
“I’m establishing an immigration company.
“I need someone with strong connections.”
“An immigration company?
“May I ask how the business will operate?”
“It’s simple.
“We want to attract immigrants to Mexico.
“The immigrants will receive land and tax exemptions, while anyone who successfully recruits a substantial number of families will be paid.”
“Ah, I see.
“It sounds similar to an empresario contract.”
“Exactly.
“Think of what Stephen Austin is doing in Texas, except instead of Americans, we’ll recruit Europeans.”
“Hmm… I do have someone in mind, but he isn’t an aristocrat.”
“That doesn’t matter if he can do the job.
“What does he do?”
“Well… he’s a detective.
“But perhaps not the kind you’re imagining…”
“A detective?
I know what that is.”
‘A detective in this era?’
The word immediately brought Sherlock Holmes to mind.
In reality, however, most detectives of this period performed work closer to that of a private investigative agency.
“I suppose someone in that profession would know how to find the right people.”
“Yes.
I understand he has a remarkably broad network of contacts.”
“How did you come to know someone like that?”
“Well, that is…”
“I’m joking,” I said with a smile.
“Please introduce us.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
It didn’t take long before Ambassador José brought the man in question to meet me.
Reginald Greenfield.
Immigration would be one of the essential keys to competing with the United States in national power.
And now, it was time to meet the man who would stand at the head of that ambitious project.
@.
T.
R.
3.
0.
N to get access to 50 additional chapters!
/Meegoatbaa Whether you join as a free or paid member, you’ll also get access to 2 extra chapters.