Chapter 2352 Argument (Ⅱ)

"Even if all the free men in Alfheim, including small landowners like me, are stuffed into plantations to farm and work non-stop from morning to night, they still won't be able to cultivate hundreds of millions of acres of farmland."

"In order to maintain the agricultural production of the colonies, and to provide the suzerain country with sufficient and cheap bulk grains, we must provide more hard-working and cheap labor for the plantations. You all know what I mean, right?"

Thomas looked at his friends in the living room.

Joan, Edward, Allen, Rebecca and the Vassars nodded together, tacitly.

Thomas was referring, of course, to slaves, especially black slaves from the Southern Isles.

"Mr. President has fully demonstrated such a logical chain: the suzerain country's rigid demand for importing large quantities of cheap grains, coupled with the reality of the colony's labor shortage, jointly contributed to the prevalence of the slave trade."

"From this point of view, when those self-proclaimed noble people in the interior of the empire criticized the slavery of the colonies, they never thought that they themselves were the accomplices of this system, so Mr. Jefferson criticized His Majesty the Emperor and his bureaucrats as slaves. Trade is responsible, I think it makes sense."

"However, it is easy to ask questions, the difficulty lies in how to solve them."

Thomas scratched his head, confiding the truth with some embarrassment.

"Frankly speaking, I am a beneficiary of the slave trade. I am against the slave trade emotionally and morally. I put live people in shackles, put them in plantations, and forced them to work with leather whips. There is no freedom at all." It is clearly unethical."

"However, if this shameful system is abolished, how will my family and I live?"

"I have been using slaves since the day I was sensible. I am happy to treat slaves well, but if the day comes when the slaves are freed, the way of life I am used to will be completely destroyed, and my life will definitely not be as comfortable as before."

"On the other hand, if we really want to free the slaves, we slave owners should be compensated. After all, the slaves were our private property, but who will compensate us?"

"Thinking a little more deeply, how will the freed slaves be placed? If they are hired as laborers and earn their living by hard labor, life may not be better than being slaves on my family's plantation-after all, slaves are slaves from the cradle to the grave. The master is responsible to the end!"

"When I think about this, I feel discouraged about the prospect of 'liberating slaves'. The ideal is indeed beautiful, but the actual implementation will inevitably have endless troubles."

Joan listened to Thomas' confession, and also felt that this matter was very difficult.

The slavery system in the New World is like a knot of knots. People of insight know that it will be untied sooner or later. , completely eliminate this hidden danger.

"No matter what you think, anyway, Martha and I have made up our minds to add a paragraph to our will--on the second day after I or Martha was called by the Lord, the heirs of the estate must immediately release everything under our name. slaves, and a settlement allowance to enable them to live a free and decent life."

said George Vassar solemnly, shaking his wife's hand.

"I intend to make the same will, but slavery is not my chief concern."

Edward took the conversation and picked up the booklet on the table.

"I am deeply disturbed that Mr. Chancellor mentioned 'republicanism' in his speeches."

"Mr. Gates, you are not a 'royalist'!"

Allen couldn't help raising his voice.

Under the influence of many radical thinkers including Jefferson, the young warlock has grown into a staunch republican. He naturally regards "royalists" as defenders of feudal conservative forces and his own political enemies.

"Of course I'm not a royalist, Alan, I'm just a soldier."

Edward looked stern, expounding his point of view in a leisurely manner.

"As soldiers, we always have an object of allegiance. Now you republicans say that you want to overthrow the emperor and end the feudal monarchy. Well, in the era of the republic, the country still needs the protection of the army. To whom should we serve as soldiers? What about taking an oath of allegiance?"

"To swear an oath to the governor, or to be loyal to the parliament? Or, like those ancient city-state republics, to pledge allegiance to the head of state or politicians like 'consuls'?"

"The difference between these so-called heads of state and the monarch is that they are not lifelong. When they step down, will the loyalty of the army still be valid? Or change their allegiance to the new head of state?"

"From the experience and lessons of history, whenever the high-level of the city-state republic changes, the newly elected consul will often abolish the previous policy, and the majority of power in the new senate or parliament will always be different. There is rotation between parties, which leads to a lack of continuity in policy, and ridiculous things happen from time to time."

"The army can't stand such a toss!"

"If the army's ideological unity and stability cannot be maintained, it will inevitably lead to chaos in which the army meddles in politics and even warlords fight."

"In the end, the election of the head of state and parliamentary representatives no longer depends on public opinion, but on the support of the army and warlords. The so-called republic will also perish. This has been verified countless times in history. The young people of your generation Can the republicans solve this malady?"

"Alan, in a country without a monarch, can you tell me who the soldiers should be loyal to?"

Edward's questioning forced Allen to give a positive answer.

"Mr. Gates! I don't think soldiers should be politically inclined and should not join any political or religious groups!"

"The military must remain absolutely neutral in the country's political system!"

"If a soldier must have an object of allegiance, then he can only be loyal to the country and the people!"

"It's a beautiful thing to say, but it's a pity it doesn't make any sense."

Edward smiled sarcastically.

"Allen, let's not talk about whether your ideal of 'nationalization of the military' is realistic and whether it can be implemented. Let me ask you one thing. Do you republicans agree that 'people enjoy equal freedom'?"

"This is our most important program!" Allen replied without thinking.

"Then in a republic, should citizens be equally free to express political speech?"

"of course!"

"Are soldiers citizens?"

"yes!"

"Then soldiers should also enjoy the above-mentioned freedoms and have the right to support or oppose certain political opinions, but you want to deprive soldiers of the freedom to express their political opinions. Isn't this contradictory?" Edward asked coldly.