Chapter 581: Lincoln's Base

Chapter 574 Lincoln's Base

This carriage team has about a hundred people, all of whom carry guns, and the wounded and sick are lying on the carriages and horses. There are not only white people in the team, but also black people.

Those black people who have just regained their freedom and have not been sent to the sweatshops in the north have bright smiles on their faces and greedily breathe the air of freedom.

Obviously, this is a northern armed group that has withdrawn from Kansas to recuperate.

Not long after, Liang Yao's special train slowly stopped at the Omaha train station.

Lincoln's reputation and influence in the political world are not as good as Seward, Bates, Cameron and others in the Republican Party.

But Lincoln's influence and appeal among the people in the north are far ahead. Many people with low cultural level and who are not very concerned about politics even know Lincoln before knowing the Republican Party.

In other words, these people support the Republican Party in order to support Lincoln. Lincoln's personal charm can be seen.

This is due to Lincoln's extraordinary speaking ability and long-term tireless speeches in various places, constantly brushing his presence.

Even if you are not very familiar with politics and are very interested in it, you often hear or even see a tall, ugly, and dressed similarly to you person giving a speech near your residence. You will also be impressed by him, remember his name, and vote for him in the next election.

Unlike other politicians of the same period, most politicians who were born into a wealthy family and were pampered since childhood basically only gave speeches in medium and large cities with convenient transportation and dense populations to promote their political views.

However, Lincoln was often able to do it with only a few people, or even alone, riding a horse, going deep into Illinois and the surrounding sparsely populated villages to conduct inspections and speeches, and taking out the notebook he carried with him to record the needs of the people, regardless of rain or shine.

Due to his experience as a judge and lawyer in the circuit court in the frontier area for a long time in his early years, Lincoln did not feel how hard this life of eating and sleeping in the open was.

Lincoln's political opponents had criticized Lincoln several times for being a showman, but Lincoln did not care about these voices and was even too lazy to respond.

Regardless of whether this was a show or not, his people-friendly actions have indeed attracted a large number of loyal supporters for him.

In addition, Lincoln was born in a humble family, dressed simply, and always presented himself as a laborer. Compared with those social elites who were dressed in suits, looked superior, and had arrogant attitudes, Lincoln, with calloused hands, naturally found it easier to get closer to the grassroots people.

Omaha is a large city in the frontier area (the frontier area of ​​the United States in the 19th century did not refer to the border area, but the vast Midwest area with a low level of development was also called the frontier area.) with a permanent population of four to five thousand.

However, because Lincoln gave a speech here today, the population of this city with a permanent population of four to five thousand people suddenly poured in tens of thousands, making it very crowded.

Especially the square in the center of Omaha, which was already crowded with people, and it was difficult to even turn around.

Obviously, many people came to listen to Lincoln's speech after hearing that Lincoln was giving a speech in Omaha today.

Nebraska has a small population, with only more than 30,000 people at most, which is a typical frontier area. Even if we exclude the die-hard supporters who came from Iowa and Illinois, the proportion of people in Nebraska who came to listen to Lincoln's speech was quite amazing.

Perhaps this is why Lincoln stood out from the crowd of competitors as a dark horse and sat on the presidency when he was not optimistic.

To some extent, this is also a victory for the common people. Although the individual power of the common people is very weak, once the common people are united as a whole, the energy they burst out is unpredictable.

Because the square in the center of Omaha was too crowded, Liang Yao did not think of going to the city square to listen to Lincoln and the Republicans' speeches after getting off the train. Instead, he walked in the opposite direction towards the suburbs of Omaha and observed the city while walking.

At the train station in Omaha, you can still see a lot of Chinese people. These Chinese are employees of the California Railway Company, the New York Central Railway Company, and the Atlantic Railway Company, as well as Chinese businessmen from the West Coast who came to investigate business.

After leaving the train station, it is more difficult to see Chinese people. Basically, the people you meet on the street are white people, and a small number of black people who fled north.

The convoy that we just met in the suburbs has now entered the city and was welcomed by the citizens of Omaha, enjoying the courtesy of heroes.

Slogans such as "Liberate the black slaves, long live freedom, and kill the southern barbarians" are heard everywhere.

Of course, not all Omaha citizens support abolition.

Just as there are supporters of abolition in the South, there are also supporters of slavery in the North.

"Sir, are you a slave owner?" With strong curiosity, Liang Yao approached an Omaha resident who was out of tune with the people around him, remained silent, and secretly spit at the convoy entering the city, and asked in a low voice.

Obviously, this maverick Omaha resident is a northern supporter of slavery.

"No, sir, black slaves are so expensive, I can't afford them." The young Omaha resident looked at the strong black people in the horse team. He looked at the black people who had just regained their freedom like examining a commodity.

The blacks who were able to successfully escape to the North, like the blacks who were able to successfully survive the triangular trade and set foot on American soil alive, had all undergone harsh elimination, and their physical fitness was definitely the best among blacks.

In the South, the starting price of such black people is at least $1,300, which is indeed not affordable for ordinary people.

"Since you are not a slave owner, why don't you support abolition?" Liang Yao asked with interest.

He wanted to know what these northern slavery supporters were thinking.

"Sir, just because I can't afford it now doesn't mean I won't be able to afford it in the future." The resident of Omaha replied, "Slaves are the most dazzling and magnificent private property in the world!

Even if you have a lot of land, gold, and bank deposits, you are no different from other people when you walk on the street. You can't always stick the deed on your body, walk with gold in your arms, and write the balance of your deposit on your face. But if you have a submissive black person by your side, the situation will be different. Unless it is dark at night, everyone can see that you have slaves!

Just like you, I am sure that you are the richest and most powerful person on this street, not because of how luxurious your uniform is. A country bumpkin like me can't tell how much your uniform is worth. But the burly guards behind you with fierce expressions are what ordinary people can't own at a glance."

Liang Yao understood the thoughts of these northern slavery supporters.

Just as the reason why the people's Maybach is different from other Maybachs is not because the ownership of the people's Maybach belongs to the people, and the general only has the right to use it 24 hours a day.

Instead, they are the "BTS" who run beside the Maybach and dare to block bullets with their flesh and blood at the critical moment. This is the essential difference between a general and an ordinary Maybach owner, a difference that can be seen at a glance.