“What do you plan to do in the future?”
“I’m just going to stay quiet and live out the rest of my life!”
“You shouldn’t let your outstanding legal talent go to waste. Weren’t you thinking of opening a law firm?”
‘How did you know that?’
Shannon planned to return to Kansas at the end of winter.
He wanted to cut ties with politics and start a second life as a lawyer in Lecompton.
“Are you thinking of doing it in Lawrence?”
“hmm?”
‘That’s not Lawrence.’
For a moment, Shannon’s head became complicated.
We have also already purchased a building to be used as a law office, but it is in Lecompton. It was owned by the late Samuel Jones, and we were able to buy it cheaply because he died suddenly.
In fact, Shannon moved to Lawrence during the Civil War. However, Max only knew that Shannon “returned to Lawrence and ended his life as a lawyer.”
Anyway, Max asked as if it was a natural thing to do, but Shannon couldn’t help but think a lot when she accepted it.
‘What is the intention behind asking such a question? Is it because you are going to kill me if I go to Recompton?’
Shannon was convinced that Max knew she had bought the building.
He figured out my plan to sneak out like a ghost, so that shouldn’t be a big deal.
“… Of course it should be done in Lawrence···?”
“Then I’ll help you get settled in.”
“…… You don’t have to worry so much···.”
“No, I’m nervous.”
‘shit.’
“Then you have to keep worrying about it, okay?”
“What will you do for me instead?”
“hmm?”
“If you help, there has to be a coming and going.”
‘Is this guy crazy?’
The conversation develops strangely.
You’re making a fuss by giving help that wasn’t asked for.
Shannon wanted to delve into the mind of the Oriental man in front of her for a moment.
“If you open a law office in Lawrence, I will provide you with legal services for free.”
“Well, it’s not bad.”
“I’m proud to say that I have some skills in this area.”
“What about patents?”
“That’s my specialty. I’ve handled 15 patent disputes as a lawyer in Ohio, and 7 patent disputes as a prosecutor. When I was governor of Ohio, I even created a policy to encourage patent acquisition.”
Max suddenly stepped closer to Shannon and thrust his face into hers. He did it because he liked it, but Shannon felt a chill and stepped back.
“When are you coming to Lawrence?”
“I’m thinking about next spring···.”
“You’re late.”
I wanted to delay it further, but the moment Max narrowed his eyes, Shannon’s time magically advanced.
“…. So I plan to come before winter is over.”
“Good idea. Then I’ll be waiting in Lawrence.”
Max stood up without hesitation and returned to his companions.
Shannon let out a long sigh as the tension eased, and she put the luggage she was carrying on the floor.
‘Where on earth did that Asian guy come from?’
Sheriff Lawrence, who came and went throughout his term as governor. The Lecompton raid and the subsequent war between the Jayhawks and Border Ruffians had already engraved in Shannon’s mind that Asians were to be feared.
When he recognized me and put his hand on my shoulder, I thought I was dead.
But when nothing happened, my thoughts changed a little.
‘If you had decided to kill me, you would have killed me a long time ago.’
Instead, I just told him to come to Lawrence and went back. I answered, but I hadn’t really made up my mind. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought the Oriental’s offer was worth considering.
I don’t know what he wants from me, but I feel like I’m needed by him.
Well, if you go to Lecompton, who will welcome you?
Rather than being ambiguous on either side, it might have been a better choice to settle in Lawrence. The very idea of having an Asian halo is ridiculous, but he was a hero in Lawrence anyway.
‘What does slavery have to do with my political life anyway?’
Suddenly this thought occurs to me.
Why did he sympathize with the slave states of the South, even though he was born in the free state of Ohio?
Politics that started with the Democratic Party. The efforts to rise higher were ultimately nothing more than a shallow struggle to become a human being who would please the taste of the slave owners.
Shannon stared blankly at the Kansas River as it ended and turned into the Missouri, thinking about the past, present, and future.
*
After passing down the Missouri River, the ship stopped at a dock called Glasgow.
This gave us two hours to spare while loading the fuel.
Max and his party got off the boat and wandered around the dock.
‘It’s definitely different from Lawrence.’
Missouri became a state in 1821, thirty years before Kansas. This time difference was evident in buildings and population.
‘It’s like a rural town in South Korea.’
Still, Max moved his head around busily as if it was a new experience.
The group that saw that started gossiping behind him.
– You know who the most country bumpkin is among us?
– You can tell just by looking at him that he acts like a country bumpkin. Everything about him is so new to him.
– I’m not that bad, am I?
– Junior, you’re a hundred times better. I apologize for what I said earlier.
When Max looked back, everyone fell silent. Then they looked around the store to see if there was anything to eat.
“It would be bad if we get into trouble by wandering around aimlessly, so let’s go back to the ship now.”
“You can look around more.”
“There’s nothing to see, really.”
“spirit.”
Max shook his head in disappointment after seeing Peach’s expression. Colin was holding a piece of bread in a paper bag that he had bought at some point to his chest.
“I’m so hungry I have to eat this.”
The group returned to the ship and chatted over bread. Max handed some bread to Shannon, who was sitting alone.
“I brought you happiness in life. Please eat some since you are hungry.”
“……Thank you.”
“Then I’ll wait in Lawrence.”
“……”
Max turned around and a bewildered laugh escaped Shannon’s lips.
After staring at the bread for a moment, he reached out.
‘Happiness is in my hands.’
I took a bite of the bread in my hand. The words the Oriental said left a lasting impression.
As she was staring at the dock with her mouth wide open, Shannon saw a large man and stood up from her seat.
“I never thought I would meet the author here.”
Shannon looked at her watch. She still had an hour to spare.
As he was about to get off the boat, he quickly turned his steps towards Max.
“Do you see that tall guy over there?”
“Do you know him?”
Max, who was eating bread, had already been looking at the man who was a head taller than the others. Shannon continued speaking.
“He is soon to be the governor of the Kansas Territory.”
“Oh.”
Max’s group gasped and looked up at the tall man.
“John Geary, a former military man and former mayor of San Francisco. I need to meet him.”
It seemed like there was going to be a handover. Although he didn’t know what it was, Shannon quickly walked over to find John Geary.
Peach, who was watching the two exchange greetings, asked Max.
“Aren’t you telling me to go and destroy Lawrence? I don’t think that’s a good thing.”
“Well, we’ll see.”
*
John White Geary is a tall man, nearly 2 meters tall and weighing 120 kilograms. His neatly grown beard reaches the corners of his mouth, giving him a stubborn look.
The dismissed governor opened his mouth with a bitter expression, as if he was ashamed to face his successor.
“I should have taken care of it myself, but I feel like I’ve just left the burden on you, so I feel heavy-hearted.”
Geary shook his head at Shannon’s words.
“It’s not Gov. Shannon’s fault for throwing Kansas into chaos. It’s not the fault of former Gov. Leader, either. It’s not easy to take over territory when you’re not ready.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“Thank you. It’s true.”
John Geary, who had been appointed suddenly and was not fully aware of the situation in Kansas, wanted to hear Shannon’s thoughts, even though he was a failed governor.
He explained the events of the past in the context of the present situation. The Wakarusa War in particular caught John Geary’s attention.
“There was someone else who led Commander Sumner’s intervention?”
Shannon glanced at the boat and nodded.
“There is a man at the center of the chaos in Kansas. He is the one who led the military intervention and drove the Border Rufians into a series of defeats. But the surprising thing is that he is an Asian.”
“!”
Max’s name was known only in Kansas, a deliberate understatement, for fear that the greater the fame of the Oriental might be, the more it might be antagonized not only in slave states but also in free states.
It was the same whether they were black or Hispanic. In a war waged between white people, the attention given to people of color was not welcomed by either side.
It was along the same lines that I was surprised to hear that John Geary was Asian.
“Whether you like it or not, you will have to face him while you are governor. It would be best to avoid meeting him as an enemy if possible.”
“Are you saying he is that dangerous?”
Shannon looked straight into John Geary’s eyes and nodded.
“It’s dangerous. But if you’re on the same side, you’ll be stronger than anyone else.”
Even if you look at Andrew Leader, you can see that. He took the governor who had made a mess of things to Lawrence and even rescued him, so Max was the most reliable supporter for Leader.
Shannon concluded the gubernatorial handover by leaving John Geary with a sense of curiosity and interest in Max. It was a chance encounter, but it was not without significance.
Before beginning his duties as governor, John Geary will go to Fort Leavenworth to meet Commander Sumner, where he will hear about the Orientals once more.
Just before departure, Shannon returned to the ship. He approached Max and spoke to him.
“I spoke with the new governor.”
Shannon continued speaking quietly enough for only Max to hear.
“He said he would stop by Fort Leavenworth, Fort Scott, and Fort Riley before assuming his duties as governor.”
“This is something you should know in advance.”
“That’s right. Governor John Geary will involve the military in every conflict going forward.”
Shannon also learned something from the Wakarusa War: military intervention could prevent conflict between the two forces.
“But we’ll have to wait and see how the president reacts. President Pearson didn’t like military intervention.”
It has a three-month validity period. Moreover, will the intentions of a president struggling with lame duck status really work?
“Anyway, John Geary won’t be a bother to you like I am.”
“then···.”
“See you in Lawrence.”
Shannon smiled and said what Max wanted to say. Shannon returned to her seat and began to munch the leftover bread with relish, as if one of her worries had been solved.
< Wilson Shannon > End
< It's dangerous outside the house >
We decided to meet again in Lawrence.
I parted ways with Wilson Shannon at the Port of St. Louis.
The largest city in Missouri and where the Missouri and Illinois rivers join the Mississippi River.
From the early days of the United States, fur trade with Indians was flourishing, and as western settlement began, St. Louis served as a gateway to the West.
“Wow, this is a really complicated neighborhood.”
“That’s because it was the gold rush, a place where Western pioneers and travelers gathered and dispersed.”
Colin answered Joe Jim Jr.’s question. Colin, who knows Missouri well, was doing a great job as a guide for the group.
As Max and his party disembarked from the ship and passed through a large, crowded square, a familiar voice came into their ears.
“You may have heard rumors today that escaped slaves are hiding somewhere here. The recent escapees are fleeing north through Illinois. Whose property are they?”
“It’s our Missouri property!”
As the citizens applauded, the speaker raised his voice even louder.
“Yes! The free states are hell-bent on taking away the property of our slave states! The rights of the negroes are just a cover for their own interests, and what they really want is cheap labor! And yet! We are struggling in Kansas, the most important crossroads!”
“How long will you stand by and watch while the forces of liberalism gather in the cursed city of Lawrence? Let us all run to Kansas! Let us take up arms and swords to defend our just rights!”
“Let’s fight for our rights!”
The speakers were none other than Henry Clay Pate and Missouri Representative John Reed. They had gathered a large crowd and were leading the agitation.
Colin stopped walking and said with a shocked expression.
“I was wondering where you were and you were making a fuss here.”
“Yeah. I want to put a bullet in your mouth.”
“If you do that here, you’ll be a public enemy the moment you do that.”
Max, who had his hat pulled down at Peach’s words, ignored Fate and looked at the group.
“Now is the time to split.”
It would have been impossible to bring Charles, Lane, and Andrew Leader from Illinois to Lawrence by normal means. They had to divide up their tasks as planned in advance.
Max spoke to Peach.
“Do you remember what I told you?”
“But do you really have to find that person? Can’t you just use the nearby sawmill?”
“If possible, I’d like to buy from that person. But if you can’t find it, just do whatever you want.”
“You don’t know my personality? Ugh. How do you know the names of the people who live in White Haven when you’ve never even been here?”
“Anyway, he’s a very, very, very important person to me.”
Max instructed Peach to find a man and buy lumber. He would then stockpile the lumber at the St. Louis port, and Charles and his party, dressed as lumberjacks, would load the lumber and head to Lawrence.
The thing is, I can’t remember exactly whether the guy selling this tree sold construction lumber or just landscape trees. Anyway, I’m sure they sold trees in St. Louis at this time.
Max, who had been stuck in Lawrence, was looking forward to meeting two historical figures in St. Louis and Illinois.
“Then let’s see each other in three days.”
Peach disappeared with Lore and Patrick Downey, and Max headed to the train station with Colin and Junior.
On the way, Colin poured out information about Illinois as if showing off his knowledge.
“Illinois is a place with a large temperature difference between the north and the south.”
“Oh, when it’s winter in the north, it’s summer in the south?”
Colin looks at Joe Jim Jr. like he’s an idiot.
“Inman, you’re talking about slavery. The North is more like a free state, and the South is more like a slave state. Well, you could say it’s a microcosm of the current situation.”
“But a free state is a free state.”
“But the law is a bit tricky.”
The Illinois Negro Law prohibited black immigrants from living in the state for more than 10 days. Additionally, black immigrants who remained for more than 10 days were subject to arrest, detention, a $50 fine, or deportation.
Under the Fugitive Slave Law, anyone who helped a slave escape was also punished.
Junior, who had been listening, opened his mouth as if something had come to mind.
“I heard there were slave traders in southern Illinois, too.”
“Oh, you know. There are a few people living there. The most famous one among them is… Huh?”
Colin, who was talking, stopped walking and opened his eyes wide. The group followed Colin’s gaze, wondering what was going on.
But Max’s pupils also soon began to vibrate greatly.
‘I can’t believe I met that guy here.’
A crowd gathered in front of the train station.
Max’s gaze was fixed on one of the men.
I guess it’s a persistent relationship.
The man who tried to sell himself into slavery in the South, a man who is vividly engraved in Imaksan’s memory.
‘Cullen Baker.’
There is a reason why Max never forgot the author’s face and name.
The document that Lee Mak-san signed without even knowing it. Although he was not a slave, the labor contract that came with it was in his hands.
Immigration rights will come out soon, what if he tries to get them?
You could become entangled in complex legal issues and end up on the run.
‘Should I get rid of the paperwork first? It’s dangerous outside, after all.’
Especially for Asians···.
As Max glared at Cullen Baker, Colin let out a sinister voice.
