C51 - Harbors and Shipyards (7) -
In 1831, Galveston Harbor in Texas was overflowing with immigrants.
They were immigrants who had come from Europe after hearing about the Mexican Empire's "settlement immigration" package.
They were of various nationalities.
Spaniards, Irish, and Germans were the most numerous, but Italians, Poles, Swedes, and Norwegians were also present in significant numbers.
"Mommy! Where are we going?"
"They said the Mexican Empire government would assign us a settlement when we arrive. Honey, can you check?"
"Sure, just wait, I'll go ask."
Harry asked a man who said he was a civil servant from the Immigration Office, in place of his wife, who was busy taking care of their three children.
"Do you know how long it will take to be assigned a settlement?"
"It takes a while these days because there are so many immigrants. But you should be able to wait just a day."
Harry's family was assigned temporary housing for immigrants. The large immigrant housing looked drab and had a prison-like atmosphere from the outside, but the inside was decent enough for a short stay.
The Immigration Office employee came the next day and said.
"You're lucky. Your family has been assigned to Texas, right here. If you had been assigned to California, you would have had to travel a tremendous distance. You'll have to build a settlement, but there's a city nearby, so it's not completely rural."
"Thank you."
The Immigration Office employee gathered those who had been assigned to the same settlement.
The immigrant group, with people from various nationalities, couldn't understand each other's languages. Fortunately, each group had someone who could speak Spanish.
Naturally, those who could speak Spanish became the leaders of each group.
Seeing this, Harry thought he needed to learn Spanish.
"I heard it's not that far, but I didn't expect them to give us a stagecoach ride."
"Yeah, honey."
They received all the benefits advertised by the immigration company, and the immigration process was going smoothly according to the instructions they had received beforehand.
Soon, civil servants and architects arrived and helped with the settlement construction. The guys from Rios Express made it easy for them to travel back and forth to the nearby city of San Antonio.
Time flew by.
Two years passed, and it was 1833.
"Honey, I heard something strange today... Is it true?"
"What is it?"
His wife cautiously brought up the topic in a different tone than usual, in private.
"I heard a rumor that the land size is different for people who immigrated from Europe and those who immigrated from America."
"···There's a rumor like that?"
Harry recalled past events.
It was the responsibility of him and the other husbands to go to the city. What had he seen then? There were definitely a lot of farms on the outskirts of the city.
"Now that I think about it, it's strange."
The land they were assigned was 120 acres. It wasn't a bad size, considering they had expected to get 100 acres when the immigration company advertised 100-160 acres.
The civil servant had explained that it was 120 acres, considering the quality of the land, the distance from the city, and the fact that it was an early settlement. But the farms in San Antonio were different in size.
I hadn't thought much about it when I saw them passing by, but it seems like those who came from America were given larger plots of land.
Harry gathered the men of the village.
"Ah, Harry, I heard that rumor too."
It seemed like the rumor had already spread widely.
"I checked, and it seems to be true."
Nick, who spoke Spanish well and was the village's information source, said.
"Nick, it's true? But why didn't you say anything? Isn't this unfair?"
Why should they be given different land sizes when they are all immigrants? Why should those who came from America get more land?
Nick opened his mouth with a heavy expression.
"Actually, I got a warning."
"A warning?"
"Yeah. It's unfair, as you said. I went to the city myself to investigate. It's been two days since I investigated, and some big guys came and threatened me, asking why I was asking around. I came back yesterday without finding out anything."
"Hmm. So, you think it's almost certain?"
"Yes. Those big guys, I saw them before. They're part of Stephen Austin's Texas Rangers."
"Ha, Stephen Austin."
The Texas settlements were exposed to many threats. Criminals, criminal gangs, and even Texas Native Americans were feared, but the most fearsome enemy was the Comanche tribe.
Each village has civil servants, a small number of guards sent by the government, guards from Rios Express, and village rangers.
This is enough to deal with most threats, but the problem is the Comanche tribe.
If they attack, they come in groups of at least a thousand, so you need a larger force to fight them, which is why there are the "Texas Rangers."
They were created by a man named Stephen Austin, who first initiated the settlement of Texas, but now they've become a group that not only fights the Comanche tribe but also manages the security of Texas.
"It's hopeless. It's an open secret that even the governor is taking bribes from him."
Nick lamented.
"···Should I go to Mexico City and report the situation?"
"What are you going to say? That there's a difference in land size, so we want it back? The Mexican government will definitely let it go, knowing that Stephen Austin is keeping the Comanches in check."
"Is that so? Damn it."
There was resentment towards Stephen Austin, but it was true that the Texas Rangers he organized were keeping the Comanches in check.
***
Brian Taylor, an American, infiltrated Texas disguised as a merchant.
He followed his instructions, spread rumors, and successfully made contact with Stephen Austin, the big shot in Texas.
"They say you're selling weapons. Is that true?"
"It's true."
The number of weapons was important to Stephen Austin. He was bribing the governor and civil servants and stealing weapons little by little, but it was a dire situation.
"So, you've found a way to get weapons from America. I'll buy them all. But I want you to supply me exclusively."
He naturally demanded exclusive supply.
"That's a bold deal, worthy of the 'Father of Texas.' Alright. There are hundreds of muskets ready, though they're old. Will you buy them all?"
The title "Father of Texas" was used only by Stephen Austin and those around him, but Brian called him that naturally, as if it were widely known.
"Yes. Are there plenty of bullets too?"
Stephen, in a good mood, asked softly with a smile on his face.
"Yes. If you buy all these weapons, you'll no longer be called the 'Father of Texas,' but the 'Master of Texas.'"
"Hahaha! Master of Texas. You're giving me too much credit."
"Who would dare to defy Stephen Austin in this Texas? Things will change a bit in a few years when the railroad is completed."
"Ahem. The railroad..."
Things will change a lot when Mexico City is connected by rail. That was the implication.
"I'm already having trouble with those guys from Rios Express."
Those guys, who had expanded into Texas in the past three years, had their own armed forces, making the situation complicated.
The Texas local army and the guards in each village could be controlled by bribing them, but the Rios Express guys were not easily controlled.
"They're a nuisance..."
The combined force of the guards in each village, the rangers, and the Rios Express guards was now strong enough to repel most threats.
This meant that Stephen Austin's influence would soon decrease.
"Well, it was a good deal."
Brian didn't reveal his true intentions hastily. He had already succeeded in planting two keywords in Stephen's mind.
"Master of Texas" and "railroad." He shook hands with Stephen Austin and turned away without hesitation.
Stephen Austin, left behind, was deep in thought.
He called Jonathan and Michael, who could be considered the second and third in command of the Rangers.
Huu-
Stephen Austin blew out a cloud of cigarette smoke in the silent room and asked.
"What do you think will happen when the railroad is finished?"
He didn't name anyone, but he was asking Michael, the third in command.
He was the brains of the Rangers, having even gone to college.
"···Considering the centralizing nature of the Mexican Empire, a lot will change."
"Tell me specifically."
"The biggest thing is that they'll try to disband the Rangers or incorporate them into the regular army."
"Damn it. Those central government guys, they didn't even help when we were fighting the Comanches."
Stephen Austin said this as if he had forgotten that he had stopped the governor from requesting more guards.
They didn't consider themselves Mexicans.
Stephen Austin's worries deepened.
***
Lieutenant Ricardo's story was truly eventful.
"···So, that happened. You've been through a lot."
"···Thank you."
Lieutenant Ricardo and the sailors said that they had left Texas in the spring of 1830, received horses, and arrived safely in Mexico City.
"It must have been a tough experience."
It took two years to return to Mexico City from New Orleans. The journey from Texas to Mexico City was also a sight to behold.
They encountered bandits, and there were attacks in the villages they stopped at along the way.
"It's a miracle that no one died."
"Yes, we were lucky, even thinking about it now."
"The situation in Texas doesn't seem normal, even to me. Did no one listen to your story?"
"Yes, I wrote a report and submitted it to my superior, but it was ignored."
He said that after that, he was immediately transferred to Veracruz because there was a lot to do with the newly formed fleet.
"I need to discipline that superior. The situation in Texas is not simple."
Stephen Austin is breaking his contract with the Mexican Empire government.
He's ignoring the conditions of settling Mexican and American immigrants at a 1:1 ratio, the condition of using Spanish, and the land compensation size I reduced.
"The Mexican Empire definitely sent a governor and civil servants. But the fact that this report didn't come up..."
"Stephen Austin must have bribed the governor and civil servants."
"Yes, I think so too."
America, which was willing to bribe to buy Texas.
Stephen Austin, who acts like he's king in Texas.
Combining these two makes me have a very bad feeling.
"···I'm so glad you survived."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Nothing serious has happened yet, so I can act quickly this time."
"Lieutenant Ricardo, there's something you need to do. It's something only you can do."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Just give me your orders."
Lieutenant Ricardo replied seriously when I spoke with gravity.
"You're going to be in charge of our Mexican Empire's intelligence agency."
"Intelligence agency? ...Did our Mexican Empire have a secret intelligence agency?"
Lieutenant Ricardo asked with an expectant expression.
"No, I'm going to create one now. You'll be the first director."
"···I'll carry out my mission with my life on the line!"
Lieutenant Ricardo, momentarily stunned, immediately accepted reality.
It's a natural choice, since he's the only one with experience in espionage.
"Lieutenant Esteban, who went to Cuba with me, is also there, but it's a bit of a stretch to call that real espionage."
He disguised himself as a harbor worker and stayed there for a while, but he just counted numbers and came back.
Lieutenant Ricardo, on the other hand, has gained quite a bit of experience.
"Of course, his mission in Cuba ended up being a failure because he couldn't deliver the information, but that was unavoidable because of a natural disaster."
I originally went looking for Lieutenant Esteban because I needed someone to head the intelligence agency, so now that a better option has appeared, there's no need to wait.
"It's obvious that the Americans are up to something."
At this time, America didn't even have a Central Intelligence Agency, and they certainly hadn't experienced real espionage.
It's best to nip any clumsy schemes in the bud.
────────────────────────────────────