"Is it the case that after burning Atlanta, and then throwing a little money at superficial efforts, you expect the Southern people to be grateful? Of course, these are all things of the past. Investing in a Black women's college doesn't mean much, and Texas even appointed a Black mayor; that doesn't signify anything," Isabella said, her legs crossed elegantly, her words carrying a deeper meaning. "Anyone can do superficial projects, can't they?"
Isabella was referring to appointments, not elections. In fact, the visibly Black mayor she mentioned was not elected either. Black people did not have the right to vote; it was just that after the war, there was a Black unit directly under William Sheffield, and they gathered together. William Sheffield allocated land for them to live on.
After all, the United States was like modern Rome, and in ancient Roman law, slaves, women, and bankrupt individuals had no voting rights. They were permanently deprived of political rights, and modern Rome followed suit in this regard.
Not only Black people but even women didn't have the right to vote. In this regard, Texas was no different from other places. Everyone in the Southern states knew that there were no adult men left in the Sheffield household, and yet the Texas Legion was the only Confederate army that still retained its strength. Annabelle bought a group of Eastern European immigrants to form a legion, and outsiders could mold them as they pleased.
What puzzled many was that these Eastern European immigrants didn't seem to mind being ruled by a woman.
"It's been so many years; we're all in the United States now. We shouldn't hold grudges," James hesitated for a moment and emphasized, "As a professional manager representing Mr. Rockefeller, I come to discuss this matter with sincerity."
"I don't hold grudges, but I can't speak for my partners who were forced to go to Brazil. Mr. James, you should be aware of the situation in Brazil. I can share some information; perhaps some of them will return in due time," Isabella hesitated for a moment, wanting to say more but holding back. "As for cooperation between the two sides, I can't decide personally. My mother, although she can make decisions, is getting old. It would be better for her to discuss it with you after our heir completes his education."
"Heir!?" James suddenly realized and didn't immediately make progress in the conversation, either due to regret or some other reason.
"Do you really think there are no men left in my family?" Isabella picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip, her phoenix-like eyes fixed on the other person. "I heard young Rockefeller has also graduated from college. This is good; communication between the second generation on both sides might be even smoother."
"Is Miss Isabella trying to deceive me?" James asked with some doubt.
"There's no need for that," Isabella wiped the coffee from the corner of her mouth and spoke softly, "If we can cooperate with the Northerners, Standard Oil is the obvious choice, given our family's relationship with DuPont; everyone knows about it."
"That's certainly well known!" James nodded knowingly, but it seemed that it wasn't just the DuPont family. After all, the Sheffield family had a unique status that no one else had. Since the Civil War, the entire Southern states seemed to have a invisible protective shield; it was very difficult for Northern capitalists to do anything.
These Dixie folks seemed brainwashed, refusing to buy anything produced in the North, regardless of whose products they were. Wall Street did want to erase the animosity and find collaborators, but either the Southern plantation owners were severely hit or they had fled to Brazil to continue their plantation operations, making it impossible to find cooperation partners.
The Republican Party has always advocated for raising tariffs to protect domestic industries, which has led to rampant smuggling, even in the North, unable to avoid this side effect, and the South is the epicenter of smuggling. As for who is behind the smuggling, it's quite easy to find out. The South is left with one remaining die-hard Confederate, and if it's not him, then who?
The reason smuggling is not as lucrative now is not because the quality of American products has improved; the products in the United States are still the same. It's because the Democratic Party has come into power and lowered tariffs, resulting in a decrease in smuggling profits.
"In fact, when Miss Isabella returns to the Rifle Association, everyone can talk again. Many people want to get to know your family better," James nodded in agreement before leaving.
"When everything is settled at home, I'd be happy to meet more friends, but I probably won't leave Texas for the next month. However, there will be an opportunity eventually," Isabella nodded and flicked her neat short hair.
Isabella would be staying in the South for some time, and the reason was waiting for a response from Brazil.
"When they arrive in New Orleans, let William go and pick them up!" Annabelle looked at her daughter as she came in. "Don't think I'm being unfair. He's the heir to the family and should get to know the old friends. Once the Brazilian War ends, many people will surely find it unbearable to stay there. In the past thirty years, the gap between the United States and Brazil has become too evident. Under similar circumstances, many people will choose to come back."
"As for the matter of oil exploration, check if any exploration teams have secretly arrived," Annabelle pondered for a moment and ordered, "Your father used to say that there are unimaginable things underground in Texas. That's why our family moved here."
"I just don't know what Standard Oil is thinking!" Isabella looked somewhat worried. "I'm a bit concerned."
"What's there to worry about? We're not opposed to it; we just want to take it slowly and let the second generation in the family discuss it. Even if I disagree, would they dare to come and grab it? The National Rifle Association has 900,000 members, including 540,000 in the South, including Texas. The entire U.S. Army has only 30,000, and there are 50,000 Texas militiamen on the rolls. My husband's legacy is still quite substantial. Even someone like DuPont wouldn't dare to use dirty tricks against our family," Annabelle said indifferently, "William's writing is satisfactory, and whether Yang Ji can gain the upper hand depends on whether he can establish dominance along the Pacific coast. Although I haven't seen him in years, I believe the partners returning from Brazil will have a lot to say."
"Let's graduate from my end first before discussing graduating from college!" Annabelle sighed and changed the subject. "The elections are still a long way off, but it seems that the Democratic Party is facing some tough times this time. But that's okay; Texas won't change."
"If there's a change of administration, tariffs may go up again," Isabella shrugged, showing that she was quite laid back about who wins, which is quite different from when the Democratic Party was suppressed for many years. When one party becomes too dominant after securing its position, it always wants to do something to the vested interests. Both the Yankees and the Dixie folks don't want to see any party become too bloated.
President Cleveland immediately replaced the entrenched hundred thousand Republicans in the federal government, earning unanimous praise from both North and South. Regardless of whether it's the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, neither should become too powerful.
Yesterday in this chapter, it seemed like there was going to be a drama queen.