"You're helping them," America's voice was low and biting as he addressed the older Nation. "First supplies, money…we've tried to keep them out. But you, all of you…you keep sending them."
"It's not as if the Union hasn't borrowed any money," England scoffed, trying his best to look nonchalant, as he sat across from the other. "Besides, I thought you could take care of yourself. That you were all grown up now, and wanted us to treat you as such."
The taller blond flinched.
"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" England frowned, crossing his legs.
"What about the ships?" America questioned, letting his fists clench.
"You mean the one you stopped illegally?" the older blond bit back without missing a beat.
"I mean the ones you've been building for the Confederacy," America clarified, ignoring the other's previous words. "Why are you doing this? Do you enjoy seeing me pulled apart? Do you like seeing me suffer?"
England stiffened, a chord struck by the words of his former charge.
"Is this what you wanted to happen, ever since I broke away from you? Is this some sort of sick revenge?" America's voice rose gradually, heading towards a yell.
"America…it's not like that, you don't understand, I—"
"I don't understand?" America interrupted, tone harsh. "I don't think you understand. I'm not some stupid toy for you and the rest of Europe to play around with. 'Play along with him, wait until he's down, and then kick him when it will hurt the most. He isn't a real country, just some stupid kid who thinks he's an adult.' That's what you all think, isn't it?"
"America," England let out a shuddering breath, straightening in his chair. "I know this is serious. I know what it's like. I—"
"Do you?" again he was cut off. "I gave it some thought. About how you must've felt when you lost me. But that's not the same. We've always been two separate people. But this…the Union and the Confederacy: they're both me. Can you imagine what it feels like to be torn in half, and not be able to do anything about it?"
England didn't answer the rhetorical question, gazing off to the side instead, at the makeshift crutches America had used to meet him here.
"The fighting hasn't gotten bad yet, but if you keep sending them ships, it's only a matter of time. If you don't stop," the younger blond swallowed, as if bracing himself for something. "I'm going to have to stop you."
He let the words hang on the air, a vague and uncorroborated threat, but a threat nonetheless. Another 1812, another dispute to break up the past decades of relative calm. America was weak; he might fall apart if that happened. Did England want this?
"Fine," the Brit announced after a prolonged pause, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll stop. I'll stay out of it. But it's for my own sake. I can't have you falling apart on me."
America gave a weak smile, knowing what England was trying to say in his weird round about way. "Thank you. That means a lot."
He would have hugged him if he could stand normally.
"Matters have been going well," Lincoln mused aloud, more to himself than to the young Nation sitting quietly on the couch. He hadn't known the boy before the start of this war, so he did not have much basis for comparison, but even he could tell it was not normal for the other to be so hushed. "There haven't been many fights. My cabinet has calmed down. Chase has managed to get an idea of how to deal with funding, and Seward has backed down a little. From what I hear your negotiations with Britain went well."
"Yeah," America agreed, the smile that spread over his lips not quite reaching his eyes. "I guess so. I just have this…feeling inside of me that something bad is going to happen. It's hard to explain, and I don't like it."
"The calm before the storm," Lincoln reworded sympathetically. "I know. I'm sorry. If it were in my power to put an end to this by less drastic means, I would gladly do so. But the opportunity for negotiation has long since passed."
"I know," the blond hummed agitatedly, shifting slightly as his limp legs began to prickle. "I'm trying, sir, I really am. But I can't help but keep hoping for another way to resolve this."
"Of course," Lincoln agreed, setting his pen down. "It's natural to resist such conflict, that you would look for a peaceful alternative. Who in their right mind could just sit and settle for being torn apart?"
"I don't know," America admitted, with a wry grin. Under less grim circumstances, he might have laughed. He might have laughed, if it weren't happening to him at this very moment, if the situation weren't so horribly real.
"We'll make it through this," Lincoln assured, doing his best to offer a genuinely warm smile. "In one piece, together. I promise."
America nodded numbly, wanting to believing that promise, but knowing, deep down, that he couldn't. It wasn't that simple.
Historical Notes: Lincoln had set up his cabinet with the intent of making it balanced (representing a wide range of opinion) rather than a capable harmonious group. Secretary of state, William H. Seward hated the Secretary of the treasury, Salmon P. Chase. Seward originally thought he could dominate Lincoln. He was radical, but deeply against secession, did not get along well with the Radical Republicans. With time, he realized that Lincoln was a capable leader, both steely and gentle, and grew to respect him.
By 1861, the Union's army was shaping up. Gun, uniform, ammunition, shoe, wagon, etc. manufacturing forced small scale producers to mechanize and try to increase their product yield. Chase underestimated how much the war would cost. He imposed taxes on income over $800, state taxes, and tax on items to try and make ends meet. The Government borrowed over $2.2 billion throughout the war, and created greenbacks—dollars not backed by gold. The cost of living in the North rose, due to inflation, but most citizens agreed this higher cost was something future generations would have to deal with, knowing it had helped to save the United States.
With the Southerners gone from Congress, the Republicans had a strong majority. They split up into two factions, the moderate and radicals. The Radical Republicans, such as Senator Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens, argued for total black equality, including political and civil rights. Many were opposed to this viewpoint. The Moderate Republicans objected strongly to the treatment of blacks as equals and opposed making abolition a goal in the war. Even some of the "Radicals" shared this opinion. Senator Benjamin Wade, for example, thought white prejudice against blacks perfectly understandable, even if it gave no on the right to "do injustice to anybody".
The Peace Democrats, on the other hand, wished to take over Congress and negotiate for peace. At a time when so many young men were dying, this stand caused infuriation. They were also known as "Copperheads", a reference not to the poisonous snake, but to an earlier time when some hard-money Democrats wore copper pennies around their necks.
Lincoln treated dissenters with a mixture of repression and toleration, arresting many but not arbitrarily. The federal courts upheld civil liberties, except when they were unable to do so in cases against the military, such as Ex parte Merryman (1861), in which General George Cadwalader failed to produce a prisoner for trial when ordered to do so, and remained unpunished. Clement L. Vallandigham, one of the most notorious foes of the administration and a Peace Democrat, was convicted as a dissenter and exiled to the Confederacy, from which he fled to Canada. He tried and failed to win in the presidential elections.
The South decided to remain purely defensive, passing conscription laws allowing for the hiring of substitutions, and exempting professors, druggists, mail carriers, large plantation owners, etc. These practices earned it the reputation of "a rich man's war, a poor man's fight". There was much political dispute, though two parties never formed. Conflicts continually occurred between Davis and the heads of "sovereign" states.
The South had limited means to finance the war. The blockade made tariffs difficult, and while some taxes were enforced, they were unable to procure much money. The South borrowed money as much as it could, and even mortgaged a good portion of their cotton that they could not deliver due to the blockade. With the increasing efficiency of the blockade, it became harder and harder to obtain European goods. However, they were able to manage, making some munitions plants of their own, and capturing large amounts of Northern arms. No battle was lost due to a shortage of military equipment, though lack of shoes and uniforms made it difficult.
The European powers did not come to help as expected. While they would have been glad to see America broken up, none were prepared to directly support the Confederacy. Britain had other sources for cotton, such as India and Egypt, and due to crop failure, needed Northern wheat. Most ordinary people in Britain were also favorable of the North.
In November 1861, the USS San Jacinto stopped a British vessel, the Trent, to forcibly arrest two Confederate envoys, James M. Mason and John Slidell who were on their way to London. This was a violation of international law, and it may have led to war if Lincoln didn't let the Southerners go. In 1862, two powerful cruisers, the Florida and the Alabama, were built for the Confederates in English shipyards. Despite American protests, they were sent out to sea, and began attacking northern merchant ships. When two ironclad "rams" were also built in Britain for the Confederates, the United States made it clear that it would declare war if the ships were delivered. The British government confiscated the vessels. Once the North obtained a clear superiority on the battlefield, the possibility of intervention vanished.
Drowned you all with notes again ^^' This chapter had to be moved around a bit, hence the lateness. It got way too long, so the second half got moved to next chapter. All of the reviews were wonderful :] You guys are amazing. I hope to have most of the Civil War finished before I head back to school, though with the end of Spring Break approaching, that might not be feasible. We'll see.
just another fma fan: I like including quotes when they help along the story :] Especially powerful ones. Very glad you're enjoying it so much! Thanks for the review.