"Yes, Councilor Godfrey! I heard a long time ago that there was a British man named Watt, and now his machines are being used in workshops and textile mills. I thought it was an exaggeration, but today I see that this steam engine indeed has widespread applications. Your Excellency, I heard you have many other profitable projects that you can't start due to lack of funds and manpower. Can we invest and participate in setting up factories here to produce those things?"
"Your Excellency, Councilor, the variety of machines here is extensive, and the goods are even more bizarre. We have all taken an interest in many items and are prepared to place preliminary orders. Additionally, we hope to obtain some production patents. Are there any issues with that?"
As soon as they sat down in the living room, these Ambassadors, without much formality, began to pose questions to Charles.
However, this time it was a bit different from the warship matter. Many Ambassadors were not only representing their countries or domestic consortiums, demanding production technology or industrial machinery, but also wished to invest their personal assets in Pittsburgh's booming factories, seeking pure commercial profit.
"Hahaha! Everyone, don't worry. Whether it's investing, buying goods, or introducing technology, there are no problems. For investment, there's no need to negotiate with me at all. As long as you are interested in a project and comply with our laws and regulations, you can invest directly. The same goes for purchasing goods. As for the transfer of technology patents, there are no principled issues either. You can discuss it with Mr. Greenspan, my commercial representative in Pittsburgh, following the model of the transfer of explosives and new artillery shells!" Charles announced with a smile.
The performance of these Ambassadors was not beyond his expectations. Indeed, most people had projects they favored and wanted to participate in investing in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, these Ambassadors were sent to the wild and backward United States. Many of them had limited personal wealth. Even if they invested, it would not be as substantial as a regular wealthy person from the East, falling far short of his ideal for attracting foreign investment.
Charles, of course, didn't care about these things. For him, winning over these gentlemen, the Ambassadors, was equivalent to securing a powerful foreign ally. As long as he could obtain some first-hand diplomatic news from them in the future, it would absolutely be worth the cost of this outreach. Therefore, he not only presented a large number of gifts to these Ambassadors but also personally guided them on which projects had more potential, larger profit margins, and were suitable for investment.
Soon, all the items that these Ambassadors could purchase for their countries had preliminary agreements signed. Due to the massive quantity, a formal contract would still require domestic approval. Although not yet materialized, the order value exceeding one hundred thousand pounds alone made Charles beam with joy.
These civilian products were not military goods; they were generally inexpensive. A total exceeding one hundred thousand pounds could practically keep all factories in Pittsburgh producing for several months.
As for the patent transfer agreements, Greenspan immediately began negotiations upon his arrival. However, even a single decimal point in these agreements often encompassed substantial profits, so both sides negotiated very cautiously. Moreover, even after an agreement was signed, it still required confirmation from their respective countries, so everyone was not in a hurry and proceeded with slow negotiations.
"Gentlemen! The other reason I invited you here is to show you, the Ambassadors, that Pittsburgh, as an emerging industrial city, possesses unlimited business opportunities. However, many highly profitable projects cannot commence due to a lack of investment. Although we have received some investment from a few Ambassadors today, I still hope that you, the Ambassadors, can report the business potential of Pittsburgh to your governments, to your kings, and to your domestic financial magnates. I hope that through you, the Ambassadors, we can obtain paid assistance from various governments and commercial investments from large financial magnates." Charles spoke again.
This was his true intention for attracting investment. The mere few thousand pounds of investment from these Ambassadors might not even be enough to operate a small factory.
However, regarding matters involving national aid and commercial investment, these Ambassadors dared not readily agree. Of course, having just received favors from Charles, they certainly wouldn't outright refuse.
"Councilor Godfrey, please rest assured, we will definitely report the business opportunities and potential here to the major financial magnates in our countries. Currently, those financial groups and banks have accumulated vast capital through maritime trade. With the stabilization of sea trade, they no longer have the possibility of exorbitant profits, so they are very much in need of new investment projects!" These Ambassadors expressed optimistically.
It's quite amusing that many people like to view the annihilation of the last large pirate fleet in the eighteenth century as the end of the Age of Exploration. Because from then on, all sea routes entered a period of stable development. The famous golden routes were all densely packed with various merchant ships. Profits remained high, but there was no longer any situation where a single adventurous voyage could earn dozens or hundreds of times the profit.
And the development of a new route was no longer like before, where a single voyage could bring immense business opportunities. Now, after a route is explored, it still requires slow management to develop. So, although maritime trade entered stable development, many maritime trade companies accustomed to adventurous development of new routes began to go bankrupt due to poor management.
Charles knew he was a hundred years too late. Otherwise, during the last glorious period of the Age of Exploration, perhaps in just one year, he could have accumulated vast wealth from maritime trade and immediately become a super-rich man. But even now it was not bad; simply by utilizing the mortgaged capital accumulated from bank loans to the Continental Congress, he was already considered a first-class wealthy man in the United States.
After dealing with these commercial matters, Charles did not immediately return to Philadelphia but instead summoned his main confidants in Pittsburgh, such as Patrick, Greenspan, Antoine, Hans, Moulton, and others. Additionally, many who had just joined politics, working as minor officials in departments of the United States, as descendants of old militia families and trusted members of Charles, were also called to attend the meeting, as he valued them.
Nominally, it was just a symposium between Charles, the Speaker, and officials of the United States, but in reality, it was an expanded meeting of confidants.
"Gentlemen! You should all already know that on the southern front, our General Greene has already defeated the British General Cornwallis and the Hessian mercenaries. And in the north, the British army led by General Benedict is now completely surrounded by our General Washington and the French artillery forces. We expect to welcome the victory of the war of Independence before Christmas this year!"
He looked at the expressions of the people below and nodded with satisfaction.
The seasoned ones like Patrick were now able to remain calm even when faced with a collapsing mountain. Even the junior officials who had just entered politics, though excited after hearing Charles' words, did not rise to shout "Long live" or similar actions. Everyone sat quietly, continuing to listen to Charles speak, which gave Charles the feeling of discussing with proper officials rather than holding a symposium with a group of hot-blooded youths.
"And with the victory of the war of Independence, there is certainly one matter we need to consider. In fact, it has already been proposed. That is the founding of a States, establishing a Federal Government."
At this, those below finally couldn't help but start whispering amongst themselves. They somewhat knew that once a Federal Government was established, the "independent and free" United States would certainly not be able to maintain its original status.
"Haha! Don't worry, everyone. This matter is still only in the proposal stage and has not been passed. The main reason I gathered everyone is to ask for your opinions on this issue, and also to ask you to be prepared. Perhaps we cannot decide whether or not to establish a Federal Government, but when the time comes, some of our local powers will be taken away, while some people will have the opportunity to serve in the Federal Government. Everyone needs to be mentally prepared for these things." Charles finally spread his hands. "So, let's discuss it first, and then express your opinions!"
—
Although he no longer intended to run for the first president, it didn't mean he wouldn't place trusted officials within the first Federal Government. Charles had already decided that if his faction's candidate successfully won the election, he would, of course, need to provide a large number of high-ranking official candidates, and he would certainly seize the opportunity to install them. Even if his chosen candidate had little hope of winning, Charles was prepared to support the opposing side in exchange for some positions in the new government.
As for the possibility of the Federal Government not being approved, Charles had never considered it. He was already prepared to explicitly state his support, and Washington would certainly return, along with Adams. At that time, the Confederation faction, with Jefferson's democratic faction at its core, would certainly not be an opponent. Moreover, he had already asked someone to lobby Franklin, and once the peace treaty with the British government was signed, Franklin's return in the esteemed capacity of a signatory would undoubtedly deliver another heavy blow to the Confederation faction.
"What is there to consider? We are doing very well now, why should we change to a Federal Government? Charles, we cannot agree to establish a States, otherwise our freedom will be gone…" Hans, the United States Trade Commissioner, immediately started shouting loudly, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he was ready to complain at length.
"Mr. Hans! Please shut up!" Charles had no choice but to scold this troublemaker.
After thinking for a moment, he was afraid others might think he disagreed with their opinions, so he added, "You can express your opinions, but you must be concise and not talk too much. Others can speak freely, but you cannot say much."
"Haha! Charles! If it's about establishing a Federal Government, I think it doesn't matter; the effort and reward will probably be similar. However, regarding the choice of serving in the Federal Government, I have great concerns. Although our officials from the United States have had contact with many Eastern officials who came here due to Pittsburgh's development, they all seem to look down on us. I'm afraid we will have trouble if we want to serve." Patrick cautiously stated his opinion second.
Most of the people below were discussing whether to support the establishment of a Federal Government or to maintain the current confederation system. But Patrick said there was no need to care about this, which made Charles nod secretly. That was originally just a formality to show that he respected their opinions, and there was no possibility that he would truly waver in his position because of their opinions, so it was indeed not worth truly discussing.
"Patrick, are you worried that if you become an official in Philadelphia, you will be looked down upon by the representatives of the Continental Congress and traditional Eastern officials because of your identity as a Pittsburgher?"
Patrick nodded, indicating that he was indeed worried about that.
"There is absolutely no need for that. Respect comes from strength. Not to mention others, just look at yourself. In less than three short years, you rose from a notary and tax collector of a colonial settlement to the governor of the largest state in the United States today. Which other state official can claim to be more capable than you? When you are an official, you will certainly be criticized, but as long as you have enough ability and strength, you don't need to care about what those people think. I am also a Pittsburgher, and I haven't been discriminated against!" Charles said with a comforting smile.
Patrick's concern was entirely the mentality of someone from a small place, as if when they went to a big city, others always looked at them differently. In reality, if Patrick became a principal official, those people would be too busy fawning over him to even care where he came from. However, Patrick's mentality at most would allow him to be a minister in the Federal Government; he probably wouldn't be capable of handling a higher position.
"That's right! governor Patrick, many of those Eastern officials have deposits and loans at our Pittsburgh Bank. Their demeanor when they come to the bank is not much nobler than that of us honorable Pittsburghers. To get a higher loan amount, they often even give gifts to minor officials. Hahaha, as long as you become a high-ranking official, you don't have to worry about them looking down on you at all." Tax Commissioner Greenspan laughed heartily.
Patrick chuckled twice, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"What about the opinions of others?" Charles continued to ask.
"Sir! Our current status is entirely the result of your promotion. The establishment of Pittsburgh and the United States is also entirely due to your wise leadership. We officials are actually just doing things under your instructions. Now, whether we need to go to Philadelphia, I think we should follow your instructions." Police Chief Antoine very appropriately complimented Charles.
At this, the others immediately reacted:
"Yes! Yes! We all obey Speaker sir's instructions!"
"Whoever you need to go to Philadelphia, please instruct us!"
Charles smiled but did not directly agree. Instead, he looked back at Patrick. Although this fellow often disagreed with him, he was actually one of the few underlings capable of independent thought.
Charles! I want to serve in the Federal Government, and I've considered it a little now. You can give me the list of people who want me to go to Philadelphia first, and then let those who are free go to Philadelphia to show their faces, make friends with those noble Philadelphians, and get to know them. When the Federal Government is officially established, those high-ranking officials won't be unfamiliar with us 'Pittsburgh bumpkins'.
Patrick also agreed with Antoine's opinion.
As the Mayor, he indeed endured a lot of pressure from the Continental Congress Representatives when the Continental Congress moved to Pittsburgh. His heart was filled with resentment and fear towards those people, but his political ambition to climb to a higher position and gain more power had always supported him.
If he went to the Federal Government, he might be discriminated against by those Continental Congress Representatives, but he might also be able to break free from the control of this 'All-powerful Speaker' and become an official who could freely use his power. Patrick thought so.
"Haha! I originally just intended to inform you and give you time to consider; I didn't mean for you to leave immediately," Charles said with a smile.
The establishment of the Federal Government wasn't something that could be achieved just by talking about it. According to historical practice, the formation of a Federal Government wouldn't be considered until more than a decade after independence. Now, with his push and the measures already taken to promote the establishment of the States, this period of confederation should be bypassed. However, the formation of the Federal Government would still require a long period of negotiation.
"That's good! That's good!" Patrick nodded repeatedly, beaming.
He had already decided in his heart that he must go to Philadelphia to take a good look and find those important figures who had stayed in Pittsburgh before. He would build connections in advance.
Unfortunately, this governor did not know that the struggle at the upper levels was many times more intense than the struggle for official positions at the grassroots. When he was a visible leader in Pittsburgh, he developed rapidly under Charles' leadership. Everyone's position rose so quickly that others didn't even have time to contend for his position. When he arrived in Philadelphia, if he didn't cling tightly to Charles' coattails and occupied a high position for a long time, he would immediately attract competition from others, and it would be impossible for him to display his abilities in Philadelphia. It wasn't just him. Officials from Pittsburgh and other states, after entering the Philadelphia political arena, all needed to find people like Charles, Adams, and Jefferson, who had a strong influence in Philadelphia and the Continental Congress, to be their guides.
In fact, this was also why Charles thought of bringing a large number of Pittsburgh residents to Philadelphia. Although there were many excellent Continental Congress Representatives and Philadelphians in the financial interest faction he organized in Philadelphia who were suitable for positions within the Federal Government, the faction members were very free and unrestrained. They could announce their departure from the faction at any time and join another organization. Even if a political party were established, it would be impossible to guarantee the loyalty of its members. Therefore, Charles naturally felt that using his trusted subordinates from Pittsburgh was more reassuring.
"Good! Since everyone agrees, I will choose the candidates to go to Philadelphia. I can state here first that as the leader of the financial interest faction in the Continental Congress, I hope that the people I introduce to Philadelphia will also join the financial interest faction. This shouldn't be a problem, right?" Charles said.
"No problem! We are all willing to join!" Hans, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately responded.
Even if one didn't go to Philadelphia to be an official, joining the faction led by Charles still offered many benefits. The members of this faction were currently either officials or owners of large financial groups, all of whom were the elite of America at the time. Compared to Jefferson's democratic faction and Adams' federalist faction, Charles' faction was most attractive to those who sought fame and fortune.
Of course, the others had no objections, especially someone like Patrick, who was capable but not particularly bold, and who particularly supported Charles' proposal. As a member of the financial interest faction, he would not be fighting alone in Philadelphia but would be representing a certain faction. The thing he liked to do most was to lean on a big mountain and then reap benefits in front, so of course he was willing to join the faction led by Charles.
Finally, Charles decided to leave Greenspan, Hans, and a few other old members behind to take over Patrick's duties, while others like Patrick, Antoine, and several children of old militia families would follow him to Philadelphia.
Just as he was finishing the personnel transfer, and the Ambassadors had enjoyed themselves enough and were preparing to return to Philadelphia together, Patrick brought two people and secretly came to find Charles.
Charles thought he was coming to discuss matters of going to Philadelphia and quickly invited them in. However, he immediately realized that the people accompanying Patrick were natives, specifically the two Chiefs of the Iroquois Tribes.
"Charles! Chief Oneida and Chief Tuscarora are eager to see you, and they refuse to say why. I had no choice but to bring them directly. Whether you see them or not, you should tell them yourself!" Patrick confessed honestly before Charles could even ask.
Charles snorted coldly, knowing in his heart that this greedy gentleman must have received benefits from them and had no choice but to bring the two Chiefs over.
"Esteemed Honorable Speaker Charles, we truly have a matter of life and death for our native people, and we are eager to seek an audience with you. We know you are truly a wise man among the white people, please listen to our voices, otherwise, we natives may suffer!" Chief Oneida, who was more familiar with Charles, was the first to plead with him.
"Please, you must help us!" Chief Tuscarora also stammered in english to Charles.
Since moving northeast of Pittsburgh, these two tribes had continuously conducted business with Pittsburgh in medicinal herbs and furs, yielding considerable profits. Coupled with taking in the remnants of the other four Iroquois Tribes, they had become very prosperous and developed. However, through continuous commodity trade and interaction, Pittsburgh had also instilled white culture and lifestyle into them.
Now, within these two native tribes, not only did some people speak english, but some even habitually used knives and forks.
The natives are also a people who greatly respect tradition. These things were merely tried as novelties by some individuals, but overall, they maintained their original ways. These two Chiefs were considered particularly enlightened. Chief Oneida, because he was often responsible for contact with Pittsburgh, learned to speak english relatively fluently.
"Haha! Two Chiefs, please rest assured. Take your time to explain what's happening. I will certainly help if I can!" Charles said cautiously.
—
He felt a little confused, as there didn't seem to be any actions targeting natives recently.
His eyes signaled to Patrick, wondering if he had perhaps infringed upon the interests of some native tribes while incorporating Ohio into the United States, leading to a renewed crisis of conflict between white people and natives.
Patrick's face, however, also showed a look of confusion. He did not respond to Charles.
"Esteemed Speaker Charles, we have just received some natives who fled from the east. They are basically not of our tribe, and many are even enemies of our tribe, so we dealt with them according to tribal customs. However, many of them said that in the ongoing war in the north, your colonial white army is about to win. But your army's Commander-in-Chief has issued an order to exterminate all natives within the Colonies! Esteemed Honorable Speaker, we are within your sphere of influence and are willing to respect your leadership. As long as our tribal independence is guaranteed, we have absolutely no special demands. Please, you must not exterminate our tribes!" Chief Oneida stated the purpose of their plea for help.
Subsequently, the two Chiefs pulled out a bag from their sleeves and opened it in front of Charles and Patrick.
In Chief Oneida's bag were about ten ruby-red glass marbles, while Chief Tuscarora's bag contained several Pittsburgh Bank deposit certificates, which both Charles and Patrick were very familiar with.
"If both of you are willing to guarantee the safety of our two tribes, this is a small token of our tribes' appreciation. Furthermore…" Chief Oneida gritted his teeth and stated the final condition, "We can also pay taxes!"
Patrick's eyes lit up.
The value of the gifts on the table was self-evident, but the willingness to pay taxes was even more welcome to Patrick. Once they started paying taxes, these natives would effectively be incorporated into Pittsburgh's formal administrative jurisdiction, and from then on, they could be considered true Pittsburgh residents.
Previously, these two native tribes would occasionally pay a sum of money to Pittsburgh, but it was primarily considered a form of protection money, regular and fixed in amount, completely different from genuine taxation. This was also the lifestyle of most native tribes in white settlements. Now, if they were willing to pay taxes, it would undoubtedly be a major breakthrough, very beneficial for the white people to assimilate these native tribes.
Patrick couldn't help but look towards Charles, asking for his opinion.
Charles indeed curled the corner of his mouth, not immediately agreeing whether to protect them, but instead muttered a sentence.
"Exterminate natives!"
This seemed to be consistent with actual history. During the war of Independence, the vast majority of native tribes sided with the British army, and their custom of scalping during combat greatly angered the colonial army. As a result, after the war of Independence ended, all the Founding Fathers, including the relatively most moderate Jefferson, unanimously agreed to carry out brutal retaliatory actions against the natives. One of the most important items was to cleanse the hostile tribes that had participated in the war within the American territory recognized by the British, forcing a large number of native tribes to migrate westward. In reality, after the victory of the war of Independence, the struggle against the natives did not cease.
However, a few native tribes, because they had submitted to the leadership of the Colonies before the war, only suffered suppression and were not truly annihilated.
"Chief Oneida, Chief Tuscarora! Is your request merely that you not be exterminated?" Charles thought for a moment and asked with a smile.
"Uh... we are already satisfied with our current rights. Of course, if the Honorable Speaker can give us some help, we will also remember your friendship." The two Chiefs said, somewhat puzzled.
Could it be that this "Speaker" was planning to give their tribe other benefits?
"Hahaha! That's fine. Actually, you don't need to worry about whether you will be exterminated, because last time I sent a request for you to attack the hostile tribes that helped the British army. As long as you diligently fulfill your duties to the United States, I can guarantee that you will not be harmed," Charles said with a laugh.
"That's good! That's good! We have already fought against those hostile tribes, and the casualties have been heavy. We can't afford another battle now," Chief Oneida replied.
Being humble was also a helplessness stemming from their relative strength.
The Chief himself was very clear about the comparison of their strengths. Originally, to face these white people, they had to rely on precious cavalry to have any chance of winning. Last time, because Charles and his people expressed their willingness to provide material support and incited them to attack other native tribes, after several battles, although they gained a lot—women, children, and property—they lost a significant portion of their elite cavalry. Suddenly hearing that the American army was about to cleanse the natives, the two Chiefs were terrified.
Now that the American army had repeatedly defeated the British army, which had previously seemed very powerful, Chief Oneida absolutely did not believe that his depleted forces could defeat those powerful colonial armies. So, he immediately persuaded the opposing forces within his tribe and personally came to Charles to speak on their behalf.
Charles nodded in satisfaction. This Chief Oneida was a rare enlightened individual among the natives. If it weren't for the restrictions of his native identity, Charles might have even been able to absorb him into his financial interest faction as a capable member. However, this thought flashed by quickly, as such a situation would be impossible in America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
A thought flashed through Charles' mind, and he immediately began to address the natives again:
"As for other help for you, I actually had plans for this long ago, but you were unwilling to join Pittsburgh's administrative planning, so I didn't bring it up. Now that you agree to pay taxes according to the rules, I can consider you a member of Pittsburgh and genuinely help you!"
Relieved of his worries, Chief Oneida was in a good mood. Hearing Charles say he was willing to offer other help, he readily replied:
"Honorable Speaker! You are a wise leader, and we are very happy to listen to your opinions."
Although he didn't explicitly say they would obey, it was at least very amicable. For a tribe that respects tradition like the natives to call a young man like Charles wise, it was indeed very humble.
Charles immediately presented his main idea:
"After my investigation into your economic situation, I believe that establishing taverns, casinos, and entertainment centers—brothels—in your native tribes would be most suitable and most effective for developing your economy!"
As soon as this was said, the faces of the two Chiefs turned crimson, and even Patrick, standing nearby, wore an expression of embarrassment.
Taverns, casinos, and brothels were not absent in Pittsburgh; in fact, there were many. In this place where women were scarce, Charles had reluctantly thought of opening brothels to solve the incidents of men harming others, even those of the same gender. Once the brothels opened, Pittsburgh's public order indeed improved significantly, especially for rapists, who went from being almost daily occurrences to almost non-existent.
This enlightened measure had, of course, once drawn subtle praise from others. But no matter how praiseworthy this measure was, openly demanding the establishment of brothels on someone else's land was something no one could tolerate.
"Sir! Let's pretend we didn't hear what you just said!" Chief Oneida tugged at Chief Tuscarora next to him, preventing the angry Chief from speaking.
"Haha! Don't be hasty, Chiefs. My suggestion just now might not have been clear. I absolutely have no other intentions; I'm merely discussing the matter at hand. I truly believe that opening brothels, casinos, and taverns is not only a very good source of income but also very suitable for places like the natives, who value individual strength. As for the people working there, they can be transferred from our Pittsburgh, it's not for you to do." Charles quickly explained.
Hearing that people would be transferred from Pittsburgh and that native women would not be asked to engage in certain work, the two Chiefs truly breathed a slight sigh of relief. They understood that Charles was indeed making suggestions about industries and had no intention of insulting their tribe. However, Chief Tuscarora still quickly said:
"No! No! No! This is not good!"
His english was also not good. He could only emphasize his disagreement by repeatedly saying "no."
Charles was quite dismissive of this direct refusal of his suggestion. In the minds of American politicians, people who ran brothels and the like were not discriminated against. It was just that it did not conform to Puritan teachings, so if upper-class individuals became involved, their reputation would inevitably suffer. He didn't think the natives had any legitimate reason to refuse; they were surely rigidly afraid of a bad reputation. In fact, for a leader, as long as there was money to be made and the economy could be developed, what was wrong with opening brothels in his territory? He himself had opened one in Pittsburgh, hadn't he?
"Sirs! You must seriously consider this. I thought of this idea with great difficulty. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask, but if you rashly refuse, I may not offer you any more ideas in the future!" Charles said coldly.
The reason he thought of these things was because of the distinctive industries of native reservations in the later twentieth century. At that time, as national compensation from the American Government to natives, it was decided to delineate some native reservations in America. Within these reservations, natives could open casinos tax-free, and along with the casinos, hotels and brothels flourished. natives were not very good at other businesses, but they did very well in this area. Many natives were also the best card players, and the Hashira industries within the reservations had always been these three. With the implementation of this measure by the American Government, natives rapidly differentiated: some, due to these major industries, gradually integrated into American society and lived prosperous lives; others maintained their traditions, relying solely on tourism for sustenance, often living hand-to-mouth.
Charles knew history and felt that, relatively speaking, those natives who integrated into society lived much, much better lives than those who maintained their traditions. Now, since he wanted these natives to integrate into white society, the most effective method was to follow the old path and establish those three major industries.
"Taverns and casinos, these can actually be considered, but as for the brothels…" Chief Oneida mused.
When they calmed down and thought about it, they indeed knew that Charles had no need to insult them. At least casinos and taverns, while bringing chaos, did generate very high operating income. The income from brothels was unclear, but poor social morals were predictable.
"We want factories! Why can't we open factories?" Chief Tuscarora stammered loudly again.
"Open factories? Hahahaha…" Charles burst out laughing, "Sirs, do you know how to operate machines? Do you know mathematics? Factories require real workers to operate and need a long period of cultural and technical accumulation. I don't know much about these things, can you do them?"
Chief Oneida's face was awkward.
They had long known that Pittsburgh's factories were very profitable. As soon as the boilers were lit, goods would be produced endlessly. What they wanted most were factories. Normally, they would drink and chat, and when they ran out of money, they would go to the factory to fire boilers, sell the products, and then they could drink and chat again. The Chief had once sent people to work as laborers in Charles' factory, but it turned out they truly only knew how to fire boilers for steam engines and couldn't participate in producing anything at all.
"We can hunt!" Chief Tuscarora was very persistent.
"Hmph! Hunting, as far as I know, because of your hunting, the wild animals near Pittsburgh are now very scarce. There are also several natives who often trespass into my territory to poach. I'll take this opportunity to remind you that it's best not to hunt on the land we've already sold. Otherwise, the landowner has the right to shoot poachers!" Charles said bluntly.
Jonathan had mentioned it to him a few days ago. natives often poached in the forests of the territory, and many game birds like grouse had been taken. However, even when Charles directly accused natives of poaching, the two Chiefs didn't care at all. In their view, game animals were naturally meant for people to hunt and eat; whoever caught them owned them. How could there be a word like "poaching"? They certainly would not accept these white people's concepts.
"Two Chiefs, I'm thinking now that what our Speaker said makes a lot of sense!" Patrick finally interjected, helping Charles speak.
"In the past, your tribe had few people, and a very small hunting ground was enough to get enough game. But since you accepted the remnants of the other four tribes, your population has exploded, and your hunting range has expanded significantly, completely exceeding the area we originally allocated to you. This is not allowed. In fact, even if it were allowed, you couldn't rely solely on hunting for a living. As your population increases, and as our city expands, you will certainly need to find other ways to sustain yourselves. Although you also grow crops like corn and pumpkins, the yield is limited, barely enough to make ends meet. Without fur trade, if you want your people to become prosperous, you must find other ways!"
He saw very clearly that since Charles was willing to patiently explain to these two Chiefs, it indicated that Charles must be very eager for these two tribes to open casinos and brothels. As a politician, he certainly wouldn't believe that Charles merely wanted to help the natives; he naturally felt that Charles was doing this for some political purpose, so he ultimately stepped in to help speak.
—
"Alas! We know that too!" Chief Oneida sighed.
As the most enlightened Chief, he had long noticed this. Living within the sphere of influence of the white people, the available land was limited, and as the tribe developed, their living space would inevitably become smaller and smaller. The only most effective solution was actually to return to the jungle and nature.
"Chief Oneida…" Chief Tuscarora next to him chattered to Chief Oneida in the native language, and indeed proposed the idea of returning to the jungle.
However, Chief Oneida shook his head.
None of this was so simple. Let alone whether the white people would let them go, even the tribesmen who had enjoyed a comfortable and prosperous life through trade with the white people would not agree to move.
Chief Oneida and Chief Tuscarora chattered for a while longer, and the two finally reached a conclusion.
"Honorable Speaker, Honorable governor, thank you very much for your suggestions. We have no objection to opening taverns and casinos. However, brothels would indeed corrupt the customs of our tribe, so we will not agree to it. We thank you again for your suggestions, and you have gained the loyal friendship of our two tribes!"
Charles smiled happily:
"Thanks or no thanks, it doesn't matter. Whether you do it or not is up to you; we are just offering well-intentioned advice! As long as you don't violate the laws of the United States, there's no problem. If your economy develops, the taxes paid to Pittsburgh will also increase, which is a mutually beneficial situation."
With the opening of taverns and casinos, industries with strong ancillary properties like brothels would certainly develop on their own. Charles' goal in proposing the development of these industries was actually to integrate these natives into the social life of Pittsburgh. As long as natives established these highly commercial industries, they would inevitably gradually integrate with the outside society.
What America's Midwest lacked most right now was population and markets. In his eyes, there was no distinction between white people and "red people"; as long as natives could integrate into his society, they were members of society.
Charles could imagine that native tribes living in Ohio, the Great Lakes, and other places, following the Oneida and Tuscarora tribes, would also gradually integrate into the United States, which would add tens of thousands of people to the United States out of thin air, and would certainly have a huge driving effect on his commercial kingdom.
After resting in Pittsburgh for half a month, Charles returned to Philadelphia.
The Pittsburgh dignitaries who came along for the visit all looked at Philadelphia with excitement, as this would be where they would continue to soar; while the accompanying Ambassadors looked back at Pittsburgh with nostalgia, for it was during those two weeks there that their wallets had unexpectedly fattened up.
Charles had originally planned to hold a reception or similar event upon arriving in Philadelphia to introduce his trusted associates from Pittsburgh to the Philadelphia elite. However, upon arrival, he immediately received news from the Military and Ordnance Committee that British negotiators had arrived.
The French Navy fleet, performing the task of protecting American merchant ships on their voyages, had not encountered the British fleet attacking or harassing them for nearly a month. It was only today that they finally brought back a few British people.
Unfortunately, these British people were not prisoners, but rather British military representatives and a few diplomatic officials who had come to negotiate regarding Cornwallis and other captured British army soldiers.
These negotiating envoys, based on the timing of the letter sent by Cornwallis, were not supposed to arrive so quickly. However, they had received advance notice from the naval fleet at Charlestown that Cornwallis had suffered a major defeat outside Richmond, and his commander-in-chief had been captured. So, even before Cornwallis' own plea for help reached London, this team of diplomats had already set off.
Cornwallis was unfortunate, as he and General Greene had both waited for friendly reinforcements at the same time, but in the end, General Greene received them, while Cornwallis got not a single soldier. That was actually an accident, because the British Navy fleet had once again acted on its own initiative, constantly patrolling off the coast of Philadelphia, hoping to find an opportunity to attack Philadelphia's shipyard and destroy the large warships under construction. By the time the messenger seeking aid finally found the fleet, and the fleet rushed to Charlestown, Cornwallis had just been defeated.