章節 48: Lord Rockingham
London, Great Britain
August 14th, 1776
Charles Watson-Wentworth, or more well known as "Lord Rockingham," was in a dreary mood. News had arrived from the colonies about the current situation in the war, and Parliament was growing increasingly wary of fighting the "Americans" due to it. The Fall of Savannah was another sore point for the ruling North ministry, which was under fire for its handling of the war. The numerous military defeats and the fall of nearly all of Britain's North American possessions left Prime Minister North in a precarious position. It was becoming increasingly clear that support for the war was plummeting rapidly. Far too many British soldiers had been dead and wounded for little gain, and the amount of money wasted in the war was not unsubstantial. And with Spain declaring war on Britain, resources were needed elsewhere, especially the more valuable British Caribbean possessions.
Lord Rockingham sipped on a cup of cider silently as he read the most recent updates about the war of the rebellion. The loss of Savannah meant that Britain effectively controlled small snippets of territory in North America. The Floridas, Boston, Charleston, and Prince Edward Island were all that remained in British hands. The former prime minister sighed in disapproval as he read the casualty reports from the battle. Hundreds of British soldiers were once again dead, and another loyal colony was lost simply because of Lord North and, to an extent, the King. He had advocated strongly for a peaceful resolution to the American quagmire and warned about the potential consequences Britain faced if it roused itself into war. His words were prophetic, as Britain was now stuck in an endless loop of defeat and was surrounded by enemies that wanted British blood.
Yet, there was hope that the war in North America was coming to an end. With the controversies surrounding the current ministry, including the continuous military defeats and the support of vicious slavers, Parliament and even the public were clamoring for peace with the Americans. Another British loss, perhaps in Charleston or Boston, would seal the fate of Lord North and his cabinet. Lord Rockingham was aware that his supporters in Parliament were on the verge of carrying out a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister should another disastrous defeat occur. And the lord welcomed it, as he wanted to end the war of rebellion to deal with the war against France and Spain.
A knock on his room's door snapped him out of his train of thought. The man ambled to the door and opened it to see a middle-aged man dressed in formal clothing. When the door opened, the visitor bowed and shook Lord Rockingham's hand, "Lord Rockingham, you wanted to see me?"
"Ah yes, Mr. Burke. Please, take a seat."
The two gentlemen sat in their respective chairs and looked at each other. The MP from Bristol was offered a glass of cider and graciously accepted the drink from the lord, "I assume you wanted to discuss the recent news received from North America, Lord Rockingham?"
"Indeed," The lord a sip from his cup and leaned forward, "It seems as though the "Hun" has emerged victorious once again."
"A very mysterious individual indeed. First, he appeared out of nowhere and led the Americans to victory in Boston if the accounts are to be believed. Then he raised a significant force and captured Quebec. And now he's in the South, where he's freeing slaves in droves and disrupting our war efforts in the theater. Despite his origin, he seems rather talented and a strong supporter of the American cause."
"Perhaps the Chinese are to be approached... cautiously. If a single Asian man can impede our war efforts that much, then I have worries about what an army of them can do. But that is for another time. Do you have any news regarding Parliament?"
Burke shook his head and leaned back, "Nothing substantial, but I have heard rumors that the current Prime Minister may try something desperate in North America to save face."
Lord Rockingham slumped in his chair, "Let us hope he does not do anything rash, for the last thing we need is the annihilation of more British soldiers and the loss of our Caribbean possessions."
A moment of silence reigned in the room as the two men took in the events of the past several months. After a while, the lord broke the silence by placing down his cider on his desk, "I have also received an interesting proposition from the current American ambassador to France."
"Do you mean Benjamin Franklin?"
"So you have also heard about him?" Lord Rockingham said with a shadow of a smile on his face, "He is quite an... eccentric man, but he spoke with me for several hours and proposed something interesting."
Burke gripped his glass tighter and sat upright in his chair, "What did he have to say?"
"If we are to recognize America's independence and withdraw from North America completely, then America will not cut off ties with us and continue with "business as usual." Of course, they will be under different governance, and they will be an independent nation. Still, the ambassador promised me that America will not support Spain and France and will gladly trade with Britain freely."
"All of our North American possessions?"
"All except Rupert's Land," Lord Rockingham confirmed.
Burke rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "The only colonies we fully control are West and East Florida, but even they are in danger of being seized if General Burgoyne is defeated and the Continentals are sent southward. But at this point, I believe that is a fair cost for the end of this war. We will be able to save some face by retaining control over Rupert's Land."
Lord Rockingham nodded, "Only if Parliament listened to your words before this entire quagmire began."
"Perhaps, but it is far too late to reminisce of the past. It is unsurprising that he went directly to you, as you are rather sympathetic to their cause and Lord North is against any form of American independence."
"If his ministry collapses, however..."
For the first time during the entire conversation, Burke smiled, "Then we have a chance to end the war and rebuild our relationship with the American English."
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