Chapter 351: Big Customer

Neutrality is California's attitude towards the issue of slavery and abolition for a long time in the future.

There is no doubt that democracy is the general trend of the future.

This is also the consensus of the earliest batch of California immigrants at the beginning of California's establishment.

However, for the sake of formal and moral democracy and freedom, accepting black fugitives and therefore venting anger on the southern slave states is not in California's current interests.

After the telegram was sent, Liang Yao ordered the censorship of newspapers in California and issued a ban on the publication of any articles related to slavery and abolition to newspapers of all sizes in California, and instructed the state government to strengthen the censorship of the news.

Although this is not so free in the so-called freedom of speech in the United States.

But the so-called freedom is just a cover. In fact, both the North and the South now have their own public opinion positions and means.

Each free state and slave state is manipulating the public opinion in the state. For example, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", a novel that is popular in America, is popular in free states, but it is a banned book in slave states.

There are basically no articles supporting slavery in newspapers in free states, and it is also difficult to see articles supporting abolition in newspapers in slave states.

Even if there are a few alternative articles that appear occasionally, even if they are relatively neutral and the wording is relatively euphemistic, the newspapers that publish the articles will be smashed to pieces by local fanatical people on the same day.

The writers of the articles will also face the risk of being exposed in the wilderness.

This is the current environment of American public opinion. Abolition or slavery must be maintained. You must choose to support one side and stand on the side. Otherwise, you are a traitor to the South (North), and you will end up being neither a person nor a person.

Liang Yao does not want California to become like this.

During the few months in New York, Liang Yao also read hundreds of newspapers in California, all of which were about abolitionists.

Since free states and slave states have their own positions, California should also have its own position.

The most important thing for California at present is to develop the economy of the state, rather than to engage in meaningless debates around slavery and abolition issues that have nothing to do with itself.

The abolitionists in the United States who support abolition and condemn the inhumanity of the slave states in the South from a moral high ground are no different from those who shouted the slogan of Black Lives Matter in later generations.

They are for their own interests and do not really care about the survival and discrimination of black people.

If these abolitionists were really as noble as they claimed, racial discrimination would not still be a cancer that is difficult to remove in American society after more than 170 years.

There are about three types of people who shout Black Lives Matter in later generations. One is politicians. Black Lives Matter can bring them votes and support. The other is businessmen. Black Lives Matter can not only win the favor of blacks and white leftists, but also bring them real economic benefits, or express their position to protect their industries from the riots.

The last type is ordinary people who go with the flow and watch the excitement. After all, shouting a few slogans to support black people will not bring them any losses, and it can also show their own justice.

If these politicians were asked to come up with substantive policies to gradually eliminate racial discrimination against blacks, or if wealthy businessmen paid to improve the living conditions of blacks, or if blacks became neighbors of ordinary white middle-class people, they would probably not accept it.

Because discrimination against blacks from the bottom of their hearts cannot be eliminated by shouting a few slogans of support.

Actions are often more honest than words.

After Liang Yao's telegram was sent, it did not cause much response, because at this time the attention of the free states and slave states was focused on Kansas, where the struggle between abolitionists and slaveholders was the most intense.

Both sides had no time to deal with California, which was exactly what Liang Yao wanted. He only needed to express California's attitude.

If California's statement triggered a relatively large response and pushed California to the forefront, such a reaction would be extremely unfavorable to California.

Liang Yao couldn't help but secretly rejoice that he discovered this problem in time and did not let the slavery-abolition dispute continue to ferment in California.

After finishing these things, Liang Yao met with Hong Mingxiang.

"Brother Liang, you must have kept me waiting for so long." Hong Mingxiang clasped his fists and bowed to Liang Yao.

"I didn't know that General Hong had come to visit. I'm sorry for not welcoming you. Please forgive me for my negligence." Liang Yao said politely.

His fifth uncle Liang Shaoqiong had already told him the purpose of Hong Mingxiang's visit. Hong Mingxiang came to California to buy arms.

"The foreign ship that Brother Liang gave me last time was very good and traveled very fast. Although the guns on the ship were a little small, they were accurate and fast. Now this ship has become my ship." Hong Mingxiang praised the loach-class battleship that Liang Yao gave him.

The loach-class gunboat with a displacement of only 500 tons is a small boat in the West, but in the combat sequence of the Guangdong Navy, a warship of this size is definitely not a small boat.

What's more, the Loach class is a steam-powered ship. The 8 3-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns installed on the side of the ship are a bit small, but they can fire both solid bullets and shotguns and explosive bombs, and their performance is not outdated.

If you insist on saying that the Loach class has any shortcomings, it is that the Loach class does not have the ability to sail alone in the ocean, after all, the tonnage is there.

However, as a near-shore patrol gunboat, the Loach class is absolutely qualified.

Anyway, the Qing navy does not have a long-distance combat mission, and its function is only to be responsible for near-shore defense.

The Loach class is cheap, relatively easy to maintain, small and flexible patrol boats, which are a very cost-effective choice for the Qing navy.

"Since it is useful, why not buy a few more?" Liang Yao said with a smile.

"I came here to buy ships. The merchants in Guangzhou donated some silver this time, plus the silver allocated by Governor Xu, it is just right to buy a few new ships for the Guangdong Navy." Hong Mingxiang said with a smile.

"But this ship sails on the ocean, relying entirely on the steam engine to drive the paddle wheel. Once the engine goes wrong, the ship will be unable to move.

Brother Liang is a kind person. Not only did he give me a ship, he also sent sailors to teach my brothers how to drive the ship.

But the soldiers under my command are stupid. They can only drive the ship but not repair it. Once there is a problem with the steam engine, the ship will anchor at the mouth of the Pearl River. In the end, it is entrusted to Brother Liang's shipyard for repair."

"Something went wrong? What's the problem?" Liang Yao asked with a frown.

The users of the Loach-class patrol gunboats are not only Hong Mingxiang, but also the anti-smuggling team of the California Department of Revenue. The civilian version of the ship, Hope, is spread across all routes in Jinshan Bay, becoming the mainstay of California's offshore and inland shipping.

Liang Yao has never heard anyone complain about the high failure rate of the Loach-class, which shows that this type of ship is qualified, and the steam engine and boiler on the ship are also qualified.

"The workers in the Xiangshan Shipyard said that this is due to the lack of maintenance of the boiler on weekdays." Hong Mingxiang said somewhat embarrassedly.

It turned out that this was the reason. Liang Yao suddenly realized that the Guangdong Navy had no steamships before. This Loach-class was the first steamship of the Guangdong Navy, and the officers and soldiers of the Guangdong Navy had no experience in maintaining steamships.

In the Loach-class patrol gunboats used in California, each ship is equipped with a special mechanic responsible for the daily maintenance of the steam engine and boiler.

Even for the same type of civilian ships, each ship is equipped with a special mechanic.

Obviously, Hong Mingxiang does not have relevant talents under his command.

High degree of specialization and high technical threshold are also what distinguishes the modern navy from the traditional navy.

The days of dominating the sea by pulling together a group of fishermen and a group of pirates are gradually fading away with the emergence of advanced warships.

Having modern warships does not mean having a modern navy.

The navy is a system, not a few warships.

"I see." Liang Yao nodded with understanding.

"I am also here on the orders of Governor Xu. Governor Xu ordered me to requisition a piece of land in Huangpu to build a dock for repairing Guangdong Navy ships.

Governor Xu meant that if Brother Liang is willing to send instructors to teach the sailors of the Guangdong Navy how to maintain and repair this steamship, the Guangdong Navy can consider purchasing more loach boats as appropriate." Hong Mingxiang said.

It seems that Xu Guangjin wants to buy the logistics service together. There are still knowledgeable people among the officials of the Qing Dynasty.

If you have ships but no maintenance capability, no matter how good the performance of the warships is, it will be just a decoration.

"It depends on how many warships the Guangdong Navy will purchase." Liang Yao said with a smile, "If it is only one or two, if there is a problem in the future, just pull it to Xiangshan for repair. Guangzhou and Xiangshan are not far away."

"Five." Hong Mingxiang stretched out his palm, made a five gesture and smiled.

"No problem, no problem, the Hong army has made a fortune." Liang Yao smiled.

"You and I are compatriots. I won't raise the price. I will sell it to you at the price, and then select some capable Chinese pilots to teach the brothers of the Guangdong Navy how to maintain this steamship in Huangpu.

The steamship needs maintenance not only for the steam engine and boiler, but also for the cannons on the ship and the ammunition. Otherwise, it will soon become useless like the old cannons on the Xiangshan Fort and the Humen Fort."

Five loach-class patrol gunboats, this is a big order for the San Francisco Shipyard, and it is reasonable to provide some supporting services.

The Qing Dynasty is a potential big customer.

The Qing Dynasty in the mid-19th century was in decline, but with its huge size, its GDP was still the world's first. Although the people were poor, the Qing government still had some silver in its treasury before the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

As for the gentry class, they were even fatter.

"I was just about to talk to Brother Liang about the cannons and foreign guns." Hong Mingxiang said, rubbing his hands.

"I heard that Brother Liang has an arsenal in Sacramento that can produce foreign guns and cannons. Can you take me to visit it?

I have been waiting for you in California for these days. I have been bored. I wanted to visit Brother Liang's arsenal, but I was driven out. They said that no one can enter the arsenal without your order."

"The people under my command are ignorant and speak and act without restraint. Please forgive me, General Hong. Don't take it to heart. Liang is here to apologize to General Hong." Liang Yao bowed slightly to Hong Mingxiang to show his apology.

"No way, military strongholds should not allow outsiders to enter easily. I should learn this from you." Hong Mingxiang was very generous.

"If General Hong wants to visit the arsenal, I will take him to Sacramento for a visit." Liang Yao asked, "May I ask if Governor Xu's Dubiao Battalion wants to replace foreign guns and cannons?"