1850 American Gold Tycoon

"Speed, Seward, Logan, welcome."

After Mary welcomed the three people into the house, she hurriedly urged Lucy to prepare dinner to entertain the guests.

Speed ​​was Lincoln's friend since 1836. They hit it off immediately and soon became close friends who talked about everything.

When they were still unmarried young men in Springfield, Lincoln lived above the Speed ​​family's Ellis store. The two slept together for four years, during which time they had a heart-to-heart exchange of emotions. Deep friendships were established.

Although it sounds strange, it was very common at the time. Single young people at that time rarely had private space. It was not strange for two or more young people to sleep in the same bed.

Years later, Lincoln became a well-known lawyer, and he followed the circuit court case, and the lawyers in the law firm also slept in the same bed in the same room.

The exception, of course, was Judge Davis, who had a bed all to himself.

This is not because the judge’s identity and status are more noble than the lawyers, but because Judge Davis’s weight of more than 300 pounds prevents the judge from sharing a bed with other people.

Speed ​​and Lincoln were from two different classes. Lincoln came from the grassroots, while Speed, who was four years younger than him, came from a prominent family. His family was a prominent family in Kentucky.

There was a plantation near Louisville, and 70 black slaves worked on this plantation.

Years later, when recalling his youth, Lincoln mentioned many times that the young lawyers of Springfield gathered around the fire behind Speed's store, talking, telling each other anecdotes, and exchanging verses and essays. , studying together was the most fulfilling time in his life.

Only 15 years have passed, and the young lawyers who chatted by the fire at Speed's Store in Springfield have gone their separate ways and have their own futures.

Like Lincoln, most of them entered politics or became judges and prosecutors in the United States, while a small number of them stayed as lawyers.

Logan had opened a law firm with Lincoln in his early years and had a relatively smooth cooperation experience.

It was only in the autumn of 1844 that Logan decided to go into business with his son and before disbanding the law firm, Logan took away most of the law firm's property.

This made Lincoln very dissatisfied. He also needed money like Logan, and the Logan-Lincoln firm was established and run by the two of them. Even if they parted ways, Lincoln should receive half of the assets of the law firm.

Lincoln was a tolerant man and did not always brood over this incident. When encountering major problems in the future, his first thought would be to work with his old partner Logan to solve the problem.

He admired Logan's extraordinary business ability.

It was precisely because of this unpleasant experience that in his later career as a lawyer, Lincoln was no longer willing to be just a supporting role in a law firm, but hoped to become the leader of a law firm.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Lincoln has accumulated rich experience in his many years of legal career and has become a well-known lawyer in the United States.

As for Seward, he was a young Whig whom Lincoln met after arriving in Washington.

They also have a common experience, that is, they have worked under the highly respected Calhoun and are highly appreciated by Calhoun.

In other words, Calhoun had been kind to both of them.

Although Calhoun's political opinions were old-fashioned and he was regarded as a stickler by the outside world, Calhoun still had a good vision.

The two young men he admired most, Lincoln and Seward, later became pivotal figures in American politics.

Interestingly, two of the three close friends who came to visit Lincoln had political views to the left of Lincoln. Rogan and Seward had ambiguous attitudes towards the abolition of slavery. It can also be said that they were not opposed to slavery and recognized that slavery was a part of this country.

Of course, this is also an old tradition of the Whig Party. Whig Party members never take a clear stance on a specific political position. He will only clearly express his opposition to the Democratic Party.

Only Speed, who was a slave owner, made it clear that he opposed slavery.

"Abraham, you are only 42 years old this year. With your ability, you will have a great political future. It is very stupid and reckless to leave Washington now. I hope you can continue to stay in Washington." Logan advised Lincoln.

He knew that Lincoln had problems with the Whigs in his heart, but he still hoped that his partner could calm down and not make hasty decisions, even though they had an unhappy cooperation experience.

But when it comes to major events in life, Ron hopes that Lincoln will make careful decisions.

"The death of my mentor is inseparable from Liang Yao. I watched my mentor die in front of me with my own eyes. Before he left, his eyes were full of unwillingness and regret. Abraham, you are now determined to serve my mentor's enemies. ?" Siward said with a frown.

"I will always remember Mr. Calhoun's kindness to me, but his death cannot be entirely attributed to Liang Yao." Lincoln made a pot of coffee for his friends and spoke with a very firm tone.

“Only by serving the top people in the industry can you stand at the top of the industry pyramid.”

At this point, Lincoln glanced at the recruitment advertisement in the Washington Republic.

The content published in the recruitment advertisement is that the Americas Group is recruiting capable lawyers to provide them with legal services. The annual consulting fee is US$2,500, and the remuneration for a single case starts at US$50.

During his time as a member of Congress, Lincoln lost many old customers. He needed a stable job to support his family, and he no longer wanted to accept those small items that cost $5 to $10 a piece.

In his opinion, these small projects were of no help to him except wasting his time and energy. He now has the ability to take over the big projects.

Of course, the most important thing is that working for the Americas Group not only allows him to understand the sufferings of the people, but also allows him to come into contact with the upper class people in the New York business community. While working, he can receive generous remuneration while getting exercise and deepening his understanding of American society, especially America's upper class.

This was a rare opportunity, and Lincoln planned to give it a try and go to New York for an interview with the Americas Group.

As for Calhoun's kindness to him, his past political experience was nothing but a feather in Lincoln's eyes.

Although Calhoun was kind to him, he was very disappointed with Calhoun's political ideas. Calhoun belonged to the old diehard faction of the Whig Party. They did not want to establish a strong federal government but were content with the status quo. , living a life of muddling along.

This was not only the thinking of old diehards like Calhoun, but also the thinking of most people in the Whig Party.

The Whig Party did not have its own clear political ideas and goals. This was the reason why Lincoln was so disappointed with the Whig Party and his colleagues in the Whig Party.

Although Lincoln also opposed the Democratic Party, Lincoln had to admit that compared to the Whig Party, at least the Democratic Party had a more rigorous organization, stricter management of party members, and had its own clear political opinions.

The disciplined and well-governed Democratic Party would outlast the Whigs, something Lincoln had said in public to the displeasure of the Whigs.

Lincoln had his own independent judgment on the current situation. Even after the introduction of the Compromise Act of 1850, the United States seemed to be on a stable and improving trend, Lincoln still believed that the United States was facing unprecedented changes since the founding of the country, and the crisis had not been resolved. Compromise The law will only make domestic conflicts more acute until they reach the point of being out of control.

"Abraham, no matter what decision you make, I support your decision."

Speed ​​smoothed his black curly hair and looked at Lincoln firmly with a pair of sparkling blue eyes.

Speed, who has reached middle age, still has a handsome face. When he was young, Speed ​​was a well-known handsome young man from all over Kentucky. His family was well-off, he received a good education, and he was elegant. Became the object of the Kentucky girl's affection.

After reaching middle age, Speed ​​has become more mature, making him look more attractive than when he was young. Many married women in Washington like to flirt with Speed.

"Speed, thank you." The tall Lincoln patted Speed ​​on the shoulder and said very gratefully.

Lincoln knew in his heart that if there was only one person left in the world who supported him, that person must be Speed.

"I have also seen the recruitment advertisement of America Group. To be fair, the treatment is indeed very generous. The boss of America Group, Liang Yao, also has a good reputation in the business community. When I saw this recruitment advertisement, even I was tempted." Speed ​​sat on an old sofa.

"It's just that New York has gathered the top lawyers in the United States. As far as I know, many well-known law firms hope to obtain the contract of the Americas Group. It is not easy for you to fight alone with those law firms in New York for the contracts of the Americas Group." .”

"Speed, you know me, and I am confident that I will get this contract." Lincoln said very confidently.

His confidence comes from the praise he received from his former clients. He also believes that he has done a good job as a lawyer and has a very good resume. His status as a former member of Congress is also a plus for him. The Americas Group has no reason to reject him. Excellent lawyer.

"Yes, I have confidence in you too, but you need a helper." Speed ​​said, "American Group is a large group. They are currently involved in railways, and the railway industry has far more legal disputes than other industries. No matter how strong you are on your own, I'm worried that you won't be able to do it alone."

Having said this, Speed ​​paused and continued.

"I think you forgot someone."

Lincoln mistakenly thought that Speed ​​was going to personally help him. He rejected Speed ​​righteously: "Speed, you are different from me. You are well-educated and have profound knowledge. You should stay in Washington." !”