Seeing everyone's expectant gazes, Jefferson felt a bit embarrassed to voice the underlying meaning he had kept hidden.
"Actually, I wasn't hiding anything, it's just that the Virginia State Assembly and State Government both wrote to me, hoping I would do my best to speak for them and preserve the positions of the Three Southern States militia and General Greene.
As for the disposition of that officer, it can follow the opinion of the Federal Government.
They even told me directly that if the Federal Government still wanted to impose other penalties on the Three Southern States, they would not rule out using other means to retaliate!"
Jefferson spoke so frankly not because he was selfless, but because the matter was too significant.
He felt that negotiating by concealing bottom lines might lead the situation to an irretrievable point.
It was better to speak frankly, and for everyone to discuss it seriously to truly solve the problem.
Moreover, as a high-ranking official from the South, he clearly sensed an unusual atmosphere from the letters Virginia sent him, feeling that things would not be as simple as they seemed.
"Hmph! Just dealing with that low-ranking officer?" General Sherman sneered disdainfully.
A mere low-ranking militia officer, at most, could only be removed from his post, which would by no means alleviate the grievances General Sherman suffered, so he naturally wouldn't be satisfied.
Jefferson had lost interest in continuing to argue with him, and instead of responding to his disdainful remark, he directly advised Franklin:
"Mr. President, although I and most members of the Democratic Party have always primarily spoken for the interests of the Three Southern States, this time, I am absolutely speaking out of consideration for the common interests of the Three Southern States and our Federal Government.
I sincerely advise you.
I hope you can handle the relationship with the Three Southern States carefully in this matter.
Although I personally also feel that the South made mistakes in this matter, punishing them too severely for it might push the Three Southern States out of the States.
I think this is definitely something you and everyone present would not want to see!"
"Then what do you think the Federal Government should do? Let it go?" Franklin felt a little uncomfortable.
He believed he was also considering the entire States; if he let it go, it would certainly cause immense damage to the Federal Government's credibility throughout the States.
At that point, other states would see Virginia insult the Federal Government without punishment.
How could they not follow Virginia's example?
Would the Federal Government still need to manage those places then?
"Of course, it's impossible to let it go, it's just that our handling should be a little lighter!" Jefferson shook his head with a wry smile.
As a Federal Government official, he certainly wouldn't think it could truly be ignored; even the Virginia State Government itself probably hadn't considered that.
He just couldn't figure out what kind of punishment they should receive to ensure that the interests of all parties were not harmed.
If General Sherman hadn't directly leaked the news to newspaper reporters, blowing the matter up too much, it wouldn't be so difficult to resolve now.
Thinking of this, Jefferson glanced at General Sherman, who was still somewhat agitated, and the anger in his heart reignited.
"Mr. Minister of war.
Actually, the situation is so bad now, you should at least bear half the responsibility.
Now tell us, how should we resolve this matter?"
Sherman had been waiting for this sentence for a long time, and immediately responded with a tit-for-tat.
"Of course, Mr. Secretary of State Jefferson, I think this is a very simple matter.
As long as you can, in a private capacity, persuade General Greene to resign due to fault.
Then our Federal Government can say that the primary person responsible has resigned and can be left unpursued.
This way, the face of the Virginia State Government and our Federal Government will both be preserved, and the matter can naturally conclude."
Jefferson was stunned, not expecting General Sherman to actually propose such a vicious suggestion.
He didn't know that General Sherman, ever since leaving Richmond, had been thinking about how to retaliate against General Greene and the Three Southern States militia organization.
For him, the most satisfying outcome was for General Greene to resign, and then he could slowly control and 'educate' that militia organization.
As long as the Three Southern States militia organization no longer had the legendary General Greene as its leader, he, as a former war of Independence hero and current Minister of war of the Federal Government, would surely be able to smoothly take control of this militia force.
After such a long time considering methods of revenge from Richmond back to Philadelphia, even an old general unfamiliar with political struggles and not proficient in debate skills had successfully come up with a relatively good solution.
And for a moment, it even left Jefferson, the great lawyer, unable to find a particularly ideal counter-argument.
Coincidentally, Wilson once again stepped forward to speak for Sherman.
"Haha! If Jefferson truly wants the matter to be resolved smoothly, I think General Sherman's suggestion just now is undoubtedly the simplest method."
"Exactly! Exactly, if we can persuade General Greene to resign voluntarily, then things will indeed be much simpler." Madison also spoke up for General Sherman.
If he weren't planning to interact with Democratic Party members after being elected Vice President, he would have spoken up for General Sherman long ago.
His dedication and care for the Republican Party were no less than Wilson's, a founding member, and since Sherman was also the Minister of war in the drafted cabinet list, he naturally cared even more.
With several people continuously expressing support for Sherman's opinion, Jefferson also felt a bit difficult to handle.
Just as he was thinking of another reason, Franklin finally spoke.
"My dear Thomas, this matter concerns the interests of the entire Federal Government, and I hope you can stand with the Federal Government.
Although General Sherman's suggestion might be somewhat unfair to General Greene, I still hope you can help me convey my apologies to him.
If he agrees, it will be a contribution to the entire States, and we will not forget his merits."
Facing the admonition of the old Mr. President Franklin, what opposing reasons could Jefferson possibly offer?
Moreover, Washington also stood with the Federal Government at this time.
"General Greene's handling of this matter was flawed, Thomas, if you are willing to go to Richmond, I can write a letter for you to deliver to General Greene."
Although not explicitly stated, Washington undoubtedly expressed his intention for General Greene to resign voluntarily.
Jefferson could only say helplessly:
"Mr. Presidents, when I considered this issue, I always stood with the Federal Government.
I just wanted to try my best to accommodate the opinions of the majority.
Since you say so, I will certainly do my best to present my views to Virginia and General Greene, but whether they will listen, I really cannot guarantee!"
"As long as you are willing to go, I believe your diplomatic talents can also play a role in this lobbying effort.
And as an important Southern official, just like Mr. Washington.
Your influence in the South is enough to make your lobbying successful." Franklin nodded again in encouragement.
But as he spoke, he inadvertently glanced at Morris, thinking to himself that if the cabinet list hadn't been drafted so early, perhaps the position of Secretary of State could have been used as leverage to entice Jefferson to handle this matter well.
And having Jefferson continue as Secretary of State actually aligned more with his own expectations.
In the current situation, the old President could only sigh helplessly.
The other Republican Party members around, however, all smiled after Jefferson agreed.
Even Charles, who had originally expected Jefferson to take the opportunity to extort something, was greatly surprised by Jefferson's statement.
He was very curious, Jefferson actually agreed to stand with the Federal Government, selfless like Washington.
He didn't doubt Jefferson's sincerity in agreeing.
Given Jefferson's character, once he agreed in front of Franklin and the others, it would naturally be impossible for him to feign compliance.
Because if the matter failed, he himself would lose face and be looked down upon.
So this time, without a doubt, he was definitely preparing to go and help lobby.
This emergency meeting, held in haste, ended in ease.
In the time that followed, many people breathed a sigh of relief, believing that with Jefferson, a powerful figure from the South, stepping forward, there would surely be no problems.
But in fact, the vast majority of people, including Jefferson himself, miscalculated and overestimated his influence in the South.
Although as one of the highest-ranking and most influential figures in the South, Jefferson was warmly welcomed by the Virginia State Assembly and representatives from North and South Carolina upon his arrival in Richmond, when Jefferson privately proposed that the Federal Government hoped General Greene would resign in exchange for a compromise between the two sides, these leaders of the Three Southern States immediately and unequivocally rejected the proposal.
They even questioned Jefferson, asking why he didn't speak up more for them, striving to eliminate all punitive measures, and why he ended up with such an exchange condition.
Even General Greene himself stated that he was the Commander-in-chief entrusted with responsibility by the Three Southern States Assembly, and for the honor and power of the Three Southern States, he would absolutely not yield to the pressure of the Federal Government and resign.
With Jefferson's eloquence, he certainly would have been able to persuade some of these people, but after hearing the unanimous statements from these Southerners, especially the state legislators, he did not immediately begin lobbying.
Instead, he frowned and requested that the matter could be discussed later; he wanted to first understand the situation from the militia.
To his request, the officials of the Three Southern States could not raise any objections, and accompanied by General Greene, Commander-in-chief of the Free Three Southern States Militia, he went to inspect the militia again.
It was only when he had a private audience with General Greene that Jefferson questioned the old general:
"Respected General Greene, what exactly happened in this matter?
I think even if General Sherman's proposal was bad, it shouldn't have led you to openly oppose his decision on the spot and humiliate him so much that he had to flee back to Philadelphia, right?"
General Greene was a typical soldier, and facing Jefferson's question, which seemed to imply he knew some inside information, he immediately looked stunned and speechless.
Seeing General Greene's expression, Jefferson knew he had guessed correctly.
He immediately seized the opportunity to hand Washington's letter to General Greene, saying softly:
"Alas! Commander-in-chief Washington is also very angry about this matter.
This is his personal letter; you can read it yourself.
He is very disappointed in you."
Washington's letter originally only tactfully pointed out General Greene's extreme actions and encouraged him to resign voluntarily, but with Jefferson's hint, it now appeared as if Washington was accusing his actions as extreme and demanding his voluntary resignation.
As Washington's old subordinate, General Greene, seeing his former superior's accusation, flushed with shame and anger, and his face looked very displeased.
"General, I just want to know who exactly made you do this?
The State Assembly, or the State Government?" Jefferson immediately saw General Greene's guilt and pressed further.
"I only obey the orders of the State Assembly, Mr. Secretary of State!" General Greene put away Washington's letter, nodding with difficulty.
The meaning in his words was already very clear: only the State Assembly had the power to command him, and if he had ever done anything, it must have been an order from the State Assembly.
Jefferson was very pleased with his tactful reply.
Indeed, it was as he had expected; the attitude of directly rejecting Sullivan was premeditated.
Actually, when Jefferson first saw this matter, he felt something was off.
Charles and the others, not understanding Southerners, might assume Southerners are very selfish, extremely hostile to Northerners, and inflexible, so they wouldn't find it strange that General Greene directly rebuffed General Sullivan.
But in fact, Jefferson knew that they were also very smooth and very friendly to Northerners.
Sullivan wanted to remove that officer from his post; General Greene could have done so through tactful persuasion, so why publicly refuse in front of ordinary soldiers, and refuse twice in a row?
He knew there was something fishy about it as soon as he saw it.
Now, having roughly understood the situation through General Greene, he actually breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it was a conspiracy led by the assembly, he wasn't worried.
The assembly, in general, indeed mostly played a radical role, but it was also a typical multi-headed political body, making it very difficult to reach a truly unified opinion.
If it had been led by the State Government, Jefferson would not only have to worry about the problem of persuasion but also whether there was a dictatorship or a genuine tendency towards secession.
But now, he estimated that he only needed to publish a few targeted articles and visit some familiar legislators, and the outcome of this matter would basically be settled.
Two days later, after Jefferson submitted his article to the newspaper, he prepared to lobby the Virginia legislators. However, just as he was about to leave, he suddenly received news that General Greene had published a statement in the newly released newspaper today, declaring that to uphold the honor and rights of Virginians, and to ensure that the appointment of soldiers and officers in the Three Southern States would not be controlled by the Federal Government, he had decided not to resign voluntarily.
He swore to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him by the Three State Councils until they formally ordered his dismissal.
Hearing this news, Jefferson was naturally furious.
He couldn't believe that General Greene, who had been so agreeable yesterday, would turn around and pull such a move on him, seemingly no longer caring about Washington's and his own attitudes.
At the same time, he was also a little worried. Since General Greene dared to do this, he must have some backing that Jefferson was unaware of, which meant his upcoming lobbying efforts would be extremely difficult.
Indeed, when he went to meet the state legislators of Virginia, he was met with excuses and found it very difficult to see the legislators themselves.
Jefferson felt frustrated. It seemed he had stayed in Philadelphia for too long, and these Virginian compatriots truly regarded him as an outsider. He just didn't know if this was General Greene's idea or the State Council's decision.
Regardless, he still had to continue his efforts. From the current situation, if Virginia did not make the correct decision, a war might very well break out. This was something he did not wish to see, no matter his stance.
After staying in Richmond for three days, Jefferson, relying on his influence, managed to meet several dozen state legislators. However, his lobbying efforts yielded very limited results.
Most legislators disagreed with the suggestion to encourage General Greene to resign, and the few who wavered merely indicated they could speak up on the sidelines.
They were unwilling to genuinely step forward. Once pressed, these individuals would humbly plead with Jefferson, asking him to understand their difficulties and not force them to intervene further in this matter, leaving Jefferson utterly exasperated.
Jefferson, unable to meet General Greene in person and with most legislators disagreeing with General Greene's resignation, was utterly unable to complete the task assigned to him by the Federal Government.
This outcome naturally far exceeded Jefferson's expectations before he left Philadelphia.
However, he was not someone to be easily fooled. From his observations in Richmond these past few days, he gleaned some hidden information: this incident was not only involving the legislators of the Three Southern States; there was actually the shadow of the British behind it.
Jefferson pretended to continue lobbying state legislators, but in reality, he secretly sent people to inquire about the specific details of the matter.
Things quickly became clearer. Several Democratic Party legislators revealed the story behind it to him, their "party chairman": it turned out that many British merchants, who had been ordering Southern tobacco and cotton before the war of Independence, were dissatisfied with the tariffs imposed on tobacco by the American Federal Government and the restricted export policy on cotton.
This time, with the support of the British Government, they had secretly incited the Three Southern States governments to oppose the Federal Government. They promised not only human and financial support but possibly even political and military support in the future.
And now, what had actually materialized was not just verbal incitement, but also concrete financial and human support, encouraging the Three State Governments and councils to actively oppose the Federal Government's restrictions on them.
Those Southerners, the Southern plantation owners, undoubtedly hated the British army and the British king, but they did not hate the British merchants with whom they had always had business dealings.
Now, it was the Federal Government's biased policies towards the South that made them feel their interests were most severely infringed upon; they hated the Federal Government even more. Even without the incitement of those British merchants, they wanted to retaliate against the Federal Government and express their anger.
With the British behind them, why wouldn't they eagerly jump out to oppose the Federal Government?
This militia incident was a long-planned major operation by the Virginia State Council, aiming to break free from the Federal Government's control over the states.
They were now determined to firmly reject the Federal Government's accountability for Virginia, in order to undermine the Federal Government's authority throughout the entire States, making it lose face and unable to continue imposing administrative demands on state governments.
Ultimately, this would allow the Three State Governments and even other state governments to gain independent and autonomous status within the entire States.
This action was considered by those state legislators to be of great importance, and they would not easily change their minds because of a brief lobbying effort by Jefferson.
After understanding the situation, Jefferson did not stay in Richmond any longer. Instead, he quickly took a carriage and returned to Philadelphia overnight to report to Franklin and the others.
The Virginia state legislators who knew of Jefferson's departure had no intention of stopping him. Firstly, Jefferson's prestige was undeniable, and they dared not obstruct him; secondly, they believed they only wanted to break free from the control of the Federal Government, unlike the British behind them, who wanted to go to war with the Federal Government.
They even hoped that Jefferson's return this time would demonstrate the strength of the Three Southern States to the Federal Government, making the Federal Government retreat, and peacefully acknowledge the Three State Governments and councils' complete administrative and legislative authority over the Three States.
Upon returning to Philadelphia, Jefferson reported the situation he had learned in Richmond to Franklin and the others, which shook the entire upper echelon of the Federal Government.
"How could this be! Why would the British get involved?"
"Damn the British! They're stabbing us in the back, trying to split our States apart!"
Many people just cursed, unable to utter more rational words.
It was General Sullivan who first offered a more substantial suggestion:
"See? I told you General Greene's actions were premeditated! They've already colluded with the British, how can we just sit by and watch them hand the land of the Three Southern States back to British king George! sirs, we must act immediately! Immediately!"
Regarding his speech, which clearly announced the possibility of war, old President Franklin did not immediately express opposition.
In fact, he was also very angry about the actions of the Three Southern States governments.
No matter who they cooperated with, they should not cooperate with the British to split this country. However, as President, such radical remarks made it difficult for him to voice them immediately. So, like Washington, whose face had finally darkened beside him, he could only sit quietly and listen to the discussion below.
Vice President candidate Madison, however, was the best person to interject at this moment. He very aptly said a few more impartial words.
"I believe Virginia is probably not planning to genuinely split from the States by uniting with the British; it's likely just hoping to rely on the British as a backing to contend with the Federal Government within the States! We must deal with such intentions seriously and never be lenient. However, military means are undoubtedly the last resort."
"Exactly! Mr. Madison, that's my thought too, military means are absolutely out of the question," Jefferson immediately agreed.
No one needed to doubt whether he would side with Virginia; his urgent return to Philadelphia from Virginia already made that clear.
"Haha! sirs, now is a critical moment before the Presidential election. Our stance on the Three Southern States directly affects our Presidential election! If this matter cannot be resolved properly and quickly, I'm afraid our Presidential election won't be able to proceed smoothly!" Charles, who was carefree, laughed and interjected.
"That's for sure. When I privately inquired about the possible countermeasures from the Three Southern States legislators, I already knew their first planned move was to boycott this Presidential election," Jefferson immediately nodded.
"Hmph! If they don't participate in the election, then they can again say that since they weren't involved, they don't recognize the elected President," Charles naturally understood the intentions of the Three Southern States.
"Then what should we do? With the British instigating them from behind, ordinary political consultations probably won't resolve the matter within a few months! And the Presidential election can only be delayed for three or four more months at most!" Morris and the others suddenly became anxious.
They were the main candidates for the next cabinet's ministers, and if the Presidential election could not proceed smoothly, wouldn't that mean their positions would not be guaranteed?
"I still think we should directly resort to military means. Currently, our Continental army has an advantage over the Three State militias in all aspects. If we drag this out, and they continue to recruit new soldiers, it will be very difficult to act then!" General Sullivan proposed again.
This suggestion was naturally met with opposition from most people.
Crushing the Three State militias would not be a simple suppression of rebellion, but a true civil war. And the decision to fight a civil war, unlike going to war with a foreign country, would still draw a lot of criticism even if victorious.
Among those present, apart from General Sullivan, whose responsibility was to command the war, no one else dared to easily express agreement.
Throughout their discussion, Franklin, as the current President, had been quietly listening with Washington, without making any decisive statements.
Although it was customary for important figures to speak last, in such a significant matter, he could not remain completely silent. So, after glancing at the arguing crowd, Charles decided to ask Franklin for his opinion. "Mr. President, what are your thoughts on the arrangements for this matter?"