Chapter 487: Unpredictable and Treacherous

"The boss sent a telegram asking you to report back to the group headquarters in California." Garrett said to Zeiss.

"You have accumulated enough work experience at the Atlantic Railway Company, and now you are able to return to the boss and become his right-hand man."

Zeiss worked as Garrett's assistant for a year, and Garrett was very satisfied with Zeiss's work ability and attitude.

The boss is still a wise man, and he is very accurate in judging people.

Since Garrett entered the business world, there are only two assistants who are most satisfied with him, that is, Carnegie and Zeiss.

"Thank you for giving me an opportunity to exercise."

When Zeiss learned that Liang Yao asked him to report back to the group headquarters in California, he was ecstatic, but he still controlled his emotions well and expressed his gratitude to Garrett.

Over the past year, Garrett has taken good care of Zeiss's work and life. Zeiss is also very grateful for Garrett's appreciation and care for him.

"You are very capable at work, and you will have a brighter future when you return to your boss. This time, I have a few things to tell you, or to be more precise, I want to ask for your help." Garrett lowered his posture, not like he was talking to a subordinate.

"If you have anything, just tell me directly. We are all in the same group, and it would be awkward to ask for help." Chase said very politely.

"This is my application to join the party. I want to join the Civic Party. Please give it to the boss and show him my determination to join the party." Garrett handed the application wrapped in an envelope to Chase.

Maryland is a Democratic constituency and the traditional sphere of influence of the Democratic Party. To be honest, if Garrett wants to enter politics, the Democratic Party is a good choice.

It's just that the Democratic Party in 1856 was really unpopular.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed in 1854 led to differences between the North and the South on the issue of slavery.

The Act allowed the newly established states to decide whether to implement slavery according to their own wishes. This caused internal disunity between the Southern and Northern Democrats, laying the seeds for the weakening of the Democratic Party in the next few decades.

Although both the Southern and Northern Democrats are Democrats, due to fundamental conflicts in ideology, interests and so-called beliefs, the Southern and Northern Democrats were actually two completely different parties in 1856.

Of course, the decline of the Democratic Party also provided a golden opportunity for the rise of the Republican Party.

Many Democrats in northern constituencies, including Democrats in Maryland, chose to leave the lifeless and disintegrating Democratic Party and join the newly emerging Republican Party when they were extremely disappointed.

The addition of these Democratic political elders quickly strengthened the power of the Republican Party.

This is also why the Republican presidential candidate Lincoln was able to easily defeat the Democratic candidate Stephen A. Douglas in the 1860 election after the party was reorganized in 1854.

Of course, Lincoln's personal ability and charm were the reasons, but the rapid growth and rise of the Republican Party was also a reason that cannot be ignored.

Without a strong party to endorse the candidate, it is difficult for the candidate to gain a foothold in the political arena no matter how outstanding his ability is.

Therefore, Garrett felt that joining the Democratic Party at this time was not a wise choice.

"Understood, sir." Chase nodded and took the envelope handed over by Garrett.

"One more thing." Garrett said, "I heard that the Gard Railway project has been put on the agenda. The Texas Railway Company is relatively weak, and the engineering difficulty of the Gard Railway is very high, which is not inferior to the Pacific Railway at all."

"Do you want the Atlantic Railway Company to participate in the construction of the eastern section of the Gard Railway?" Chase guessed.

"Yes, it is impossible to exclude the Texas Railway Company from the Gard Railway, but I want the Atlantic Railway Company and the Texas Railway Company to jointly be responsible for the construction of the eastern section of the Gard Railway." Garrett said.

Garrett is an ambitious and ambitious person.

He is unwilling to let the Atlantic Railway Company be ranked among the second-tier railway companies in the United States.

The Atlantic Railway Company needs a super project like the Pacific Railway Company to prove its strength.

Perhaps the Atlantic Railway Company cannot reach the height of the California Railway Company, but it is still possible to squeeze into the first echelon with effort.

"I can explain this to the boss. Whether it can be done depends on the boss's attitude. I can't guarantee that it will be 100% successful." Chase thought about it and agreed.

"Thank you, Chase." Garrett patted Chase on the shoulder and said reluctantly.

"Mr. Lincoln, the chief legal advisor of Atlantic Railway, will go to California to resign in person to the boss after the speech in Yinlino Yinzhou. You can go with Mr. Lincoln at that time."

"Mr. Lincoln is going to resign?" Chase was very surprised, and then said with regret.

"Mr. Lincoln's resignation is a big loss for Atlantic Railway."

Atlantic Railway is mainly responsible for the railway business in the eastern region of the American Group. Unlike the west, which has a large amount of unowned land, the east has been developed early and the development level is high, so the land along the railway is owned.

Moreover, the land property rights in some areas are relatively chaotic. In the past four years, Atlantic Railway has not had a small number of lawsuits due to land disputes.

Fortunately, Atlantic Railway has Lincoln as a killer. Lincoln's winning rate of more than 90% has won the vast majority of land lawsuits for Atlantic Railway, saving the company a lot of costs.

Garrett has privately calculated that over more than four years, Atlantic Railroad paid the Lincoln team as much as $260,000 in related expenses. The annual consulting fee alone is as high as $24,000. The Lincoln Lawyers team also won the title of the most expensive legal team in the United States.

Although Lincoln's legal team was expensive, the money was well spent for the Atlantic Railroad. The cost saved by Lincoln's legal team for the Atlantic Railroad was several times their salary.

As Zeiss noted, Lincoln's departure was a huge loss to the Atlantic Railroad.

"Everyone has his own ambitions. Mr. Lincoln's ambitions are lofty. The profession of lawyer can no longer satisfy Mr. Lincoln's demands." Garrett's face was filled with admiration when he mentioned Lincoln.

Zeiss looked at Garrett. He had been Garrett's assistant for more than a year. There were only two people who could make Garrett admire him.

One is Lincoln, and the other is their boss, Liang Yao.

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In late April 1856, Springfield, the capital of Illinois, also known as Springfield.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the square of this small town with a permanent population of just over 8,000 people.

However, this day is not a special local festival or celebration.

Just because a young congressman from Yinzhou was going to give a speech in Springfield City, people from neighboring areas came to listen to the young congressman's speech.

The speech was held in an open square in downtown Springfield. The weather was not kind and it rained at an untimely time.

The rain was not heavy, and there were no special rain shelter facilities in the open square.

But the cold rain did not dampen people's enthusiasm for listening to the speech.

People from all walks of life and from all over the world gathered around the makeshift podium.

There are gentlemen in elegant dresses, workers and shop assistants in simple work clothes, farmers in shabby coats, and even children and women, with hope and expectation shining in their eyes.

In the midst of everyone's attention, Lincoln walked out of the Yinzhou Capitol wearing a starched gray double-breasted coat.

"Mr. Lincoln! It's Mr. Lincoln!"

"Mr. Lincoln is here!"

Lincoln's appearance caused a commotion, with excited cheers and roars resounding from the crowd.

The huge roar of the crowd almost overturned the makeshift podium.

Amid cheers, Lincoln, who was unusually tall and thin, stepped onto the podium with steady steps. Behind him was the Star-Spangled Banner fluttering stubbornly in the wind in the rain.

Under the Stars and Stripes, Lincoln extended his arms to the crowd. His eyes were firm and his face was solemn.

"for freedom!"

Lincoln's sonorous and powerful voice resounded through the sky and spread throughout the square, as if to convey his thoughts and spirit to the hearts of every listener.

"For the United States!"

The audience responded enthusiastically.