The Fox of France - Chapter 501 (Patreon)

Chapter 501: The Rift

At first, the Americans were truly startled by the priest. But soon after, someone shouted from behind, "Father, you cannot harbor sinners! Step aside, we do not wish to lay hands on you!"

With that shout, a dark-skinned American lieutenant with a long scar on his face approached. He stood before Father Tom, his hand resting on the revolver at his waist, and with bloodshot eyes, he said, "Father, many murderers, many sinners have taken refuge in your church. This sacred place should not be used to protect them. Please hand them over to us."

But Father Tom stood his ground, smiling, "My child, the sacred church does not protect true sinners. But my child, from a religious standpoint, the authority to judge who is a sinner lies in God's hands; from a secular perspective, you are a soldier, not a law enforcement officer, you have no right to take any action."

Moreover, Lieutenant, I am not blind. I have seen what you have done since entering the city. Lieutenant, look around and then tell me, what do you see? The whole city is burning! Do not tell me these fires started naturally or were set by the Canadians themselves! Now, if I hand over the people seeking refuge in this holy church to you, what terrible things might happen? Do you think I do not know? Lieutenant, go back, please retreat in front of God’s holy temple!"

"Father, this is war, and collateral damage happens. And we were not the first to start burning cities. When the British were burning our cities, Father, did you step out to stop them?" The American lieutenant clearly had no intention of retreating.

"Lieutenant, do you see that flag behind me? Did we stand out to stop them? Decades ago, when you were oppressed by the British, it was we, the French, who stood with you, fought alongside you, and you were able to win independence with our help. And in this war, after the British committed atrocities that enraged both heaven and man, for the sake of God’s justice, we, the French, also stood out. Lieutenant, if we had not stood out, the front line would still be at New York!" Father Tom replied with righteous indignation.

The American lieutenant was at a loss for words for a moment. He did not realize that Father Tom had used a typical sophism—shifting the concept. The lieutenant had clearly said, "Did you stand out to stop it?" but the father had changed it to "Did the French stand out to stop it?" Even if the lieutenant realized this, it actually made no difference. With this move, Father Tom had made the Americans feel disadvantaged under that tricolor flag, and their morale was already suppressed. The rest would just require Father Tom to handle it properly without making the Americans furious.

Additionally, what could a small southern American slave owner, an American lieutenant, do against a missionary whose life's work was his eloquence? So, don't challenge someone's profession with a hobby; it surely won't end well. It's like in another timeline, when the father of Russian literature, Pushkin, challenged Dantes, an officer of the Tsar's guard, to a duel with pistols.

Now the lieutenant regretted it. If he had simply ordered two soldiers to calmly control the priest and then go in and capture the Canadians, it would have been resolved. What? Sanctuary in the temple? Sorry, I'm a farmer, I don't understand; what French flag? Sorry, my eyes are bad, I didn't see it. Wouldn't it be sweet to leave the remaining squabbling to those professionals?

But now it was too late; his earlier actions had clearly shown that he knew this was a church and that there was a French flag above it. So if he tried this tactic now, it would make the diplomats who cleaned up after them very uncomfortable. Thus, the lieutenant was already in a difficult position.

But the lieutenant did not want to just give up, so he said, "Father, but our men did indeed see British soldiers enter your church. These soldiers have not surrendered, and even if they had, they should be detained in a POW camp, not staying in your church. So, at the very least, we should be allowed to take these soldiers away."

"Lieutenant, where do you plan to take these soldiers?" Father Tom asked.

"To the POW camp, of course," the lieutenant replied.

"Then, Lieutenant, would you dare to place your hand on the Bible and swear by the salvation of your soul that they will be taken to the POW camp and not just killed around the corner by your men?" Father Tom asked.

"Father... I..." The lieutenant's voice lowered. After all, men from the American South are generally very devout. A little lie is one thing, but to swear on the Bible, risking one's salvation, that's a lot of

 pressure for a true believer.

"Lieutenant, can you tell me where your POW camp is? I think, now, it should no longer be a military secret. I would like to visit it. If your POW camp is truly humane, in accordance with the spirit of the humanitarian declaration between the Holy See and the French Republic, then I can safely let these poor people enter your camp. Well, my child, can I visit your POW camp?" Father Tom continued.

However, the Americans had not prepared a POW camp, not even a makeshift one like those of later times. Why have a POW camp? Capture a British man, ask him if he has ever been to the American South. If he says yes, shoot him; if he says no, he's probably lying, shoot him anyway. Why need a POW camp?

So, the lieutenant hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Seeing the lieutenant's hesitation, Father Tom took the opportunity to suggest, "Lieutenant, if this matter is too difficult to handle, you might want to consult your superiors."

The American lieutenant listened and nodded, "Alright... but Father, the city is currently chaotic, many British are still resisting, still firing wildly. You'd best not wander around."

Then the lieutenant instructed the soldiers nearby, "Keep this place secure, do not let those dangerous criminals run inside."

The soldiers saluted him, and the lieutenant returned the salute and turned to leave.

As the lieutenant left, Father Tom breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at the American soldiers nearby and began to preach about forgiveness and salvation.

While preaching, Father Tom's gaze occasionally drifted towards the road.

After a while, the sound of horse hooves came from the road, and a troop of cavalry bearing the French flag galloped towards them. Father Tom watched the approaching French cavalry and breathed a sigh of relief.

The French had essentially left only a token force in the besieged city, and the main force was this cavalry regiment, tasked with reaching the church quickly if the city defenses collapsed. As for Father Tom, besides being a priest, he also received stipends from the Ministry of Truth and the Ministry of Public Security.

Now, Father Tom, along with this regiment of French cavalry, had the most important task of trying to save as many Canadians as possible to prepare for future propaganda efforts.

This preparation for propaganda primarily involved portraying both the Americans and the British as barbarians. Further, it would generalize Anglo-Saxons as uncivilized barbarians. So, among the remaining French cavalry, besides many medical personnel, there were also many journalists.

Frankly, the Americans of this era were still very naive, yes, very naive. They did not yet understand the power of manipulating global public opinion. This effect could even directly tear the United States apart.

During this war, the contradictions between the northern and southern parts of America had already become apparent and even intensified. The Southerners felt that they had suffered the most in the war, but the little benefits that were available actually all went to the North, and they felt this was very unfair. Meanwhile, the Northerners thought that if not for the stubbornness of the Southerners, the war would have ended much earlier. And if not for the stubbornness of the Southerners, the most important and best territories in the latter stages of the war would not have been mostly occupied by the French. If they had been willing to give the surrendering British a chance, why would those people resist the Americans to the death, and upon seeing the tricolor flag, immediately surrender?

Generally, the Southerners thought the Northerners were too cunning, taking all the benefits for themselves and even acting saintly, which was despicable. The Northerners thought the Southerners were stubborn and stupid. In short, one side thought the other was bad, the other thought they were stupid.

Then the French came in and stirred things up. Over the years, French media had also infiltrated quite a bit into America. Of course, many newspapers, nominally still American, were actually often backed by French financiers. Under their manipulation, these contradictions became even more pronounced.

Of course, the French couldn't overtly instigate, so their approach was often subtle. Southern newspapers, when reporting on the war, would first emphasize the dire situation, then praise the Southern soldiers for their brave fighting, once again saving the North, saving the North. Such propaganda made the Southerners happy while subtly forming a stereotype of the Northerners—cowards in war, slick, only surviving because of our support. If it were up to them, they would have surrendered long ago.

Northern newspapers, when telling stories of Northern troops bravely fighting, liked to describe the simple-minded, blindly aggressive, arrogant, and strategically troublesome Southerners.

Such reports, when viewed individually, seemed to praise their own people, mentioning Northerners or Southerners seemed not the main point, just a comparison. But as these reports accumulated, these stereotypes were generally accepted by both sides—the seeds of division were unknowingly planted in the hearts of Americans.

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