WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1855
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they were not Democrats, or if they were, it was a kind of bogus democracy that was very distasteful to Texians. General Pierce, said General Houston, had been elected on the Democratic platform, but abandoned it after his election to office. Mr. Pierce's appointments were all anti-democratic, with one or two exceptions. He had brought into the councils of govern- ment every element of discord known to the country; and that confusion necessarily followed such councils, and that anarchy was the result. Disunion, secession, Freesoilism, Abolitionism, and Popery, were all represented in Mr. Pierce's cabinet. From such heterogeneous materials, could the country have expected anything but civil war and disunion? · General Houston showed conclusively that the agitation of the slavery question, which is now blazing in the North, almost to a conflagration, had its origin in the repeal of the "Missouri Com- promise law," and that Mr. Pierce had constantly added fuel to the fire by appointing Abolitionists to responsible offices. General Jackson was a Democrat, but never patronized Abolitionists, or disunion-he frowned the one into disgrace, and annihilated the other. These doctrines, said General Houston, will do for the "Rearback Democracy," but the time-honored Democracy will have none of it. Mr. Pierce's diplomatic appointments, said Gen- eral Houston, are more unfortunate, if possible, than his Cabinet appointments.-There has been a report of bargain and sale in connection with the last election. The President has never denied it-it may be true-or it may not be true; certainly, strong cir- cumstantial evidence corroborates the report. To say nothing of Cabinet appointments, what President before, ever so entirely placed the integrity of the nation in the hands of foreigners? Mr. Soule, Mr. Belmont, and Mr. O'Sullivan,:? or some such name- all foreigners, and all Roman Catholics, appointed to foreign station, and Mr. Soule, in particular, to the most important one to which we then had intercourse.-What has been the result? Americaand American honor disgraced abroad, and a foul blot left on our nation's flag which time may obscure, but can never oblit- erate. Mr. Soule, fifteen years from France, a mountain man, 3 a Red Republican, there, and a refugee here, clothed with impor- tant diplomatic functions to a country, on the eve of war with the United States in consequence of the Cuban Fillibusterism. Did Mr. Soule palliate or allay that excitement? Did he attempt to re-establish harmony between the two nations? Not so! on the contrary, he fanned a flame which eventuaUy became too
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