231
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1855
insurrectionist in France. He brought his feelings and prin- ciples with him to America, and advocated them as far as he dared in the Senate of the United States in opposition to the Compromise of 1850. For some time previous to his appoint- ment as Minister to Spain, our government had been on peculiar relations with the Court of that country. It was important under these circumstances that a man should represent us wh.o was thoroughly American and identified with American inter- ests and principles. Mr. Soule, it is well known, was con- nected with the fillibusters of New Or~eans, and previous to his departure from New York to Spain, a demonstration was made by the Cuban Junto, engaged in concocting schemes for the invasion of Cuba, waited upon, and were received by him. Reeking with the fumes of fillibusterism, he went to Spain, and very much to my astonishment, was received at Court. Mr. Pierce next selectd Mr. Belmont, 10 a native of Austria, I believe, and wh.o is still a citizen of that country. Belmont came to this country as an agent for the Rothschilds, and has been engaged in monied transactions in New York for several years. Well, he was appointed Minister to Austria about the time that Hulseman had returned to that country, after the severe dressing that Mr. Webster gave him in their correspond- ence. This Belmont is the man who presumed .to pass judg- ment upon American character, and who did not hesitate to say that there was not a pure American female in all the land. For rebuke which he received for this impertinence and scan- dal, a duel arose between him and a young American. 11 In the adjustment of this difficulty, one of his legs was broken by a pistol ball, thus rendering him for life a victim of his audacity, and he became Mr. Pierce's limping representative at the Court of Austria. Would you pretend to say that Mr. Pierce could not h.ave found suitable native Americans to rep- resent us abroad? Men whose services for the public reflected honor upon themselves and credit to their country? But, Pierce ignored the claims of Americans to this honor-he pre- ferred foreign influence to American principles. I take this position, and I will stand upon it before all the bombshell de- mocracy in the world. Whenever I see a Jackson Democrat, I desire to call him brother and take him to my heart. When the present bombshell democracy shall come up to where I stand, I will greet them as fellows and compatriots. I have been a :Qemocrat all my life-I will die a Democrat-I can
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