und doing homage to the meats and drinks--more
particularly when they are good! Upon this most modern but very
material principle of natural philosophy (with a great heart, and
intentions to correspond) did our worthy and truly characteristic
countryman pursue to usefulness his diplomacy. That it had excited the
fear of small politicians and antiquated and very polite diplomats,
whose trade it seriously damaged, was well known to Mr. Pierce and the
world in general. Even this species of gentry was at times disposed to
pay it compliment; but it was only on the ground of its relieving them
of that _onerous tax_ of now and then receiving their fellow-citizens
respectably. Smooth is exceedingly delicate about mentioning here the
onerousness of this tax, inasmuch as our parsimonious government has
proved itself obstinately opposed to grant a sum requisite to the
necessary respectability to be maintained at foreign courts.

"Well, the day arrived on which Smooth was to dine with Citizen
George, and not the smallest idea had he of meeting another stray
citizen. Happy in the enjoyment of our own greatness, Smooth expected
to learn something of Uncle George's opinions upon international
questions in general, and to give him in return some account of
General Pierce's crooked notions of a national policy--so crooked,
indeed, that they left him alike the laughing-stock of friends and
foes. This was very easily done, for, being Mr. Pierce's special
minister to everywhere in general, and more particularly to Europe,
where he invested him (Smooth) with power to draw up preliminaries for
the 'Ostend Convention,' as well as to cut a figure on behalf of Young
America, the power thus given made the divulging Mr. Pierce's policy
no breach of confidence. As for Young America, that very unassuming
young gentleman was being gloriously represented by the very famous
house of the three S.'s and Co. (Sickles, Saunders, Souley, Buckhanan
& Co.), the latter very respectable gentleman having been received
into the firm with the specific understanding that he sell out his
large stock of old fogyism, and invest the proceeds in manifest
destiny.

"Nothing is so easily attained as the flattery of small men; and yet
no essence is more delicious to the soul of a sycophant, for it is he
that loves to refresh his recreant spirit with human frailty. Mr.
Pierce's comprehensive and very elastic mind had not yet made a point
of analysing this as properly as