Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/257

Rh afterward published. In 1854 ITarvard university conferred the degree of D. D. upon him. In 1857 he delivered before the Lowell Institute in Boston a course of lectures on " The Treatment of Social Diseases," and the same year he made before the dramatic fund society in New York an address in defence of the drama, entitled "The Relation of Public Amusements to Public Morality, especially of the Theatre to the Highest Interests of Humanity," both of which were issued in New York. In 1860 he published " Kestatements of Christian Doctrine, in Twenty-five Sermons," and in 1868, a book of travels entitled " The Old World in its New Face." During the war he was the chief promoter and the president of the U. S. sanitary commission, in which capacity he showed distinguished administrative ability in directing the distribution of $15,000,000 in supplies and the disbursement of $5,000,000 in money. He held the place from 1861 till 1878. In June, 1886, a bronze tablet, executed by Augustus St. Gaudens, was erected to the memory of Dr. Bellows in All-Souls church, where he was pastor forty-three years. It represents a full-length front view of the preacher in bas-relief.

BELL-SMITH, Frederick Marlett, Canadian artist, b. in London, England, 26 Sept., 1846. He studied drawing at South Kensington, and went to Canada in 1866. He is one of the original members of the Royal Canadian academy, the Ontario society of artists, and the old society of Canadian artists, which latter was organized in Montreal in 1867, with Mr. Bell-Smfth, Sr., as first president. Mr. Bell-Smith has directed the art department at Alma college, St. Thomas, Ontario, for several years, and is well known as an elocutionist and cartoon artist.

BELMONT, August, financier, b. in Alzey, Hesse-Darmstadt, in 1816; d. in New York city, 24 Nov., 1889. He was educated in Frankfort, and for several years was in the employ of the Rothschilds in their banking-house in that city, and also in Naples. In 1837 he settled in New York and became the agent of his former employers. A quarrel concerning a lady led to a duel, in which he was shot and lamed for life. From 1844 till 1850 he was consul-general at New York for the Austrian government, but, owing to his disapproval of the treatment received by Hungary from Austria, he resigned his office. In 1853 he was appointed United States chargé d'affaires at the Hague, and in 1854 became minister resident. He resigned in 1858, having first negotiated a highly important consular convention, for which, with other diplomatic services, he received the special thanks of the department at Washington. For many years he resided in New York, where he was engaged in banking. He was well known as a patron of arts, and his collection of paintings was one of the finest in the city. Mr. Belmont showed much interest in politics: he was a delegate to the democratic convention of 1860, and from that year until 1873 was the chairman of the national democratic committee. For twenty years he was president of the American jockey club, and a most prominent member of the union and other clubs of New York. He married a daughter of Com. Matthew C. Perry, and was instrumental in erecting a bronze statue of him at Newport, R. I. &mdash; His son, Perry, b. in New York city, 28 Dec., 1851, was graduated at Harvard in 1872, and at Columbia college law school in 1876. After being admitted to the bar, he practised in New York until 1881, when he was elected as a democrat to congress, serving from 5 Dec., 1881, till 4 March, 1887. During his first term in

he was a member of the committee on foreign affairs, and in that capacity came into notice by his cross-examination of James G. Blaine, then late secretary of state, concerning his relations with a syndicate of American capitalists interested in the development of certain guano deposits in Peru. An attempt was made to show that Mr. Blaine's efforts toward mediation between Chili and Peru were from interested motives. Mr. Belmont was appointed chairman of the committee on foreign affairs in 1885.

BELMONT, Francis Vachon de, French missionary, d. in Montreal, Canada, in 1732. He was of noble birth and highly accomplished, but embraced the life of a missionary in the Canadian wilds, and in 1680 took charge of a school connected with the Iroquois mission in Montreal. The following year he built for himself a church. After 1701 he was superior of the seminary in Montreal. He wrote a "Histoire du Canada," printed in the collections of the Quebec historical society.

BELTON, Francis S., soldier, b. in Maryland about 1790 ; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 10 Sept., 1861. He was appointed 2d lieutenant in the U. S. army, 27 March, 1812, and became 1st lieutenant in 1813, regimental paymaster, 20 June, 1813, and subsequently aide to Gen. Gaines, distinguishing himself in the defence of Fort Erie. He was appointed assistant adjutant-general in 1814, and assistant inspector-general in May, 1816; became a captain in July, 1817; major, 16 Sept., 1838, and lieutenant-colonel, 13 Oct., 1845. In the war with Mexico he commanded a regiment and distinguished himself at the capture of the city of Mexico. For gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco he was brevetted colonel. He was commissioned colonel in June, 1857, and retired in September, 1861. BELTRAMI, Giacomo Constantino, Italian explorer, b. in Bergamo, Italy, in 1779 ; d. there in February, 1855. He held a judicial office under the government, but was exiled in 1821, and came to the United States. He ascended the Mississippi river, and discovered one of its principal sources. He published an account of his discoveries, reprinted at Philadelphia in 1824, and, on his return, published this and other works in London.

BELTRAN DE SANTA ROSA, Fray Pedro (bel-tran'), Mexican author, b. in Yucatan early in the 18th century. He belonged to the Franciscan order, filled many important offices, and was professor of philosophy, theology, and the Maya language. His most important works are " Arte y Seinilexicon Yucateco " (1746), " Declaracion de la Doctrina Cristiana," and " Catecismo," all written in the Indian language of Yucatan, or Maya.

BEMAN, Nathaniel Sydney Smith, clergyman, b. in New Lebanon, N. Y., 26 Nov., 1785; d. in Carbondale, 111., 8 Aug., 1871. He was graduated at Middlebury in 1807, studied theology, and about 1810 was ordained pastor of a Congregational church in Portland, Me. A few years later he went as a missionary to Georgia, where he devoted himself to the work of establishing educational institutions. He became pastor of the Presbyterian church in Troy, N. Y., in 1822, and continued as such for upward of forty years. He was actively interested in the temperance, moral reform, revival, and anti-slavery movements of his time. In 1831 he was moderator of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church, and during the discussions that, in 1837, led to the division in that church, he was the leader of the new-school branch. Resigning his pastorate in 1863, he passed the remainder of his life in retirement in Troy and in Carbondale. Besides sermons, essays, and addresses, which have