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Belmont's ambitions, however, extended far beyond mere financial domination. By the 1850s, he had expertly ingratiated himself with the Democratic Party, beginning a strategic alliance with Louisiana Senator John Slidell, who would later become a significant Confederate figure. In a strikingly short span, Belmont achieved what many Americans could only dream of: he became the chairman of the Democratic National Committee at a time when the party leaned heavily towards pro-slavery sentiments, notably aligning against the anti-slavery Republican factions.