True Democrat. (Paulding, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1846-08-12
MARSHAL SOULT.

mon centre where the President SITS
The members are all dressed up in dipIo
matte coats, and present to an American
the appearance of an assem5lage of militia.
rv officers. The ScEANcE had not com.
menced as | took my place, and the peers
were slowly dropping one after another,
and taking their respective seats. There
was the Duke de Broglie, Guizot, and
others, and last of all in came Marshal
Soult. He looks like an old warrior, with
his dark features, clear eye, and stern ex-
preston: He is about the middle size,
though stout, with bald spot on the top
of his head. His pantaloonS were very
full, made so evidently TO conceal his bow
legs. 1t was a useless expedient however,
| for the Marshal's lower exIremities form a
| perfect parenthesis which nothing but petit
coats can conceal. As he stood moment
and cast his eyes over the Chamber, l
thought could detect in his cool and quiet
glance, and self possessed bearing, the
stern old warrior that had stood the shock
of So many batte-feIds. AS he limped
along to his seat my mind Involuntary
ran over some of the important events Of
his history
Born of humble parents, entering the
army as a private soldier, musket in hand,
he rose to be Marshal of the Empire Duke
of Dalmatia, and Peer of France. He
early exhibited his wonderful GOODNESS in
the hour of danger.
Atthe battle of FIourous, Gen. Marceau,
commanding the right wing under Lefe-
bvre, was routed and forced to fall back
In his agony he sent to Sout for four bat.
talions, that he might regain his lost posi-
ton.
Soult refused.
"Give them to mel" exclaimed the in
dignant and mortified Marceau, cor will
blow my brains ont"
SouIt cooIly replied, that to do it would
endanger the whole division. Being then
a mere all de,camp, and unknown, his
refusal astonished Marceau, who asked in
a rage
"Who are you?"
"Whoever | nm," replied the impertur-
bable soldier, 81 am calm, which you are
not, do not kill Yourself, but lead on your
men to the charge, and you shall have the
four battaionS as soon as we can spare
them"
His advice had scarcely been given be-
fore the enemy were upon them, and side
by side these two men ragged through the
battle like lions. After the battle was over,
Marceau held ont his hand TO Soult saying,
"CoIonel, forgive the past; you have this
day given me lesson which | shall never
forget. You have, in fact gained the bat
te"
This is a fair illustration Of Sout's char
acter Cool, collected, and self.reliant, the
tumut of battle or the chaos of defeat nev-
er disturbed his perceptions or confused |
his judgment At Auslerlitz, he did the |
same thing to Napoleon. As Bonaparte |
gave him the command of the centre that |
day, he simply said =
"As for you, Sout, have only to say,
act as you always do"
In the heat aud terror of battle an aid de !
camp burst in headlong galop in the pre-
sence of Soult, bearing orders that he
should Immediately carry the height of
Pfat5en."
II will obey the Emperur's orders as
soon as cam replied the chleltain, "but
this is not proper time"
Bonaparle was in perfect fury at his
answer, and sent another aid -de-camp with
peremptory ordersj but before he could
deliver them "the proper time" had arrived,
and the awful column fSoult was in mo-
ton, aud in the next moment his head was
enveloped IN the smoke Of cannon, and in
a few minutes after, torn and mangled, ap-
peared upon the crest Of the hill, where il
struggled two hours for victory, aud won
it. Soult had delayed his charge because
the enemy were extending their lines, and
thus weakning their centre. Bonaparte
saw at once the reason Of his delay, and
struck with admiration Of his behavior,
soon after rode up to him, aud ia the pres
ence Of the whole staff exclaimed
Marshal, account you the ablest tacti- |
cian in tho empire.
II was SoulI's cannon that thundered |
over the grave Of Sir John Moore, who fell |
az Corunna and the noble-heaued Marshal |
inscribed memorial TO his brave opponent /
on the spot Tie was m the carnage az /
Waterloo, aud there, on that wild field, /
saw the star Of Napoleon set forever.
As he slowly Jumped 10 his seal, could
not gaze upon him without feeling the i
deepest interest On what wild scenes
that dark eye had looked, and in what
fierce fights that now aged form he'd nov