Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-08-26
MISCELLA NE0US.
From the New Orleans Delta.
FIERssR sOULE.

Il must be highly gratifying to every citizen
Of Louisiana, to observe the distinguished and
influential position which our eloquent and
able Senator, Pierre Soule, has assumed in that
august body, the Senate OF the United States. 1t is
certainly a rare spectacle, a mental phenbme-
non which that gentleman EXHIBITS A native Of
France, he had attained mans estate before he
ever essayed to utter a word Of the language OF
this country. A friendless exile, he worked his
way to this country, and landed on our leyee in
the last stage Of restitution, victim Of the OPP
preston OF Bourbon dynasty whose vices he
had lashed with merclless pen aud fearless
tongue We remember well an incident which
brought the circumstance Of Mr.. Soule's first APP
pearance i'll this country wildly to mind. Il
| was during the violent canvass for the Presiden-
cy OF 1910, when Mr.. Soule and the late Etien-
ne Mazureau were arrayed against each other
the rival orators of the two great political par
ties. Mr. NlaZareau was Frenchman by birth,
and a gentleman of great ability and learning,
but most terocious, indiscriminate, and often
mprudent i'll his carcasln Soule, on the other
hand, was always consummate, popular orator
sprung from the mass, he knew the secret spring,
of popular feeling, and always adapted himself
with admirable art and tact to the feelings and
ideas of the people. Mazureau was proud, ed
ucated man, somewhat pedantic and scholastic,
with great contempt for those who, without tie
with those who had borne off the honors of the
school, Soule was one of these Objectionable
aspirants, for whom the powerful old French
man was wont to express his profound disdain.
But his young antagonist never failed to turn
every expression of this feeling to an account,
and in Il very short time brought his opponent
to a full sense of the equality of their talents
capacities, learning, and eloquence. Finally,
Soule, by the admirable skill Of his oratory OBJ
Itoi,r al 40,
that he concluded to leave the field, and forever
afterwards confined himself to jurisprudence, in
which he had no equal in this State We were
present at one OF the encounters between these
two able orators Ill 1910, and we shall never
forget the effect produced by one of Mr.. Soule's
relorts.
Mr.. Mazurcau had referred TO the presumption
OF an individual who landing here few years
ago, with a single shirt 20 his back, should at
tempt to teach him democracy. MIR. Soule, in
reply said that the allusion suited him admira-
bly,, he had landed on this soil with but one shirt
to his back, & that shirt he still preserved in his
wardrobe as holy relic it was worth more to
him than an Emperor's purple, or the cost.iest
robes OF wealth or royalty; coarse and homely,
it was the appropriate garb of poor eXiled re-
publican, driven by his love Of liberty from the
soil of despoism to this land of freedom and
democracy. 1t was in that shirt, but short
democ ratio faith, and in that humble garment
he hoped to be wrapped, when his body should
be conveyed 10 lis last resting place. He then
proceeded to dwell upon the glorious associations
aroused by this taunl of Mr. M, and worked
them up with such admirable taste; power, skill,
and eloquence that he carried the whole audi
enee, without distinction OF party, with him,
and fairly drove his opponent from the field
So much for Mr. Soue's eloquence as a popular
orator. As an advocate i'll criminal cases We
doubt if he has his equalin the United Saes.-
The saoacity and quickness of his discernment
his admirable know ledge of the human heart,
great self-possession, persuasive aha seductive
MANNER plausible augmentation, and rich,
glowing, fluent eoqnence, enforced by an APP
pearance snguiarly striking and impressive
renders him the 1noCel of ali orator and advo-
cate.
But the crowhing conqnes. of Mr.. Soue has
lately been achieved in the Senate Chamber
1t was believed by many that his career in the
political arena would not be so brilliant as it
had been at the bar and in the FORUM Few of
our eminent lawyers have succeeded in polt-
cal life The habit of narrowing the mind
down to particular cases, and hemming it with
in certain tormalities acquired at the bar is apt
to follow the lawyer into public life, and circum-
scribe the scope OF his observation and reasoning
MIR. Soule has proved a striking exception 10 this
rule. Tie has, from the very beginning, shown
himself ready skillful, acute and able politi-
can and powerful debater, maintaining honora-
BILE and equal contest with the ripest and ablest
statesmen OF the countIy-contests conducted IN
a language which he scarcely ever heard, and
was perfectly ignorant of, until sometime after
he had attained to mans estate-contest involy-
ing the institutions principles and history of