The southern press., 1851-12-03

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published the speech, ia order to obtain space
for reply. This has been denied me, and am
compelled to throw myself on your liberality
and to ask you to give access in your columns
to the communication / had addressed to the
paper above referred to; also send you the slip
from the New York Mirror, which had enclosed
in that communication, that it may be consulted
by whomsoever shall desire it, and be afterwards
returned to me. -.
have the honor to be, gentlemen, with great
respect, your very humble and obedent servant
... PIERRE SOULE.
New ORLEANS, Nov. 5, 1851.
GENTLEMEN: The publication in your yes
terday's number, of the speech delivered by my
honorable colleague, Gen. Solomon w. Downs,
at Monroe, La, on the 7th of October last, and
! the peculiar complexion which characterizes
some portions of it, are my excuse and my title
to ask some little space, in your next number,
for the few remarks which the occasion calls for.
To the arguments, through which seeming
attempt is made at something like an answer to
my Opelousas speech, Icannot have the remotest
objection. They are fair specimen OF the ra,
tocination peculiar to the distinguished senator,
and do full justice to the high repute he has
earned as polished and forcible debater.
| Against the abuse so bitterly, yet somewhat
tlmidly aimed at me in almost every sentence of
the better half of his speech, have still less to
say, particularly if by such an offering my col.
league succeeds in propitiating party which
cannot fail to consider itself wooed through, and
will certainly derive great relief and comfort
from every stab that may be directed against one
of its most obnoxious opponents
| But the honorable senator denies the correct
! pny nft ba I i. L.
New York speech; and, abiding to my course
on the compromise, goes on to say, that T" II he
(meaning y did not hear in the private circles of
The capital a motiue attributed 10 him (meaning
ne) far has course on that measure, so rery sud,
denly and SO unexpectedly taken, Ipresume he rs
| the oniy senator lha: did not. .... ..
| This requires word of answer, and shall have
it. The remarks in General Downs speech, with
| respect to the quotations, are as follows:
Mr.. Soule quotes these words as coming
| from my New York speech Convinced by The
patriotism + their representatives that The North
ern people aosre sound pledged myself 10 the sup.
port Of the COMPROMISED And again, thus Is
| Nep York goes, so goes the North; as the North
goes, so goes the South and in the end, zoe shall
NIL go together.' ! used no such language.
have never seen it in any report of my speech,
though have seen many. do not be-
ieve it is to be found in any fair report made and
published in good faith anywhere al any rate,
If IL as, Isaouid like 10 see IT, ...'
I" made no allusion to representatives.
There is nothing in my speech at all like these
words, quoted by Mr.. Soule, That aJolitionisn,
uas no longer 10 be preached and practiced al The
North-that aggression upon them toas put an
end 10 from that quarter"
| Now, gentlemen, in order TO give some salts.
faction to the worthy general, send you here
with, THAT HE MAY SEE 1T, slip from the New
York Mirror of the 10th of December last
wherein the speech~and the ceremony on the oc-
casion Of which the speech was delivered, are re.
ported with the most laudatory concentrations
and such as it was sent 10 me, as then thought
by Mr.. Downs himself; and beg leave to di.
rect your attention 10 the third column, at line
sixty three, where you will discover the very
words quoted by me: CONVINCED Dy THE PA.
TRIoTIsM OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, THAT THE
| NORTHERN PEOPLE WERE SOUND, | PLEDGED MY.
SELF To THE SUPPORT OF THE COMPROMISE"
And, if YOU proceed on, until you reach the
ifty-secord line in the fourth column, you vii
also find in the very words Of my quotation
that "As New YORK GOES, so WILL GO THE
NORTH; As THE NORTH GOES, so WILL GO THE
SOUTH; AND, IN THE END, WE Shall ALL GO To
GETHER."+
And, following me back 10 line ono hundred
and thirty-fivc, in the third column, note, gen
temen, IL You please. whether YOU do not read
with me precisely this language VIZ HAVE
TOLD THE SoUHERN PEOPLE THAT ABoLITIoSIsM
Is 80 LONGER TO BE PREACHED AND PRACTIcEp
AT THE NORTH; THAT AGGRESSION Uros THEM
FROM THAT QUARTER, WERE PUT AN END To "
Mos: clearly, then, my honorable colleague
has forgotten his speech or he could not 80
boldly have asserted that il contained not n word
Of what | had extracted from IL. II msy be
that in order to refresh his memory, ought "a
have quoted also from the same document the
extraordiary sentiment expressed at line seventy
Of the fourth column WHAT, If MY PARTY Is
PUT DOwS! ANOTHER AND BETTER ONE WILL
START UT TOMORROW ?"
Hereafter, my colleague, hope, will shoH
himselfa little more considerate before he hurl,
denunciations Of unfair ess &C those who MAY
wish TO profit and be enlightened by his dis
courses.
If my quotations from the New York speech
are correct, by looking TO the fret Of them, anc
TO that part Of my opslousas speech where
alluded to IL, you will perceive at once, gentle
men, that attributed no motives TO my col
leagues course on the compromise question.
merely commented on those motives which h,
himself had chosen TO give out and proclaim Il
the world. did not, borrowing the commo
dious cloak ofpretended opinions picked up in III
PRIVATE circles Of The capital, sneekingy sugges
that there was anything improper in them.
spoke not covertly. ! meant what said, anC
did say what meant; and did not stop and sup
press my thought half choakei within my throat
And, when my colleague prcsumes to dea
otherwise towards me, he will not, am sure
find amiss that should tell him that whoever, al
any time or place, had the hardhood 10 imput,
10 me for the part acted in the great compro
mise struggle, any but the most lofty aud the
most di~intercsted motives, is base and con
temptbIe defamer. And il be asked what b,
my opinion Of him who calculates the slandet
undera cowardly disguise, conceang the source
from which il sprung, and seduously avoiding r.
give il a tangible shape, will canddly answer
that he is by no means less infamous than tbs
slanderer himself Yours respectfully,
| PIERRE SOULE.
! p. S.-Ths editors Of the Delta will please
retain in their hands the slip from The New Yorh