The New York herald., 1851-12-30

Eylau, again, the Freneh army vss IN ; critical
situation. Augsreau had been roateds DAveust
had been inpedsd. Nsy and Bsrnadetts uere still
appointed, desired to An bsek for the purposs Of
ehecting jpnction with the other coE1o. Soult
rscommendsd keeping the field, .promising that the
enemy would retreat in The nigh. This they did;
tory. Napoleon was IS generous in his acknow.
ledgmsnts as Maroeau had been years before.
In l606 Soult Was sent to Spain, TO erueh the
EngEsh. His career in Spain, against Mcofe,
ss:. inS have Sssn sss s s s Is
on the field Frenchmen insist tbat hs was in
variably victorious. Englshmen insist that he was
invariably beaten. The French military authorities
state that he drove 81, John Moor; to the sss e..
before Wellington--thst he conquered at Albuera,
and remained the victor at Toulouse. The Eng
lish, if Southey be- representative, relate, as
MASTERS Of course, that Soplt was beaten ct Lugo
and at Corunna, by Sir John Moore; that the
passage of the Douro by the English was disgrace-
full to the French Marshal; that the battle of
Albuera was discreditable to him; and that at
Toulouse he never had . chance against Yelling
as . demon Of cruelty, who upheld plumber and
rapne as duties to his officers, and who marked all
his marches in Spain and Portugal By gibbets in
lieu Of mile stones. The first English histories Of
Wellington, and insolent denial Of el genius to his
competitors; and even 90 late - 1887, when Souls
was guest of England, he was given to understand,
BY the Qxortriy Revieso and "leading Journal"
ing that he had been soundly beaten at Toulouse.
The military technical controversies in respect to
great battles rage without any reference to the
civil results; and English professional critcs are
why Napoleon won at Waterloo. Fortunately for
Soult's fame in England, the English judgment of
him has Of late years, been entirely guided, hrst
by the Duke Of Wellington's own dispatches, and
next by the impartial summing up Of Sir William
Napier. In the great work Of Napier, full justice
is done to Soult; and the Marshal stands out in
the picture of the war as q superb General, less
tune In bis 6rst Spanish campaigns, souit had
enormous difficulties to deal with. He was only one
Of many generals, of equal power; he was in the
midst ofa country hostile to him. and he was never
Wiz Ny, % Ma1mont suchss, a and King Joseph; and,
as they would not do what he wanted, he was the
last man to be guided by them. In his second
campaign against the English, in lSl3-l4, he
the enemy triumphant, flushed with series Of
well Victories the country dispirted Or IN.
imieal, and his own AMY beginning to doubt If the
Emperor always won Yet, upon taking command
Of the Emperor. 81. proclamation to the troops
breathed the haughtiest confidence in his cause and
in bis chances; and i is worthy Of notice that that
while declaring that II the French had been well
cOhmd0ueO II flttOrl8 bQey WOUlO nave Uoatou tuc
English. he is just and noble enough to pay the
highest compliments to Lord Wellington. The
duke in his dispatches charges Soult with cruelty;
and praises, when he has to praise. with terrible
tanning his ends !. very apparent but this is q
fault common to all generals. OF the results Ma
pier speaks. In writing Of the route Of Baya, in
1871, he says, Here it is impossible to refrain
At Albaera he lost one Of the fercest battles
upon human record, and that at . moment when
every embarrassment. Nevertheless, holding fast
to Estremadurs, he still maintained the struggle,
TO repass the Guadisna. II he did not then push
his fortune to the utmost it must be consdered that
his command was divided that his troops were still
impressed with the recollection Of Albuera, and
that the genius Of his adversary had worked out
new troubles for him in Andalusia. With how
much resolution and activity he repressed those
troubles have justeshown but, above all things,
he s to be commended for the prudent vigor Of his
administration, which, In despite ofthe opposition Of
Joseph's Spanish councillors, had impressed the An.
dalusans with such notonof his power and resources
that Eo revolt Of any real conseq uence took place,
and none Of his civic guards orEscopeteros failed him
in the hour Of need. Let any man observe the vide
extent of country he had TO maintain; the frontiers
fringed 1t were with hostile armies; the interior
suffering under war requsitions; the people secretly
hating the French; . constant insurrection In the
Ronda, and q national government and powerful
army in the lsla de Leon; innumerable English and
Spanish agents, prodigal Of money and OF arms,
continually instigatng the people of Andalusia to
revolt the coast covered with hostile vessels Glib
raltar sheltering beaten arme on one side, Cadiz
on another, Portugal on third, Murcia on fourth
the communication with France difficult; two bat
ties lost; few reinforcements, and all the material
means 10 be created in the country-let any man,
say, consider this and he will be convinced that il
was 10 common genius that could remain unshaken
amidst such difficulties. Yet Soult no, only sus-
tanned himself, but contemplated the most gigantic
sary to be dreaded What though his skill in ac-
tua combat not so remarkable as In some Of his
contemporaries, who can deny him frmness, activity,
vigor, foresight, grand perception, and admirable
arrangement 1t is this animation Of high quail,
ties that forms a "great captain" Soult, beyond
all question. was something very much more than
o great general. great captain" is a man who
can govern as we'll as fight. Soult was capable Of
heroicaly grand resolutions. His determination to
act on the offensive, when sent by Napoleon tokesp
the English from crossing the Pyrenees, and when
any other general would have cautiously trimmed,
was worthy Of n lietenant Of that Emperor whe,
after the disasters OF Russia, was ready 70 face all
Europe, and faced 1t by advancing on the allies.
Soult was essentially soldier Of heroic proportions
His silent reserve, his taci,urn rmness, his mex
orable resolution, awed his army into adequate
instruments for his purposes. He never knew when
he was beaten, and never allowed his troops to
think defeat possible.
Soult was absent from Spain during the time
Lord Wellington was most successful. IL may be
that had he been at Vittoria, he would have Jared
as badly as Marmont; but 1t is q fact that spain
was lost to the Emperor while Soult was with the
Emperor. Soult was Withdrawn in consequence OF
the complaints made by King Joseph. Joseph
had written TO his brother TO say that either be
(Joseph) or Soult must quit Spain. The withdraw
al was only for time. Soult was with Napoleon,
serving him faithfully at Bauczen and at Dresden.
But there came the news Of Vittoria. Southern
France was uncovered to Wellington. Only two
men were ct, In Napoleon's estimate, to meet Well
Nap0laOu and SOut He eOud not
himself; he sent Soult. II was great mission and
q hgh trust, and Soult was worthy Of the conf
dence reposed in his genius and in bis honor He
lost at San Sebastian, at Orthez, and at Toulouse.
Then there reached him the news that the Emperor
had abdics sted. He did not even then submit.
There was truce, and he paused. None knew
which course be wonld take. AT last he submitted
perhaps not becauie he despaired Of Napoleon.
With a rugged outward indifference 10 all changes,
he now became a loyalist. Like other marshals, he
to be courted by Louis the Eighteenth.
The most formidable Of them, he was courted more
than the others; and he became Minister Of War