Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-25
LETTER FROM MIR. soULE.

Some days ago statement appeared IN the
New York Times which, after mentioning that
Mr.. Soule had suddenly changed his bearing
towards the administration, stated that the
change was produced by the discovery, on the
part Of Mr.. Soule, that Mr.. Perry, his Secre-
tary of Legation had made certain communi-
cations to the Department OF State. According
to the article in the Times, those communities
tons reflected so severely on the official conduct
Of Mr. Soue, as to induce him to avoid any
issue with the gosernment, for fear Of their
publication. The National Iteliigencer copied
the leading statement Of the Times, and, by
doing SO, called from Mr. Soule the following
letter:
New YORK, METROPOLITAN HOTEL.
March %, 1855.
To the Editors of the National Intelligencer:
MEssRs EDIToRs: Ny attention has just
been called to republication which appeared
in your number of the 18th instant Of an
article from the New York Times Of the 18th,
alluding to certain subreptitious correspon
dence, held, it would seem, between III. /.
Perry, esq, my Secretary of Legation at Ma
~.
ton, and enclosing letters which had passed
between that gentleman and myself subsequent
TO my departure from Spain in August last.
Had not the article of the "7imss" gone
beyond that paper l should have avoided no
ticing its contents; but when the grave Latelii-
qencer hestates not to transfer it to its columns
/ may we'll surrender what scruples l had
against thrusting myself on the attention Of
the public, and be permitted to hazard a word
Of answer.
The article Of the Times intimates that my
reserve and discretion since my return to
Washington could only be induced by the ap-
prehension that the above correspondence
should be sent to the public and you, sirs,
not only seem TO endorse that intimation, but
strive TO maze il more significant by the remark
that the story narrated in il lis Of too much
interest to be withheld from your readers, for,
although il be calculated to mystify, more light
may soon be thrown on the subject"
had imagined that your keen sight, Messrs.
Editors, could hardly be obscured by the mists
Of such a narrative, as have some reason to
know that very early, and long before the date
Of the publication in the Times, you had OBJ
tanned access TO the very papers alluded TO in
it. You ought from their perusal to have &C.
CURED the conviction that could In no manner
object to their being exposed TO the public gaze.
You certainly might, at any time, have obtained
my fiat for giving them entire TO your readers.
II it be true that, in my Secretary Of Lega-
ton, in the very man had taken to my bosom,
though he belonged not to my political creed,
had spy aud traitor, it will never hurt me
to let the world know how he carried on the
infamous trade.
Please, sir, insert this letter in Your next
number, and believe me your very humble and
obedient servant.
PIERRE SoULE.
The National Iptelligencer in publishing the
foregoing letter, subjoins the following com.
ments
"Snce Mr.. Soule has thought proper to admit
the existence Of the correspondence alluded to
by the article of. the New York Times, copied
into the Inteuigenccr, we might forego any
observations on the Letter which he has done
us the honor TO address TO us; but il may not
be improper for us to make one or two remarks
upon it. First, we did not obtain access" to
the correspondence referred to. A copy Of it
was voluntarily but con6dentially placed in our
hands for perusal in February, mot, however,
By Mr.. Perry, with whom we had no cores
pondence, direct or indirectly and we respected
that confidence by abstsining from any refer.
ence to the letters until we found the statement
in the New York journal. Secondly, in copying
the Times article, we excluded those personal
passages which we supposed Mr.. Soulo could
take Just exception TO. Thirdly, as the cores
pondence was not in our possession, it would
have been as idle as il would have been imper-