Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-05-29
Secretary Perry and Minister Souie.

The National lntellgonoer contains letter
from Mr. Perry, now L. S. Charge at Madrid,
addressed To the President, and bearing date
April 9th, utimo IL is an answer to Mr..
Soule's onslaught upon him through the columns
of the National lntegencer, and was forwarded
nl1o to TINT journal To be spread befnre the
country. Spenkng of Mr. Soulo's conduct
while away from his post MT Ostend, he says:
During that period Mr.. Soule not only negleo-
ted himself the instructions of the Secretary Of
State when they interfered with his own purposes,
but he also pretended to direct me to neglect them,
he not being ut tho time III the exercise of his
functions of Minister nt Madrid, recognized
in any capacity by the Spanish Government. He
thus placed me apparently in the alternative eth
or of inlling in my duty to my government or of
precipitang n personal rupture with himself,
which at that moment would have been equally de-
trimental its service. III have found the means
to avoid both, recognizing authority which he
had no right to give, whilst throwing upon him
the responsibility of whit he might direct, humbly
accepting, in my official form and intercourse with
him and with this Government the tone and bear
ing of n subordinate. when, in fact,l had then no
superior except in Washington trust that you
sir and the country, will understand that by so do
ing was better able to carry out the spirit of the
instructions of the Secretary of State, whilst
might lay before him also proofs of the true
condition of our aiiuirs with Spain, vital in
their Importance TO our interests and honor
This course gave me the power also to preserve
the decorum of this Legation as far as possible
from the consequences of his errors"
Further on he says:
The Hon. Pierre Soule thought proper to
suppress an important dispatch from the Secre-
tary ofState concerning the affair of the Black
Warrior, intended for the Spanish Government
during the space of five months. | able
however, to prevent the evil effects of the pro-
cceding, and did so. The proof is that with
in fortnight after his departure, on the Both of
August had procured from the Spanish Gov
ernment proposition of II satisfactory charac-
ter for the complete settlement Of that affair."
whose final adjustmen. was impeded at that time
only by the necessity felt under, of not address
sing Official note upon that subject to the
Spanish Minister, in order that my conduct
should not conflict officially with that of Mr.
Soule."
"lf | have resisted him, foiled his cunning and
undone his work, | have done honorably and
fairly abusing no confidence, failing to no duty
He made no disclosures to me of his secret oper-
ations. He did not ask my aid. Still it is true
thatI know more of him than he was aware
The greater part Of his operations come to my
knowledge in his absence because, from the mo
ment that the responsibility of affairs devolved
upon me- considered ii my first duty to be well
informed concerning him and his movements
iel ht thdl very tuS spoke to niln pialnlyi ana
counseled him as | should wish to be counseled
in like circumstances.
''Since the return of the Hon. Pierre Soule
from Europe, error has gained ground. The ca
lumnies which he may after and the arts to which
he may have for the purpose of discredit-
ing what have felt in my duty to lay before tho
Secretary of State concerning his policy, have
adequate corrective for nlr at this distance. l
have the honor therefore to request If in your
better Judgment it shout be compatible with the
interests of America, that you will cause to be
published to the country, soon as they can be
prepared, copies of every line which Ihave writ
ten to the Government or any of its members.
officially or unoficially, directly or indirectly
concerning affairs from the day of the arrival of
Mr.. Soule at Madrid to the day of the date of this
paper"