The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1870-04-09
PIERRE soULE.

-..tar,lay in this city after u protracteu
"a nainful illness. He w:ls sixty. nine
s.srs of age, of which more than forty
ysra passcd here. He was born in South
.rn France, on the slopes of the Pyre-
,..s In very early manhood. he had
Sonnd his way to Paris, and become con-
uect4d with journalism, in opposition to
tLs policy of the Government Of Charles
Z particularly IA it concerned t!r free
dnm of the press. H.. was editor, about
thr year 1924 of "A paper bearing lie sin
,,ular title of lie Main Jaune-tle yellow
1warf-and conducted it with such viz"
lepce that lie soon got into such difficult
ties with the authorities MS to draw upon
his head q prosecution for violation of
the law on the subject of the press, and
WAS obliged to tly flom the storm. and
leave France. He first landed in st. Do
miugo. where he remained hut Il very
abort time before coming to loui>iana.
Arriving iu this city entirely unAcquaint-
ed with the English language, he deter
mined to acquire it as quickly rs practi
cable, in order to enter the legal protes-
siou. With that view he proceeded to
Nashville, Tennessee, where he remain
ed considerable period, in studying,
and during this time made the acquaint-
wife, ut the Hermitage. Having mas
tered English sufficiently to speak it t1;l
eptly, he returned to New Orleans and
was soon admitted TO the bar. ut which
his riss was uncommonly rapid and bril-
liant. He was bold and fond of adveu-
ture, and in few years, he was not only
busy iu his profession, but had entered
into the spirit of speculation which char
aeterized the era Of ls34;N, throughout
tie South. He WAS largely engaged in
an association called the Improvement
and Banking Company, which built that
splendid edifice, the first st. Louis Ho-
tel, and unless We mistake. WAS the Pres
idslt of the Improvement Bank. The
tremendous commercial crash of 1896
carried down this association, and the
hank WIS wound up afterwards under
tie operation of the banking law of ls42
After this catastrophe Mr.. Soule devoted
his energies to his practice at the bar,
being principally distinguished as Grim
iual advocate, though he was often en-
gaged in most important civil suits, i'll
volviug intricate points of the civil law,
or large amounts in money. He bad at
tacl,sd himself will. all the enthusiasm
of hia nature, to the Democratic party,
and waA a speaker ut aln"st every one
of it's popular as<tmhlagts or colven-
tiona, aud for several years exercised
great control in its c"unSels aud organi-
zatiOu. He was mei,ber flnm this
pn.is, of the first State Senate under
the constitution Of lsl5, u nd on the dcatl,
Of Alexander Barrow, Senator in Com
gress, he was appointed t" fill the va
ra,cy ly Gov Isaac johnson. Sub>--
qnently. be- was elected tu the same sta
ton by the Legislature, after pr"l"ng-
ed iut indecisive culitcst between Messrs.
Duncan F. krnncr and John Sl;drll, be-
ing taken up as IL cnniplNnise candidate.
10 the Senate, MIR. Soule took the side
Of the Southern Rights Party, and an
nouuced his adherence to the views OF
Mr. Calhoun, making d number of viso-
rous and eloquent speeches against con-
grsssioual emcroaciments on the South
IA respected the territories. the snrren
der Of fugitive slaves, etc. After the
election of Franklin Pierce as President,
he was appointed Minister to Spain, aud
while on his way to his post, WAS denied
passage over French soil, on account of
s"u,e declarations offensive to Louis Ma
poleOn's Government. His residence at
Madrid was mainly devoted to neg"tia-
tions with the Spanish Government on
the proposed cesslOn OF Cuba, but they
were without result. While there he
fought duel with Mr.. Turyot, the
Freach Minister, giving him severe
wound in the knee. In 1854, he met Mr..
Buchanan, Minister to England. and Mr..
John Y. Mason, Minister to France, at
Ostend in Belgium, under instructions
from MIR. Marcy, Secretary of State, iu
conference on the Cuban question, and
from this meeting proceeded the famous
ostend Manifesto, which for time. ere
ated 50 much political excitement in Eu-
rope and America. In the selection of d
nominee for the Presidency in lo56, Mr.
Souie espoused the pretentions of MIR
Douglas, of Illinois, and was but u luke
warm supporter of Mr.. Buchauau's ad
mlnistration. Iu the contest OF 1860, hs
again gave his support to Mr.. Doug las
ana entered warmly into the canvass il
this State. ON this occasion us after
wards, when the policy of secession wis
sg'eated, Mr.. Sonle su rprised his ole
states rights associates by abandoning
some OF their favorite pOsitions. Whel
tss Federal vessels Of war appeared il
iroht Of the city in 1862, he was enc %
sne chief advisers of May or Monroe as t.
ase eaurse under the circu,nst tn nces, and
= believed to have written the Letters
ssgaed by the Mayor, and sent to Cap
aa afterwards Admiral) Farragut. Not
soag after the city was surrendered t.
sAs Federal forces, Gen. Butler had Soul'
sl<sfed aud sent to Fort Lafayette
ssere heswss detained as y prisoner &"
Ssate fOr some months. Being released
10 fousd his way t" Richm"nd, where he
:sosa'ned the rank of Brigadier Genera
10 tho Confederate service, though W.
oelleye he never served in that cals'cit.y
un the close of the war he found him
sesisentirely broken in fortune, and fore
% % 70 return to ths bar. Family at1lic
uoas preyesl upon his irritable tempera
aeat. already seriously affected by In
,npflsonh,ent aud other events, BIZ
aeaish gave way, and ut last his migtty
.asssiect tOttersd pn its thsnRe, and l'e
iore is:hg sunk into imts'cility, thr"ngl
sso:I'e''ing 81: "f the brain; and this -xtraor
sS.Inary man, wh"se eloq uent tsnes has
saF'ilcd popular assrnbIages with hiS'
sasssion, whs~e argu,ne ent% vt the ''a
uaa convinced juries and judges, hos
speeches had ku.,I, lisis,,....i ri " iti, nrO