The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-04-13
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The N. 0. Times ON Mr.. SGuIe.

iHt Ne W. lEMeS Oh Mfs SGu!e,
A recent number of the N. O. Times
contained lengthy and very interest
ing biographical sketch Of the Hon
Pierre Soule, which we read with a
great deal of pleasure. The forte OF
the author lit would violate editorial
etiquette to call the name of one who
writes iHcognito) is personal biography,
and extensive knowledge of public
characters always renders his sketches
peculiarly interesting. Whenever he
is ''hard up" for editorial matter YOU
could not please him better than to
wake him at sunrise and inform him
that one of his friends had died the
night before.
In the sketch of Mr.. Soule the haste
incident to the making up of every first
class daily paper, has led the author
INTO one or two very glaring errors in
regard to the departed statesman's
public career which we are sure Il little
reflection would have corrected. The
Times says in substance that Mr.. SouIe
was appointed U. S. Senator by Gov
ernor Isaac Johnson at the death of
Senator Barrow; that on his entrance
into the Senate he so distinguished
himself as a debater on the Compromise
measures as to be elected by the sue
ceedinS Legislature; and that the Leg
islature, though the Wings had ma
jority, elected Mr.. Soule, Democrat,
while the Wings were unwilling to
vote for Mr.. slidell, the regular Demo
cratic caucus nominee.
Mr.. Soule became a Senator on the
Sd day of February, 1s47. Governor
johnson may have appointed him, as
the Times and Picayaae states, but we
do not think so. The Legislature must
have been i'll session at the time, and if
so the Governor had no power to an
point Senator even to fill vacancy.
We know that, during the same win
ter either before OF. after Mr. Sonle's
appointment, Mr.. Downs was elected
Senator for six years from the 4th of
March, when Mr.. Barrow's term would
expire.
Giving Mr.. Soule a week to get to
Washington his first Senatorial term
lasted only three aceeks. Perhaps in
this brief period he acquired all the
reputation the Times gives him credit
for, but we never heard of it before
AT any rate the subject which
brought forth a manifestation of his
power was not the Compromise meas
ures, which did not come before Con-
gress until three years afterwards. Nor
did his services to the South on that
important question, great and conspic-
uous as they We're, procure his election
to the Senate. He was elected as the
successor of Governor Henry johnson
Tor the term commencing On the 4th of
March, 1919, one year before the Com
promise came before Congress. Mr..
Sonic never was elected to a civil Of
flee after the discussion on the Compro-
mise of 1850.
We think, too, that our contempora-
ry is mistaken in stating that the
W higs had majority in tie Legisla-
tnre OF lS49 which elected Mr.. SouIe to
The Senate. AWhig Legislature would
hardly elect a Democratic SENATOR
Our recollection is that the Legislature
was Democratic by small majority.
but that several Democratic members
refused to support the caucus nominee.
When Mr.. Slidell was dropped Mr..
ooule was thken up, and receiving the
f''il Democratic vote, together with
several Wings, was elected. Four
years afterwards Mr.. Soule resigned to
accept the Spanish mission, when Mr..
olidell was appointed to fill the vacan-
". Mr.. Benjamin had already been
elected for six years as the successor of
Mr.. Downs.
The Times doubtless has access to
documents which we think will verify
'he above statements. In default of
my other source of information at |
present we have to trust to memory
still, We repeat the sketch is charac-
,el1stic of its author and is exceedingly
interesting. If rewritten and slightly
it wanld make handsome
pamphlet and would be a fitting tri-
,ate 20 the memory of one whose ge-
nus and services to his country de-
erye more than an epliemeral news
,aper notice.