Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-30
Robertson County
PIERRE sOULE DECEASED.

From the New Orleans Times, March q.
At last has has departed one of the
most distinguished men who has figured
on the public or professional arena of this
State.
Pierre Soule, whose noble intellect and
heroic character have long been obscured
by the decay of his powers, and the aber-
ration of mental faculties, which were
once the admiration of all who ever came
within his influence, has departed this
life.
Ever since the termination of the late
war the mind of Mr.. Soule has been I'M
settled, but during the last two years it
has been completely unhinged. The once
great orator, unequaled advocate, accom-
plished jurist and scholar, dwindled into q
helpless and hopeless imbecile, and passcd
the last two years of his life in the most
frivolous and imbecile manifestations of
the complete overthrow of his once mag
niilcent powers.
The history of this unhappy period of
his life corresponds in its romantic and
interesting features with his previous re-
markable career. For the present, it
must suffice to say, that he had nearly
reached the scriptural limit of three score
and ten years. He was born in the
south of France, in the Pyrenean section,
was educated at a Jesuit college, en-
barkcd at an early age in political jour
nalism in Paris, espoused the cause of
Red Republicanism, became involved in
a prosecution for sedition, was impris-
oned, and only released on condition of
his departure to some foreign country;
accepted secretaryship under Boyer, the
colored President of ST. Domingo; dis
gusted with this position, came TO
this city a poor and friennleSs eX-
lie, and after the usual probation
of poor emigrants, at last by the
force of his talents, spirit and energy,
secured positSon at the Bar in which he
displayed the highest qualities of genius,
eloquence, and of intellectual and moral
vigor, and drew him as large a circle of
devoted friends and admirers as ever
cheered and supported the efforts and as
piratiOns of any man. Passing from the
Bar into public life, Mr. Soule's
grand eloquence and vast, resour-
ces, original and acquired, were
OlSpldlCu On lIo uOOI Vi luo Ouiltu OldJGS
Senate, to the great admiration of the
whole people of this nation. The homage
of tina nightly intellects which once adorned
that illustrious body, the Calhouns, Clays,
Websters, Bentons, Choates, and others was
freely rendered to the distinguished
and brilliant Frenchman, who was
the peer of them all Next we
find him the Minister of the United
States at the Court of Madrid, where
his gallant and proud spirit vindicated the
honor and dignity of the Republic against
the innuendoes and Sights of the SER
wants of foreign monarchies. OF his
| after career, his return to the Bar, his
brilliant trophies as an advocate anG popu-
| lar orator, his devotion to his State in the
hour of her trial, despite his previous
strong opposition to the course adopted
by the majority of her citizens, his sa-
critics., persecution, exile and misfortuncs
during our happy civil war, his return
to his home shattered, broken, melan-
choly shadow of the once strong and
brilliant tribune and jurist, and the final
decline of his once splendid faculties into
hopeless imbecility and complete aberra-
tion-no just or satisfactory description
can be given within the compass and I'M
I der the circumstances of the brief and
| partial sketch.
From the detailed notice of Mr.. Soule
in the Picoyune, we extract the follow
ing:
Arriving in this city, entirely unac,
quainted with the English language, he
determined to acquire it as quickly as
practicable, in order to enter the lega
profession. With that view he proceeded
to Nashville, Tenn, where he remained
considerable period in studying, and during
this time made the acquaintance of Gen.
jackson and his aniable wife, at the Her.
mitage. Having mastered English suffici-
emily to speak it ilueutly, he returned &c
New Orleans, and was soon admitted TO the
bar, at which his rise was uncommonly
rapid and brilliant.