The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-28
THE DEATH OF MIR. SOULB.


THE DEATH OF MR.. SOULB.
THE announcement of the death of Pierre
Soul at New Orleans on Saturday last re-
calls vividly to mind the old ante belIum days
when he and men of the same political affilia-
tion ruled with high hand at home, and
too often misrepresented the United States
abroad, bringing discredit upon the American
people by their unscrupulous and arrogant
bearing on occasions when no provocation
existed for them to assert the prerogatives Of
American citizenship with undue vigor. Mr..
Soul was q political adventurer by profess
sion and revolutionist by instinct. Like
many other European refugees, he proved
himself, when the hour of trial came, not to
be a friend of liberty and equality, but mere
lover of the excitement of revolution and dis
cord for it's own sake With such men oppo-
sition to the constituted authorities appears
to be an instinct, and it is to this
peculiarly of European republicans that can
easily be attributed their failure to make
any decided progress in overthrowing the old
despotisms that still exist in spite of the
advanced civilization of the nineteenth CEN
tury. Practical men who wish to see liberty
established upon sure and certain founda-
tion are afraid to trust them, and prefer
rather to bear the ills they have than to fly
to others that they know not of under the
leadership of agitators to whom liberty means
little else than license. Pierre Soule was
exiled from France on account of his repub-
lican sentiments and his Vaccinations to
overthrow the Bourbon dynasty. On becom-
ing citizen of the United States he allied
himself to the party that made human slavery
the chief principle of its creed, and among
the turbulent and hot-headed men who, by
fair means and foul, contrived to control the
Government of the United States until their
own folly put an end to their rule and their
pet institution at the same time, Mr.. Soule
found congenial spirits with whom he cordi-
ally united in the furtherance of all their
projects.
His appointment as Minister to Spain by
President Pierce was fair specimen of how
things were managed in those days. Mr.
Soule was one of the most prominent among
the advocates for the acquisition of Cuba at
all hazards, and under the circumstances his
appointment to this mission was scarcely less
than an insult to the Spanish Government
He had scarcely been received at the Court of
Madrid when he contrived to disgust all right
thinking persons on both sides of the Allan
tic by engaging in duel with and
wounding M. Turgot, the French Ambassa-
dor, upon most trivial pretext. This affair
grew ont of a remark made soto 00ce by the
son of M. Turgot, who with a group of
young men was discussing the toilets of the
ladies at a ball. The gorgeous dress of Mrs.
Soule attracted his attention, and he whis-
pered to companion, Marguerite de Bur
gundy." Unfortunately young Souls heard
him and made it the occasion of a quarrel,
which the elder Soul contrived to fasten
upon the French Ambassador, with the result
above mentioned. This affair made Mr..
Soule extremely unpopular in Madrid, and the
feeling against him was further increased by
the part he took in the famous Ostend Con-
ference, in which it was confidently believed
that he was the ruling spirit. 1t was there
fore relief to all well-dsposed persons in
Spain and the United States when he was re-
called.
When the secession of the Southern States
was first talked of Mr.. Soul was sagacious
enough to see that the movement was a
blunder, but his instincts were more power
full than his Judgment, and when Louisiana
seeded he unhesitatingly proclaimed himself
a Rebel and joined his fortunes to those of
the Oonfederacy. During the Rebellion Mr..
Soul was principally employed as an agent
in Europe to advocate the Southern cause
and since the close of the war he has not
figured at all in politics. Mr.. Soul is said
by those who knew him well to have been an
agreeable companion and fascinating con-
versationalist. His abilities were more
snowy and brilliant than profound, and on
no occasion did he advance to the front rank
as statesman or even as a politician. So
little impression did he make during his
public career that he was almost forgotten,
and the announcement of his death at this