Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-09-07
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Katyicdtion IF fhe Ae:io" cj tde i"ito~'t tht.s
tH Convention. e-gTa
The Memphis Avaianehs, of tho 26th, con-;
tains an account nearly four columns IN length,
Of a grand mass meeting in Memphis to raLiiy
1t was the largest gathering seen in that city
for mauy years. Gen. N. B. Forrest was call
ed to the chnir, and on taking his seat, spoke
as follows:
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN: l thank
you for the honor conferred upon Tile TO night,
in selecting me as your presiding officer. YOU
will allow me to say that, am far more famil
jar with the stern duties Of soldier, than 1 nm
with the art of public speaking. 1t is known
to most Of you, that my life has been one Of
action rather than of words Nor has it been
my habit TO take any leading part IN the di-
rection of political and public affairs But the
occasion Of this evening is one of no ordinary
Importance. You haye assembled to express
your appreciation or dlsapprobntion of tho
principles of public policy and constitutional
government declared in the resolutions and al.
dress sent forth to the American people by the
late Philadelphia Convention. If the priuci-
Piles therein enunciated shall DO sustained by
the American people, and particularly by II
majority of the freedmen of the Northern
States, then the States aud the people of I'll.
South will be speedily restored to civil and
constitutional liberty. If know myself this
is the anxious .desire Of my heart. This is tn.
consideration that brought ME here to night,
and without stopping to critc:se or object to
collateral matters aud details, not rostius ON
any great public principle, as a ~hotc, will
stand by the resolutions Of that body.
have carefully read and considered the ud-
dress and the principles of public pollcy and
constitutional law therein contained, and with.
out regard to the language in which they stand
expressed, they meet my FULL unrcserved and
cordial approval. When pledged my worl
and my honor to the lost cause Of the late Con.
federacy, suppose that no who knew me
ever doubted the honesty and good faith wi.h
which they would be redeemed; and whom
now accept the results of the war as irrevoca-
ble, as have accepted them, and pledge my
word aud my faith to the support of the great
principles declared to tho world by the Phila-
delphia Convention, as I now do, that VOW
and that faith shall be equally sacred and un-
changablc..
There is one thing will say in regard to the
soldiers of the North and South, the men who
have met each other in the stern shock Of bat
tie, and a conflict of arms that tried their
courage and their souls; if these grave mntters
were referred to them, these States could be
instantly restored to their former relations :;
their people to the right of representation in
Congress, and all sections Of the Union to qui.
etnde and friendship.
And ns to the last resolution proposed by the
.eommittee, endorsing tho patriotic effort Of the
.Presidsnt Of the Upited States to secure to the
Southern States equality Of rights in the Union
it meets my cordial appreciation. have rea-
son to believe that have been misrepresented
to the Chief Magistrate. and slanaorod by
calumniators, publipiy and privately, in regard
to my behavior as one Of the commanders Of
portion of the army of the latc Confederate
States, but while shall rest my vindication
against these calumnies upon the testimony of
the Thousands Of brave men who followed me
in that bloody struggle, whatever the President
may think Of me, it ia q duty owe to my own
acnce of justice and patriotism to endorse his
policy for the immediate restoration Of the
States; to stand by him in his arduous endeav-
.-ors for the preservation of the constitutional
rights of the Southern States aud people, and
express to the warld my admiration of his
generosity and the diguity of his conduct
And as to my future policy, refer You TO my
past history since the surrender of my command
at Gainesville. Ala, on the 9th day of May,
1855, and to my address to my soldiers on that
occasion.
Speeches were made by Hon. Gus. A. Hen
ry, DR.. Langdon, c. Haynes w. T. Avery
and Gen. Stoneman who is in command of the
district of Memphis