, 1866-09-22
A REBEL SOLDIERS MEET
ING.
Forrest will @DO His Best to Pro.
tect the Cleveland SOldiers:o
CHALMERS FOUGHT FOR PRIN.
CIPLE AND LOVED IT YET,u
The Men The Cleveland Soldier. Cheered.

A meeting Of e1-rebel soldiers aud officers
was held at Memphis on the 18th instant, rs
an ofshoot Of the Cleveland Soldfers' Con-
yentIon. That our readers may sec the
character Of the men whom Gutter cteered
and the Convention honored, we print two
brief speeches made by Forrest and Chal-
mers, the leaders Of the meeting. The dcs-
patch sent from Cleveland WIS read and For
rest called tor three cheers for the Conven.
tion. but it failed to hare any effect. Forrest
then sa11:
I have met the men who signed that
despatch on the battlefield, and am proud
to say tonight that am ready to shake
them By the hand In order that qnietude mud
harmony may be restored to the country. I
am ready to accept and fall back on the Con-
stltution, as It was originally handed down
the!s rights. It has been said In The North
that no Union man can trayel through the
South, or live in the South, in safety But
saJ that they can come here, and travel
through I5 the South. md hsye protection.
and property. I shall DO my bet 10 protect
fhem, Some time ago I travelled with nine
Abolitionists through portion of the South.
They were all Radicals, md now sir of them
arc stronger Southern men than Iam. (Cheers
It is our duty to invite Northern men to
eoue here. 1wnnt to show them that We
intend to do what Is right. I am frank to
confess that VIC are liable to run into er-
tremes sometimes, but Northern people have
gone farther than We in this respect. I
would say TO the people Of the North, that
We intend to stand BY the Cons Tuition, and
! intend to support President johnson 80
long us be takes the Constitution as his
guide. I will stand by no man who will not
stand by the Constitution, and will oppose
any one who violates the Constitution. /
will do as did when I was fighting against
the North. l fought them for four years,
and foggM erery one z ,ntt: lcheeTs and
whether had ten men or ten thousand;
never waited to count noses. I went out to
fight, and fight I did. [Cheers.] My com
mand was the Inst to surrender on the east
side Of the Mississippi: Ia voice, ''Bully
out TO conquer.
We laid down our arms because We thought
it our duty. Not g man seas conquered, or
dered my men to do what was willing to
do myself, and now accept the sltuation.
am here to say to those firing in the Coi,td-
crate States-[Roars Of laughter and much
Stateslf'] meant The would-bc Confeder-
ate States, lhc Southern Statcs)-that !
want to treat every mnn with justice that
XIV fC6 III lUle EOuulISs NHllL IL hEE luE INV b
enforced, and If this be done it will bring US
back to our proper situation. I thank you,
ladies and gentlemen, for your Kind nttcn.
ton. [Checrs.l '--..-..
SPEECH OF GENERAL CHALMERS.
General James r. Chalmers WIS then in
troduccd, and was warmly received. he
eaid We meet together tonight according to
call that had been made upon It's as repre-,
scntatiyrs Of the late Confederate army, fot
| the purpose Of giving expression to their
feeiingsin regnrd to the present condition Of
the country; but tonight, IN the other ex.
tremity Of the country. there was d meeting
fought under another Dag, with a different
uniform, who were endeavorlng to restore
long to preserve. lie was glad
TO sec 50 many present, for they
lain their righfa. The real purpose Of tic
| MEETING was In order to give an expression o
the state Of the South nt the present time tt
the soldiers Of the North. General Chal
mcrs then referred In ecathing terms TO Jacl
Hamilton Of Texas. He repeated the charge.
ncalnst him, aud declared TINT such q mar
| ought not TO be allowed to live In the South
lie attacked Governor Brownlow with Erca
bitterness. lGroans for Drownlow.] They
would not harm hair Of Brownlow's head
| Dec1usc he was 1uuatic-
| fVoicc-*'IIc dare not 20 up dark alley
In Memphis, bet dollar."l
lie was Of opinion that If the soldiers hat
only been left to settle this matter Of rcsto
ration Of the Union, they would hive had nj
difficulty In settling 1t amicably md to th'
satisfaction Of oil. But the politicians, Il
taking hold Of 1t, had spoiled II, us they dit
everything clsc. They wanted the boys II
blue" 10 know from the boys who woro th'
grey Jackets, TINT VIC are ready to trust II
them. During the war they carried the Con
stltuttou, as the children Of 4eracl carrier
tho Ark OF the Convcnnnt, nnd now they o
the South wanted to 60 back under thut ol,
Constitutlon. They wanted 10 CONC In, q
the President had SO we'll expressed It In hi
speech Mt St. Louis, with all their n,nnhoo
about them. lChccrs.] They desired Union
but !. must BE- u Union Of cQualIty, and the,
could not crawl In the dust to ret 1t. The,
wanted to go back. but with MI their mat
hood about them. (Chccrs.] General Chnl
1ncts said that some Of his remarks nj q Int
meeting had gone tic rounds Of the Itadica
press North, and 1e would repeat, that \
fought for principle and lo.rl Il ytt. Checr.
Eolccs-"lleH light for It aqajn, 6y Goti ~
hut he would abide by the decision Of arms
He dnrc not consent to call Stoncwall JncA
son and The brave comrades who lad Mllc
In battle, ns traitors. The flag for ,rhieh u
fought triH iirf In our hearts Jorfrer, LChrcts