The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-17
GENERAL .FORRES
He Disclaims any Personal Knowledge
of the Ku-KIux KIan.

The Nashville Union and American publishes
the following letter from N. b. Forrest in reply
to a gentleman in that city long and intimately
Memphis, Sept. 7.-Dear sir:-Your favor of
the 9Th instant has been received. / wrote to
you on yesterday, stating the facts In regard TO
the letter In the Cincinnati Commercial, aud
Will send you copy OF a note of the cores
pendent (Woodward), In which he admits that
ne may have misunderstood what / said to
MN, and promises to correct the misstatements
OF his letter.
His letter purports TO have been written in
my presence, and pretends to give a detailed
report OF long conversation with me, but the
TACT is. that neither Of these supposltions is
true. The letter was not written in my pre-.
sence, and although he promised to show it to
me, so that might have an opportunity to cor
1ect any errors before it was sent Off he utterly
failed to do 80, and | had no knowledge what
the letter contained until saw 1t in print. As
a report OF what / really said 10 him, it is in
correct IN many important particulars 1t puts
statements in my mouth which l never made,
ana IL colors others so as to change their meau-
ing entirely. For instance, said TO him in
regard to.the Ku-Klux Klau that knew nothing
positively of its organization, strength, or
objects, but that was informed that Its purpose
was the protection of the people from injury,
and that was, SO far at least in sympathy with
it. All the other assertions in regard to this
organization which he puts into my mouth were
derived from some other person, are the
fabrications of his own brain.
said TO nim further, that did not think that
the single fact of calling out the militia would
bring on civil war in this State, provided the
militia acted in accordance with the existing
laws of the State and the dictates of reason and
humanity; but If they attempted to carry out
the views of the Governor, as / understood
them, by shooting down all men whom they
might suspect OF belonging to the Ku.Klux
Klan, or any other organization, and if the Gov
ernor should proclaim martial law in any part
OF the State, and attempt TO enforce it, then that
IN such a state OF affairs, civil war would be
inevitable, and that the people would rise up TO
put an end TO such outrages and usurpations;
and that in this event, thought that Al, 900 or
$4,000 men in this Safe would rise in defense of
their right. l did not however mention the
ku-hluX Klan In this connection; in fact was
very cautious in what l said to Wood
ward on this or other subjects, as |
suspected that he would not report me
fairly. am satisfied now that he was
sent here for the purpose of drawing me into
conversation 80 that he might misrepresent
what | said, and thus make some political
capital out ofit. / regret that 1 allowed him to
talk to me at all but | cannot feel that | am
responsible for the misrepresentation of which
he has been guilty. II all that have said on
political questions was reported correctly. |
should think there would be nothing found in
it which would iniure the Democratic party or
the cause of the South l have, ho geyer, in
all cases, attempted to speak but for myself,
and 30 party or person is responsible for what
have SAID. While think that many of the
present laws of this State are unconstitutional,
l am, and have ever been ready to support and
obey them, believing as 90 that it is better to
submit to them for time than to attempt to
resist them until they can be repealed by legiti-
mate legislation. i am, very truly, yours,
N. B. FORREST.