The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-09-25
A FREE TALK WITH FORREST.
10000 Men in fre Days.
Half Million Ku Klux in4he South.
Prospect of Civil War.


Confederate-Democratic General \. g.
Forrest. on the 28th of August, which
lie reported as follows for the CONNER
ctaI:
After being seated in his office, l
said:
General Forrest, l came especially
to learn your views in regard to the
condition of your civil and political af-
fairs in the State of Tennessee, eand the
South generally. / desire them for
publication in the Cincinnati COmmeF-
ci0l. l do not wish to misrepresent
you in the slightest degree, and there
fore only ask for such views as yon are
willing should publish"
Il have not now," he replied, 'Eand
never have had, any opinion on any
public or political subject which 1
would object to having published. l
mean what | say, honestly and earnest
~, and only object to being misrepre-
sented. dislike TO be placed before
the country in false position, especial
ly as | have not sought the reputation
which have gained"
Ireplied; 'Sir, i will publish only
what you say, and then YOU cannot pos
sibly be misrepresented. Our people
desire to know your feeling toward the
general Government, the State Govern
ment of Tennessee. the Radical party
both in and out of the State, and upon
the question of negro suffrage"
"Well, sir, said he, when l surren-
dered my seven thousand men in 1865,
accepted parole, honestly, and have
observed it faithfully up TO to-day. /
have counseled peace in all the speeches
l have made. l have advised nay peo-
pie to submit to the laws of the State,
~ SiT fI,oxr on1
tional as | believe them to be. / was
parOled and not pardoned until the is
suance of the last proclamation of gem
era1 amnesty, and therefore did not
think it prudent for me to take any ac-
tive part until the oppression of my
people became SO great that they could
not endure it, and then would be with
them. My friends thought differently
and sent me to New York, and l am
glad that l went there
'Then, l suppose, General, that yOn
think the oppression has become so
great that your people should not long
er bear it."
NO." he answered, cit is growing
worse every hour, yet 1 have said to the
people, stand fast and let us try to right
the wrong by legislation. y few weeks
ago l was called to Nashville, to consult
with other gentlemen who had been
prominently identified with the cause of
the Confederacy, and we then offered
pledges which we thought would be
satisfactory to Mr.. BrownlOw and his
Legislature, and we told them that, If
they would not call out the militia, we
would agree to preserve order and see
that the laws were enforced. The leg
islative committee certainly led me to
believe that our proposition would be
accepted, and no militia organized. Be-
lieving this, came home, and advised
all my people to remain peaceful, and
offer no resistance to any reasonable
law. 1t is true that / have never recog-
niZed the present government in Ten
nessee as having any legal eXistance,
yet was willing to submit to it for a
time, with the hope that the wrongs
might be righted peaceably.'
"What are your feelings towards the
Federal Government, General z"
Il loved the old Government in 1861,
/ love the old Constitution yet. / think
it the best government in the world II
administered as it was before the war.
do not hate it; / am opposing now
only the Radical revolutionists who are
trying to destroy it. believe that par
ty TO be composed, as know it is in
Tennessee, of the worst men Oh Gods
earth-men who would hesitate at NO
crime. and who have only one object in
view, to enrich themselves"
''In the event of Governor Brown
lows calling out the militia, do you
think there viii be any resistance offer
ed to their acts :" l asked.
''That will depend upon circumstan-
ces. If the militia are called out, and
do not interfere with or modest anyone,
do not think there will be any fight.
If, on the contrary, they do what be-
| lieve they will do, commit outrages. or
even one outrage, upon the people, they
and lHr. BT0tcaJotC's government 1ctU be
Stcept out Of constance; not q IfddicaI
| triU be left 0Ltre. If the militia are
called out we cannot but look upon it as
| a declaration of war, because Mr.
| BrownloW has already issued his proc
! lamation directing them to shoot down
the Ku KluX wherever they find them
and he calls all Southern men Ku Klux.'
"Why, General, we people up north
have regarded the Ilu klux KlaE as an
organization which existed only i'll tho
frightened Imagination of Il few politi
clans"
"Well, sir, their is such an organiza
ton, not only in Tennessee, but all over
the South, and its mum bers have mo-
been exaggerated
''What arc its numbers, General Z"
In Tennessee there are over forty
thousand: in all the Southern States
they number about 5000 men,"
what is the character of the organi
cation, may / inquire =
Eyes sir. 1t is protective, politica
|, military organization. 1 am willing Il
: show any man the constitution of thu
society. The members are sworn Il
recognize the Government of the United
, States. 1t does not say anything at al
about the government of the State o
, Tennessee. Its objects originally wer
f protection against Loyal Leagues ant
!; the Grand Army of the Republic. bu
after it became general. it was foun,
that political matters and interest
could best be promoted within it, ant
it was then made n political organiza
, ton, giving its support, of course, t
the Democratic party
But is the organization connects
throughout the State Z!
yes, it is. In each voting precinc
: there is captain, who, in addition t
his other duties, is required to max
r out list ofnames of men in his pre-
eipct, giving all the Radicals and all til
Democrats, who are positively known
+. and showing also the doubtful on bot
:. sides and both coiors. The list G
II names is forwaTj ed to the G rand Com
mander of the State, who is thus ena
bled to know who are friends and VIII
are not