The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1868-09-18
THE CRISIS AT HOME.
Views of Generals Forrest, Pillow. Elk Gov
ernor Harris, and Prominent Republicans.

Views of Generals Forrest, Pillow. Ex-Gov-
ernor Harris, and Prominent Republicans
A Free Talk with the Wizard OF the Saddle.
Formidable Strength of the Masked Brother
hood---Peace and SelfProteotion the OBJ
jeot of the Organization.
Special Correspondence of the Cincinnati CONNER
| cal.
MEMPHIS, TENN, August %.
To-day have enjoyed s4big talks"
enough to have gratitied any Of the fa-
NOUS Indian chiefs who have been treat
ing with General Sherman for the past
two years. First met General N. B.
Forrest, then General Gideon j. Pillow,
and Gov. Isham &. Harris. My first
visit was to General Forrest, whom !
found at his office at o'clock this morn
ing, hard at work, although complaining
OF an illness contracted at the New York
Convention. The New Workers must
be hard set indeed, for | have not met
single delegate from the Southern
States who has not been i'll ever since he
went there. But to General Forrest
Now that the Southern people have ele-
waited him to the position of their great
leader and oracle, it may not be amiss
to preface my conversation with him
with brief sketch of the gentleman.
| cannot better personally describe
him than by borrowing the language of
one of his biographers. ''ln person, he
is six feet, one inch and half in height,
with broad shoulders, full chest and
symmetrical, muscular limbs; erect in
carriage, and weighs one hundred and
cighty-fve pounds: dark grey eyes,
dair hair, mustache, and beard worn
upon the chin; set of regular white
teeth, and clearly cut features;" which
altogether, make him rather handsome
man for one of forty-seven years of age.
Previous to the warm lS52-he left
the business of planter, and came to this
city and engaged in the business of "ne-
gro trader" in which traffic he seems to
have been quite successful, for, by / SCI,
he had become the owner Of two planta-
tons few miles below here, in Missis-
sippi, on which he produced about q
thousand bales Of cotton each year, in
the mean time carrying on the negro
trading. In June, 1861, he was au-
thorizcd by Governor Harris to recruit
regiment of cavalry for the war, which
he did, and which was the nucleus
around which he gathered the army
which he commanded as a Lieutenant
General at the end of the war.
After being seated in his office, said :
General Forrest, came especially
to learn your views in regard to the con-
dition of your civil and political affairs
in the State of Tennessee, and the South
generally. I desire them for publica-
ton in the Cincinnati Commercial. l
do not wish to misrepresent you in the
slightest degree, and therefore only ask
for such views as you are willing | should
publish"
81 have not now" he replied, "and
never have had, any opinion on any
public or political subject which Iwould
object to having published. | mean
what say, honestly and earnestly, and
only object to being misrepresented. l
dislike to be placed before the country
in false position, especially as | have
not sought the reputation which l have
gained"
replied: "Sir, / will publish only
what you say, and then you can not pos
sibly be misrepresented. Our people
desire to know your feelings 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"
swell, sir" said he, "when l surren-
dered my seven thousand men in 1865,
l accepted parole, honestly, and have
observed it faithfully up to to-day. |
have counseled peace in all the speeches
have made, l have advised my people
to submit to the laws of the State, OPP
pressive as they are, and demonstrations
al as | believe them to be. | was pa
rolled and not pardoned until the issu.
ance of the last proclamation OF general
amnesty, and therefore did not think 1t
prudent for me to take any active part
until the oppression of my people be-
came SO great that they could not en-
dure it, and then | would be with them.
My friends thought differently, and sent
me to New York, and l am glad that |
went there"
"Then, suppose, General, that you
think the oppression has become SO great
that your people should not longer bear
it."
sNo," he answered, Kit is growing
worse hourly, yet l have said to the peo-