Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-09-12
THE Exu.xLUx DEMOCRACY.

The Facts Giren.
The Northern Democracy have denied the
existence of a secret organization, among
their party in the late rebel States, under
the name of "The Ku.Klux Klan," having
for its object violent resistance to the laws
They have constantly declared the state.
ments of the loyal press, in relation to this
illegal and revolutionary organization, to be
Radical lies. will they deny the facts as
charged, in the face Of the frank admissions
made by FORREST, the Fort Pillow butcher,
last week, to the correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Commercial, who visited him to as
certain the facts concerning this Ku-Klux
Klan. The conversation is fully reported in
the Commercial of September /, and we ex-
| tract as follows:
MEMPHIS, TENN, August 2s, 1868.
My first visit o.day was to General For
rest, whom found at his Office ut 8 o'clock
this morning, hard at work, although com.
planning of an Illness contracted at the New
York Convention. The New Workers must
be hard set indeed, for have not met a
single delegate from the Southern States
who has not been ill ever since he went
there. But to General Forrest. Now that
the Southern people have elevated him to
the position of their great leader and oracle,
| it may not be amiss to preface my conversa-
tion with him with brief sketch of the
| gentlemen.
Previous to the war--in 1S52.-he left the
| business of planter, and came to this city
and engaged in the business of NEGRO ira
der" in which traffic he seems to have been
| quite successful, for, by 1861, he had be-
come the owner of two plantations few
miles below here, in Mississippi, on which
! he produced about thousand bales of cot
ton each year, in the meantime carrying on
| the negro trading. In June, 1861, he was
| authorized 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 com.
| mauded as a Lieutenant General at the end
of the war.
After being seated in his Office, said
General Forrest, l came especially to
learn your views in regard to the condition
of your civil and political affairs in the State
of Tennessee, and the South generally. l
desire them for publication in the CincinEa-
ii Commercial. do not wish to misrepresent
you in the slightest degree, and therefore
only ask for such views as you are willing |
should publish"
II have not now," he replied, and never
have had any opinion on any public or po
litical subject which / would object to hav-
ing published. mean what l say, honestly
and earnestly, and only object to being
misrepresented. l dislike to be placed be-
fore tue country in false position, especial
ly as have not sought the reputation which
l have gained"
replied "Sir, will publish only what
you say, and then you can not possibly be
misrcpresented. Our people desire to know
your feeling toward the General Govern
ment, the State government of Tennessee,
the Radical party, both in and out of the
State State and upon the question of negro suf'
I'm the event of Governor Brownlow's
calling out the militia, do you think there
will be any resistance offered to their acts p
l asked
THAT will depend upon circumstances.
If the militia are simply called out and do
not interfere with or molest auy one, do
not think there will 5esany fight IT, on
the contrary, they do what l believe what
they will do, commit outrngcs, or even one
outrage, upon the people, they and Mr..
By0,cal0ac'S government aoW be SICept ont 0t
eriStence }: not a Itadical ,oiU be lett alire If
the militia are called out, we cannot but
look upon it as q declaration of war, because
Mr.. Brownow has already issued his pro.
clamation directing them to shoot down the
Ku,Kl wherever they find them, and he
calls all southern men Nu-hluS.'
"Why, General, we people up North have
regarded the Ku.Klux- Klan as an organza
ton which existed only in the frightened
imaginations of few politicians"
"Well, sir, there is such an organization
not only in Tennessee, but all over the
South, and its numbers have not been ex.
aggerated.'
"Wbat are its numbers, General2'
"B Tennessee there are ocer forty HoW
sand an all the Southern States Ney nun,be1
about .tioe Hundred and .ftty thousand men.
|. "What is the character of the organiza.
ton, may inquire 2"
Yes sir. 1t is a protective, political
military organization. l am willing to
show any man the constitution of the socic
ty. The members are sworn to recognize the
Government of the United States. 1t does
not say anything at all about the govern
ment of the State of Tennessee. Its objects
originally were protection against Loyal
Leagues and the Grand Army of the Repnb
lie, but after it became general it was found
that political matters and interests could
best be promoted within it, and it was then
made q political organization, gi0ing its sup
port, Of couree, to the Democratic party"
, But is the organization connected
throughout the State2"
'Ies, it is. In each voting precinct there
is captain, who, in addition to his Other
duties, is required to make out list OF
names of men in his precinct, giving all the
Radicals and all the Democrats who art
positively known, and showing all the
doubtful on both sides and of both colors
The list Of names is forwarded to the GRAND
Commander of the State, who is thus ena
| bled to know who are our friends and who
are not"
"Can you, or are you at liberty to give
) me the name of the commanding officer o
! this State 2"
, mo, it would be impoltic"
Then | suppose that there can be NJ
doubt of conflict if the militia interfer,
with the people; is that your view"
"Yes, sir; if they attempt to carry ou
, Governor Brownlow's proclamation, by
shooting down Ku-Klux-for he calls al
Southern men KuKlux-if they 90 to hunt
ing down and shooting down these men
there will be war, and boodier one thar
we have ever witnessed. have told these
Radicals here what they might expect il
such an event. hare no Pouder TO bur,
Killing negroes. Iintend TO XII the Radicals