Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-11

ana as quietly Ms ~ any eiectou previous
to the war OF this he Is firmly con-
vinced."
"Does he think it consistent with the
safety Of the State. and the part OF good
policy, to enfranchise the late rebel ele-
ment p
HE thinks that to do so before the
Presidential election would only increase
the assassination and prosecutions ct
Union men. We have a case in point.
The Governor was informed few days
ago, that in Ray county, remote from the
railroad, where there are very few me-
groes, and where the rebels are five to
one, report was circulated just after
the conferences between the rebel gene
rails and the legislative committee, that
the franchise law had been repealed.
This report was followed by an effort Of
a rebel mob to take two negroes from the
hands of the officers who had arrested
them on charge of stealing, for the pur-
pose Of hanging them. This spirit char
acterizes them throughout the State. The
belief ed.two or three.weeks af o
by the rebels, Of their immediate enfran-
chisement, was developed in more de-
fsnt spirit Of hostility to the legal au-
thorities and loyal men than had previ-
ously existed. This was not the case
with the leading aud more intelligent
men Of the party, but by thousands Of
illiterate men OF the Ku.Klux Klan.
Until they hear Of the election of Grant
and Colfax. they will entertain what is
now their firm conviction, that the whole
reconstruction acts Of Congress are to
be overthrown, and the Southern State
governments, including Tennessee, de-
stroyed. Hhis, they confidently expect,
will be Immediately followed by the dis
franchisement Of the negroes, together
with the repeal of the law allowing the
negro any civil rights. He believes that
these bad results would follow the extern
sion of the franchise; and he also be.
lieves that the election of Grant and
Colfax would prove to these turbulent
people the folly OF any future violence
and effortto overthrow the State govern
mept"
"You speak of their intention to over.
throw the Government; do you think the
Governor believes that they entertain
any such intention, either toward the
State or General Government?
"The leaders of the entire party, with
scarcely an exception, in this State, are
openly proclaiming purpose to over
throw the State government in case OF
Democratic success. He not only be-
lieves that it is the purpose of the great
mass of those who were in the rebellion
to overthrow all the Southern State gov
ernments, but their purpose is also to
dissolve the Union and establish the
Southern Confederacy, as proposed in
1861. The leaders and more intelligent
of them do not now proclaim such pur-
pose with reference to the General Gov
ernment, because they fear the great
power of the North, but such purpose
as the establishment of Confederacy is
cherished by them now as ardently as at
any period during the war. He thinks
that if the Government was involved in
foreign war these people would raise at
once the standard of revolt; as they
boast that they can now put as many
men in the field as they did in l86l.62 /"
ibid the Governor place any conf
dence in the intentions or pledges made
by the rebel generals to the Legislature
and to himself?"
"He believed that Gems Cheatham,
Brown and Nancy, and some others, were
sincere in their professions of desire to
have peace and order restored. In their
interyiaw with him at Knoxville, they, in
apparent sincerity and earDestness, ex.
pressed the strongest condemnation OF
the Ku-Klux organization, and dis
claimed any knowledge of its origin.
purposes or numbers They expressed
the hope that the President would for
nish Gen. Thomas all the troops he
needed to enforce ell the laws, including
the franchise law in the coming election,
and did not make as a condition of this
pacific desire, or good intentions on their
part, their enfranchisement, so as to vote
in the coming Presidential election. In
fact. they never mentioned the question |
of the repeal or any modification of the
franchise law. After leaving him, the
question Of the franchise was fully dis
cussed by those gentlemen and myself, |
naming it to them. They expressed to
me very earnest desire that at the regu-
lar session of the Legislature in Novem-
Der steps might be taken for the enfran-
chisement of all the white people in the
State, remarking at the same time that
they did not expect any such thing to
be done at the extra session of the Leg |
islature. They also, with great earnest.
ness, declared that they were not in favor
of DISTINGUISHING the negroes; that,with
the privilege of the elective franchise re-
stored to the disfranchised people of the
State, they we're in favor of perpetuating
Al l. ,u,l IN hA
"The Governor has good opinion of
the rebel Generals named, and believes
them to be sincerely desirous of peace
throughout the State and country. He
has not the same opinion of Forrest and
others, who have been making profess
sions Of loyalty aud peaceful intentions.
He believes Forrest to be the Grand
Of the Ku- Klux."
Is it the purpose of the Governor to
enforce the franchise law"
at is, at all hazards"
at has been published in the papers
lere that Republicans are intending to
import negroes from Kentucky, and
,ther States, to vote in the coming cleo
ion. Has the Governor any informs-
ion corroborating this statement and
loes he believe itT -ae
"He has no information, whatever,
,oiug to establish the truth Of this ssser
ion the charge was first made about
wo weeks ago, by the rebel papers in
Nashville, and since that time it has {
,een reiterated by some Of the rival fac
ions Of the Radical party in this district,
,ut not blythe rebel papers again, untilf I
he Radicals took 1t mp to aid in their
litter war against each other 10 this
District Ifthere is such {
chene upon the part Of any men Of the |
Republican party, the Governor would !