New-York tribune., 1868-05-25
CEN FORREST ON THE sITUATIoM


GEN. FORREST ON THE SITUATI0N
Con N B. Forrest, the hero of Fort Pillow,
has written a letter protesting manfully and
forcibly against any exclusion from Demo-
cratic leadership of his fellow soldiers in the
Rebel armies during the late unpleasantness
He thinks land so do WEI that such exclusion
would parallel performance of "the tragedy
" Of Hamlet with the part of Hamlet omitted
His letter is so pertinent and characteristic
that we make room for it entire-as follows:
To m. Editors Of IN, strpAs appeal
GEETs An influence work in this State as have
discovered since my departure from memphis. TO pre-
clude any participation by the late Confederate soldiers
In tho coming Convention OF the Democracy Tennes
see TO be held Nashville on the 9th OF June ana IN the
National Democratic Convention, to be held tNeWfoK
II does not amount TO purpose to arbitrarily do this
thing but IL felt in efforts to induce every one VINO TOOK
anv part in the recent struggle OF the COnfedecy for IN
deDendence to decline attending at these issenbles
upon pretended grounds OF expedency and TO submit
the representation OF Tennessee AT u men WIN
are known to be Tor the Union. ,, .,. l.,
Upon consultation with many OF my late associates IN
the war have concluded 10 advise against any further
emascuaton Of ourselves in the party movements OF the
state. .,----.,. l., A. cons,i,,
ton and statutes which govern tho state against
consent the prescription OF which has throush te
mendacious hostility OF legislative enemies, Deen
added 10 time and again until barely live under
the accumulated weight OF dsfranchisemen ana oppres
proscripons and exOrcisms OF ourselves from all par.
tcipatiOn in the assemblies OF the STATE ano Nhohh
Democracy and publish 10 the world coniessiOn that
we are TOO unworthy TO intTude ourselves into the cOun
cils Of the partyi The National Democratic party,
ConvCnon which il TO assemble at New York ON the 4th
OF July prescribes test oaths no quaucations no
pendent upon the part have taken In ihe ato war
but like true constitutional party II opens It's doors
and invites all who may choose 10 oOme "tHous n
10 the past. To suggest, tnen' an W oO
catholic an invitation. that who are the true repre-
sentatiyes OF the greater portion OF ,he
of the States feel ourselves unworthy 10 sO tue 1eoeia
ons OF that Convention with our presence would eAhDt
ns in an attitude OF serye degradation that trust We
have not reached rs yet In THIS view n e case tne
N is my advice (yen from sense Of duty and against
q reluctance which is adverse TO any peIsOhal dispy OF
participse IN the county meetings aud To seud up tul
delegations Nashville the 9th Of June composed OF
good and true men, without reference 10 tho dNisonS
The only hope OF a restoration Of good government
I'm this country the OF the National Democracy
in the next Presidential campaign trust my late COM
rades will not from eXpediency or other motives absent
which are 10 result in the choice OF standsrdbearers.
made with view TO patriotic and desirable an end.
take any part In politics, 10 occupy any political po
sion whatever but do not wish 10 see my state repre-
JeTtrity with which hGy took either side Of the ques
ton I'm the late interest dictated and VINO Dahk
upon it as their only capital for popular support
Nashville. Friday. May rs. 1868.
-Modesty, we believe, was never Gen. For
rests strong point; aud we think he rather
overdoes the matter when he speaks of him
self and his paroled brethren as Eve, who are
"thc true representatives of the greater pOr
"tion of the true Constitution men of the
States" but then the General is sincere in
asserting that the "only hope ef a restoration"
of what he and his confederates regard IA
good government" is "the success of the
"National Democracy in the next Presidential
Campaign Such was their "only hope in
1864, and it failed them il is their 4" only hope"
now and they are doomed 10 another disap-
pointment Yet we entirely agree in his po-
sition that the Rebel armies of 1865 ought
to be fully and proudly represented in
every Democratic ConventiOn-local, State, or
National. If the party is to make any show
next Fall in the South, it must make 1t by the
exertons and votes of the Rebel soldiers and
why should they not be allowed TO help nom
mate candidates who would have no shadow
of chance without thcmi Nothing is to be
gained by cOncealment or equiyOcation on this
head and nothing is TO be lost by putting a
bold face Oh the matter We assure Gen. For
rest that large majority of fhe American
Peonle would rather be ruled by Southern
Rebels than by Northern Copperheads-by Gen.
H. Il. Lee Jndn Dy Uel' T. IlclCt' loI tAiuhpic'
But Gen. Forrest does not cover the whole
ground In the late struggle in Georgia, the
National Democracy" made strong appeals
and fair promises to the Blacks, and thus Sc
cured the votes of some thousands of them.
Why not insist that they, too, shall have a fair
show in Democratic Conventions We like
Gen. FORESTS principles 80 well that we could
wish to have them consistently needed And,
if there be (as we have seen stOutly asserted)
living specimens of that rdrd driS, "Sccesh
"nigger,r to be found in the South, we sug-
gest that one of them should be sent to the
Democratic National Convention which will
inaugurate our new Tammany Hall on the 4th
of July next. 1t is currently urged in the Dem
Ocratic organs Wisely. we judge that the
party must shed its old skin and stand forth
progressive, illumined, and ready to keep
abreast with the times. unless it is content to
remain forever out of power. Let it conquer
"its prejudices,n then, and send us at least a
graft from one of its first families" on an
African stock, as a representative of renovated
Georgia or South Carolina in the approaching
Sanhedrim We have had talk enough of
Democratic progress and recognition of accom-
plished facts; now let us see these words
translated into deedsi
|
II gives us uncommon satisfaction to be able
to speak in terms of approval of anything done,